Then spake the fair Kriemhild: “I have a husband who by right should rule over all these kingdoms.”
Quoth Lady Brunhild: “How might that be? If none other lived but he and thou, then might these kingdoms own his sway, but the while Gunther liveth, this may never hap7.”
Kriemhild replied: “Now dost thou see, how he standeth, how right royally he walketh before the knights, as the moon doth before the stars? Therefore must I needs be merry of mood.”
Said Lady Brunhild: “However stately be thy husband, howso worthy8 and fair, yet must thou grant the palm to Knight2 Gunther, the noble brother of thine. Know of a truth, he must be placed above all kings.”
Then Kriemhild spake again: “So doughty9 is my husband, that I have not lauded10 him without good cause. His worship is great in many things. Dost thou believe it, Brunhild, he is easily Gunther’s peer.”
“Forsooth thou must not take it amiss of me, Kriemhild, for I have not spoken thus without good reason. I heard them both aver11, when I saw them first of all, and the king was victor against me in the games, and when he won my love in such knightly wise, that he was liegeman to the king, and Siegfried himself declared the same. I hold him therefore as my vassal12, sith I heard him speak thus himself.”
Then spake fair Kriemhild: “Ill had I then sped. How could my noble brothers have so wrought13, that I should be a mere14 vassal’s bride? Therefore I do beseech15 thee, Brunhild, in friendly wise, that for my sake thou kindly16 leave off this speech.”
“I’ll not leave it off,” quoth the king’s wife. “Why should I give up so many a knight, who with the warrior17 doth owe us service?”
Kriemhild, the passing fair, waxed wroth out of wit. “Thou must forego that ho ever do you a vassal’s service; he is worthier18 than my brother Gunther, the full noble man. Thou must retract19 what I have heard thee say. Certes, it wondereth me, sith he be thy vassal and thou hast so much power over us twain, why he hath rendered thee no tribute so long a time. By right I should be spared thy overweening pride.”
“Thou bedrest thee too high,” spake the king’s wife. “I would fain see whether men will hold thee in such high honor as they do me.”
The ladies both grew wonderly wroth of mood. Then spake the Lady Kriemhild: “This must now hap. Sith thou hast declared my husband for thy liegeman, now must the men of the two kings perceive today whether I durst walk before the queen to church. Thou must see today that I am noble and free and that my husband is worthier than thine; nor will I myself be taxed therewith. Thou shalt mark today how thy liegewoman goeth to court before the knights of the Burgundian land. I myself shall be more worshipful than any queen was known to be, who ever wore a crown.” Great hate enow rose then betwixt the ladies.
Then Brunhild answered: “Wilt thou not be a liegewoman of mine, so must thou sunder20 thee with thy ladies from my train when that we go to church.”
To this Kriemhild replied: “In faith that shall be done.”
“Now array you, my maids,” spake Siegfried’s wife. “I must be here without reproach. Let this be seen today, and ye do have rich weeds. Brunhild shall fain deny what she hath here averted21.”
They needed not much bidding, but sought rich robes and many a dame22 and maid attired23 her well. Then the wife of the noble king went forth24 with her train. Fair Kriemhild, too, was well arrayed and three and forty maidens25 with her, whom she had brought hither to the Rhine. They wore bright vesture wrought in Araby, and thus the fair-fashioned maids betook them to the minster. All Siegfried’s men awaited them before the house. The folk had marvel26 whence it chanced that the queens were seen thus sundered27, so that they did not walk together as afore. From this did many a warrior later suffer dire28 distress29. Here before the minster stood Gunther’s wife, while many a good knight had pastime with the comely30 dames31 whom they there espied32.
Then came the Lady Kriemhild with a large and noble train. Whatever kind of clothes the daughters of noble knights have ever worn, these were but the wind against her retinue33. She was so rich in goods, that what the wives of thirty kings could not purvey34, that Kriemhild did. An’ one would wish to, yet he could not aver that men had ever seen such costly35 dresses as at this time her fair-fashioned maidens wore. Kriemhild had not done it, save to anger Brunhild. They met before the spacious36 minster. Through her great hate the mistress of the house in evil wise bade Kriemhild stand: “Forsooth no vassaless should ever walk before the queen.”
Then spake fair Kriemhild (angry was her mood): “Couldst thou have held thy peace, ’twere well for thee. Thou hast disgraced thee and the fair body of thine. How might a vassal’s leman 75 ever be the wife of any king?”
“Whom callest thou here leman?” spake the queen.
“That call I thee,” quoth Kriemhild. “Thy fair person was first caressed37 by Siegfried, my dear husband. Certes, it was not my brother who won thy maidhood. Whither could thy wits have wandered? It was an evil trick. Wherefore didst thou let him love thee, sith he be thy vassal? I hear thee make plaint without good cause,” quoth Kriemhild.
“I’ faith,” spake then Brunhild, “Gunther shall hear of this.”
“What is that to me?” said Kriemhild. “Thy pride hath bewrayed thee. With words thou hast claimed me for thy service. Know, by my troth, it will ever grieve me, for I shall be no more thy faithful friend.”
Then Brunhild wept. Kriemhild delayed no longer, but entered the minster with her train before the queen. Thus there rose great hatred38, from which bright eyes grew dim and moist.
Whatso men did or sang to God’s service there, the time seemed far too long for Brunhild, for she was sad of heart and mood. Many a brave knight and a good must later rue39 this day. Brunhild with her ladies now went forth and stopped before the minster. Her-thought: “Kriemhild must tell me more of what this word-shrewd woman hath so loudly charged me. Hath Siegfried made boast of this, ’twill cost his life.”
