XVIII. How Kriemhild would not return to the Lowland with Siegmund

 Then went the old King Siegmund where Kriemhild sat in her woe²,

And he spake to the Queen: “To our own land homeward now let us go.

Guests are we all-unwelcome, I trow well, here by the Rhine.

Come with us, Kriemhild belovèd, to our country, thine and mine.

That thy kin¹ in the land Burgundian have so evil entreated³ us

In slaying⁴ thy noble husband by murder most treacherous⁵,

It shall not be remembered against thee: my love shall cherish thy life,

For the sake of my son and the noble child he hath left to his wife.

Thou, Lady, shalt have dominion⁶, shalt have over all the control

That Siegfried gave to thee ever, that lord of the noble soul.

The crown shalt thou wear, and the kingdom shall bow beneath thy sway.

Thee shall the vassals⁷ of Siegfried with willing heart obey,”

Then the word to the squires⁸ was given, “Home ride we ere eventide!”

Out of the field they gathered in haste the steeds they should ride.

To dwell mid⁹ their deadly foemen was now to their souls as gall¹⁰.

For the journey prepared was raiment of the dames¹¹ and the handmaids all.

But now when the old King Siegmund was at point to ride away,

Drew nigh the kinsmen¹² of Kriemhild to plead with her and to pray

That still she would stay with her mother in the land of Burgundy.

Made answer the joyless-hearted: “Now nay¹³, it can never be!

How could I endure it, that ever I should look upon him with mine eyes

Who hath dealt with me, the hapless, in such despiteful wise?”

But the young Prince Giselher answered: “Sister belovèd, now

By a child’s true love I adjure¹⁴ thee, abide¹⁵ with thy mother thou!

For them which have darkened thy spirit, for them which have wounded thine heart,

No need hast thou of their service; in all that is mine thou hast part.”

{p. 147}

But she to the knight¹⁶ made answer: “How can it be? Ah no!

If I look on the face of Hagen, I must die for utter woe.”

“Now nay, O sister belovèd, from this will I guard thee well.

With Giselher thy brother here sheltered shalt thou dwell.

My love for the death of thy dear lord shall atone¹⁷ in very deed.”

And the joyless made answer: “Kriemhild thereof hath bitter need!”

Now when in such loving fashion pleaded with her the lad,

Their prayers unto his supplication¹⁸ did Uta and Gernot add.

Yea, all her loyal kinsfolk entreated her there to stay.

“Among all the people of Siegfried no kinsman¹⁹ thou hast,” said they.

“They be all unto thee as strangers, as aliens,” Gernot said.

“Though the living may love thee, the strongest must needs at the last lie dead.

Bethink thee thereof, dear sister: to thine heart speak comfortably.

Here tarry with thine own kinsfolk: so shall it be well with thee.”

So she gave to her brother the promise, to abide with them in the land.

Now by this were the horses gathered for the men of Siegmund’s band;

And all to the land of the Niblungs were ready to ride away,

And laden²⁰ upon the horses was the good knights²¹’ war-array.

Then unto the bower²² of Kriemhild went grey-haired Siegmund the King,

And he spake to the Lady: “The warriors²³ of Siegfried’s following

Stand waiting beside their horses. Forth²⁴ and away let us ride.

The hours unto me are bitter while with Burgundy’s folk I abide.”

But the Lady Kriemhild made answer: “My kinsmen have wrought²⁵ on my will,

Even my nearest and dearest, here to abide with them still.

None in the land of the Niblungs, say they, of my blood can I find.”

Then sore aggrieved²⁶ was Siegmund that such should be Kriemhild’s mind.

And answered and spake the old King: “Lest any deceive thee beware.

Thou before all my kinsfolk the royal crown shalt wear,

Yea, wear it by right of kingship, even as heretofore.

For this shalt thou nowise suffer, that thy lord is beside thee no more.

{p. 148}

Nay, forth with us do thou journey unto thine home and thy child;

Let him not be an orphan²⁷, his father dead, his mother exiled.

When thy son is grown unto manhood, thy comfort shall he be then:

Till then shalt thou have true service of many valiant²⁸ men.”

But she answered: “My dear lord Siegmund, with thee I may not ride.

Nay, here with mine own must I tarry, what issue soever betide.

In my grief and my wrong to my kinsfolk for comfort and help must I look.”

When this was told them, the tidings ill could the good knights brook²⁹.

With one voice cried they against it: “Our plight³⁰ may we surely deplore³¹

That on us hath affliction lighted now as never before!

If here in the land Burgundian thou with our foes³² wilt³³ abide,

Never have heroes ridden to an eviller festal-tide!”

But she answered: “In God’s good keeping shall ye fearlessly journey home.

I will get for you trusty escort for your warding³⁴ until ye be come

Unto your own dear country. Good knights, farewell each one.

Unto your love and compassion³⁵ I commend my little son.”

So when they knew of a surety that they could not in any wise shake

Her purpose, the men of Siegfried into bitter weeping brake.

Ah, with what deep heart-anguish King Siegmund took farewell

Of Kriemhild! Renewal³⁶ of sorrow on the childless father fell.

“A curse on that festal high-day!” the King in bitterness cried:

“Never to king and his dear ones did such foul³⁷ fortune betide

As here upon us hath fallen—and that at a feast, good sooth!

In Burgundy here shall they see us never again, of a truth!”

Then in fierce anger shouted the thanes of Siegfried’s band:

“Nay, once more yet may we journey unto this accursèd land,

If we find, if we prove of a surety who laid our dear lord low.

Amidst his friends have they won them deadly foes enow!”

For the last time kissed he Kriemhild. He spake in sorrow’s despair,

When he saw her steadfastly³⁸ purposed to abide with her people there:

“Now ride we forth all joyless, as home to our people we go!

Now first my depth of affliction and all my sorrow I know!”

{p. 149}

So rode they without all escort from Worms on Rhine away.

Well might they go all-fearless: so stern of mood were they,

That if haply foemen in malice³⁹ had set upon them then,

Their heads had their own hands warded⁴⁰, those aweless Niblung men.

No leave would they take of any: they shook off the dust of their feet.

Yet Giselher and Gernot full lovingly came to greet

The old king at his departing; for they sorrowed in his heart-pain,

And thereof did they give clear witness, those valiant heroes twain.

For to Siegmund spake Prince Gernot exceeding courteously⁴¹:

“Now God in Heaven be witness, of the death of Siegfried am I

Wholly and utterly⁴² guiltless! Never I heard this said,

That any bare him malice. From mine heart do I mourn for thy dead.”

Then Giselher the young prince provided them escort fair.

So led he unvexed of any the hearts overburdened with care,

Even the King and his good knights, back to their Netherland home.

Ah, with how little rejoicing their kinsmen beheld⁴³ them come!

Touching⁴⁴ all that befell them thereafter the old song holdeth its peace:

But at Worms was the plaining of Kriemhild heard without surcease

That her heart and her wounded spirit had no comforter,

Save one, the loving and faithful, her brother Giselher.

But there sat Brunhild the lovely enthroned in her arrogant⁴⁵ pride.

Little she recked of Kriemhild as from depths of despair she cried.

Never in kindness or pity she stooped to the stricken again.

But the years stole on, till Kriemhild wrung⁴⁶ her heart too with pain.

1 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

2 woe   

n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌

参考例句：

• Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
• A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

3 entreated   

恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They entreated and threatened, but all this seemed of no avail. 他们时而恳求，时而威胁，但这一切看来都没有用。
• 'One word,' the Doctor entreated. 'Will you tell me who denounced him?' “还有一个问题，”医生请求道，“你可否告诉我是谁告发他的？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

4 slaying   

杀戮。

参考例句：

• The man mimed the slaying of an enemy. 此人比手划脚地表演砍死一个敌人的情况。
• He is suspected of having been an accomplice in the slaying,butthey can't pin it on him. 他有嫌疑曾参与该杀人案，但他们找不到证据来指控他。

5 treacherous   

adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的

参考例句：

• The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
• The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

6 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

7 vassals   

n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 )；（封建时代）诸侯；从属者；下属

参考例句：

• He was indeed at this time having the Central Office cleared of all but his vassals. 的确，他这时正在对中央事务所进行全面清洗（他的亲信除外）。 来自辞典例句
• The lowly vassals suffering all humiliates in both physical and mental aspects. 地位低下的奴仆，他们在身体上和精神上受尽屈辱。 来自互联网

8 squires   

n.地主，乡绅( squire的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The family history was typical of the Catholic squires of England. 这个家族的历史，在英格兰信天主教的乡绅中是很典型的。 来自辞典例句
• By 1696, with Tory squires and Amsterdam burghers complaining about excessive taxes. 到1696年，托利党的乡绅们和阿姆斯特丹的市民都对苛捐杂税怨声载道。 来自辞典例句

9 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

10 gall   

v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难

参考例句：

• It galled him to have to ask for a loan.必须向人借钱使他感到难堪。
• No gall,no glory.没有磨难，何来荣耀。

11 dames   

n.（在英国）夫人（一种封号），夫人（爵士妻子的称号）( dame的名词复数 )；女人

参考例句：

• Dames would not comment any further. Dames将不再更多的评论。 来自互联网
• Flowers, candy, jewelry, seemed the principal things in which the elegant dames were interested. 鲜花、糖果和珠宝看来是那些贵妇人的主要兴趣所在。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 kinsmen   

n.家属，亲属( kinsman的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Kinsmen are less kind than friends. 投亲不如访友。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• One deeply grateful is better than kinsmen or firends. 受恩深处胜亲朋。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

13 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

14 adjure   

v.郑重敦促(恳请)

参考例句：

• I adjure you to spare him.我恳求你饶恕他。
• I adjure you to tell the truth before this court.我要求你对本庭说实话。

15 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

16 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

17 atone   

v.赎罪，补偿

参考例句：

• He promised to atone for his crime.他承诺要赎自己的罪。
• Blood must atone for blood.血债要用血来还。

18 supplication   

n.恳求，祈愿，哀求

参考例句：

• She knelt in supplication. 她跪地祷求。
• The supplication touched him home. 这个请求深深地打动了他。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

19 kinsman   

n.男亲属

参考例句：

• Tracing back our genealogies,I found he was a kinsman of mine.转弯抹角算起来他算是我的一个亲戚。
• A near friend is better than a far dwelling kinsman.近友胜过远亲。

20 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

21 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

22 bower   

n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽

参考例句：

• They sat under the leafy bower at the end of the garden and watched the sun set.他们坐在花园尽头由叶子搭成的凉棚下观看落日。
• Mrs. Quilp was pining in her bower.奎尔普太太正在她的闺房里度着愁苦的岁月。

23 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

24 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

25 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

26 aggrieved   

adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• He felt aggrieved at not being chosen for the team. 他因没被选到队里感到愤愤不平。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is the aggrieved person whose fiance&1& did not show up for their wedding. 她很委屈，她的未婚夫未出现在他们的婚礼上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

28 valiant   

adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人

参考例句：

• He had the fame of being very valiant.他的勇敢是出名的。
• Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister,inflation rose to 36%.尽管财政部部长采取了一系列果决措施，通货膨胀率还是涨到了36%。

29 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

30 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

31 deplore   

vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾

参考例句：

• I deplore what has happened.我为所发生的事深感愤慨。
• There are many of us who deplore this lack of responsibility.我们中有许多人谴责这种不负责任的做法。

32 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

33 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

34 warding   

监护，守护（ward的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Magina channels a powerful warding magic damping the negative effects of spells. 敌法师用守护魔法来抵御负面法术的攻击。
• Indeed, warding off disruption is the principal property of complex systems. 的确，避免破损解体是复杂系统主要的属性。

35 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

36 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

37 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

38 steadfastly   

adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝

参考例句：

• So he sat, with a steadfastly vacant gaze, pausing in his work. 他就像这样坐着，停止了工作，直勾勾地瞪着眼。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• Defarge and his wife looked steadfastly at one another. 德伐日和他的妻子彼此凝视了一会儿。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

39 malice   

n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋

参考例句：

• I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
• There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。

40 warded   

有锁孔的，有钥匙榫槽的

参考例句：

• The soldiers warded over the city. 士兵们守护着这座城市。
• He warded off a danger. 他避开了危险。

41 courteously   

adv.有礼貌地，亲切地

参考例句：

• He courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。
• Presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会，他就很客气地站起来，让她走开。

42 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

43 beheld   

v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

44 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

45 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

46 wrung   

绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水）

参考例句：

• He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
• He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。