Now the noble Kriemhild came with many a valiant40 liegeman. Lady Brunhild spake: “Stand still a while. Ye have declared me for a leman, that must ye let be seen. Know, that through thy speech, I have fared full ill.”
Then spake the Lady Kriemhild: “Ye should have let me pass. I’ll prove it by the ring of gold I have upon my hand, and which my lover brought me when he first lay at your side.”
Brunhild had never seen so ill a day. She spake: “This costly hoop41 of gold was stolen from me, and hath been hid full long a time from me in evil wise. I’ll find out yet who hath ta’en it from me.”
Both ladies now had fallen into grievous wrath42.
Kriemhild replied: “I’ll not be called a thief. Thou hadst done better to have held thy peace, an’ thou hold thine honor dear. I’ll prove it by the girdle which I wear about my waist, that I lie not. Certes, my Siegfried became thy lord.”
She wore the cord of silk of Nineveh, set with precious stones; in sooth ’twas fair enow. When Brunhild spied it, she began to weep. Gunther and all the Burgundian men must needs now learn of this.
Then spake the queen: “Bid the prince of the Rhineland come hither. I will let him hear how his sister hath mocked me. She saith here openly that I be Siegfried’s wife.”
The king came with knights, and when he saw his love a-weeping, how gently he spake: “Pray tell me, dear lady, who hath done you aught?”
She answered to the king: “I must stand unhappy; thy sister would fain part me from all mine honors. I make here plaint to thee she doth aver that Siegfried, her husband hath had me as his leman.”
Quoth King Gunther: “Then hath she done ill.”
“She weareth here my girdle, which I have lost, and my ring of ruddy gold. It doth repent43 me sore that I was ever born, unless be thou clearest me of this passing great shame, for that I’ll serve thee ever.”
King Gunther spake: “Have him come hither. He must let us hear if he hath made boast of this, or he must make denial, the hero of Netherland.” One bade fetch at once Kriemhild’s love.
When Siegfried saw the angry dames (he wist not of the tale), how quickly then he spake: “I fain would know why these ladies weep, or for what cause the king hath had me fetched.”
Then King Gunther spake: “It doth rue me sore, forsooth. My Lady Brunhild hath told me here a tale, that thou hast boasted thou wast the first to clasp her lovely body in thine arms; this Lady Kriemhild, thy wife, doth say.”
Then spake Lord Siegfried: “And she hath told this tale, she shall rue it sore, or ever I turn back, and I’ll clear me with solemn oaths in front of all thy men, that I have not told her this.”
Quoth the king of the Rhineland: “Let that be seen. The oath thou dost offer, and let it now be given, shall free thee of all false charges.”
They bade the proud Burgundians form a ring. Siegfried, the bold, stretched out his hand for the oath; then spake the mighty44 king: “Thy great innocence45 is so well known to me, that I will free thee of that of which my sister doth accuse thee and say, thou hast never done this thing.”
Siegfried replied: “If it boot my lady aught to have thus saddened Brunhild, that will surely cause me boundless46 grief.”
Then the lusty knights and good gazed one upon the other. “One should so train women,” spake again Siegfried, the knight, “that they leave haughty47 words unsaid. Forbid it to thy wife, and I’ll do the same to mine. In truth, I do shame me of her great discourtesie.”
Many fair ladies were parted by the speech. Brunhild mourned so sore, that it moved King Gunther’s men to pity. Then came Hagen of Troneg to his sovran lady. He found her weeping, and asked what grief she had. She told him then the tale. On the spot he vowed49 that Kriemhild’s lord should rue it sore, or he would nevermore be glad. Ortwin and Gernot joined their parley50 and these heroes counseled Siegfried’s death. Giselher, the son of the noble Uta, came hither too. When he heard the talk, he spake full true: “Ye trusty knights, wherefore do ye this? Siegfried hath not merited forsooth such hate, that he should therefore lose his life. Certes, women oft grow angry over little things.”
“Shall we then raise cuckolds?” answered Hagen; “such good knights would gain from that but little honor. Because he hath boasted of my liege lady, I will rather die, an’ it cost him not his life.”
Then spake the king himself: “He hath shown us naught51 but love and honor, so let him live. What booteth it, if I now should hate the knight? He was ever faithful to us and that right willingly.”
Knight Ortwin of Metz then spake: “His great prowess shall not in sooth avail him aught. If my lord permit, I’ll do him every evil.”
So without cause the heroes had declared a feud52 against him. In this none followed, save that Hagen counselled all time Knight Gunther the that if Siegfried no longer lived, then many kingly lands would own his sway. At this the king grew sad, so they let it rest.
Jousting53 was seen once more. Ho, what stout54 shafts55 they splintered before the minster in the presence of Siegfried’s wife, even down to the hall! Enow of Gunther’s men were now in wrath. The king spake: “Let be this murderous rage, he is born to our honor and to our joy. Then, too, the wonderly bold man is so fierce of strength, that none durst match him, if he marked it.”
“No, not he,” spake Hagen then, “Ye may well keep still; I trow to bring it to pass in secret, that he rue Brunhild’s tears. Certes, Hagen hath broken with him for all time.”
Then spake King Gunther: “How might that chance?”
To this Hagen made answer: “I’ll let you hear. We’ll bid messengers, that be not known to any here, ride into our land, to declare war upon us openly. Then do ye say before your guests that ye and your men will take the field. When that is done, he will vow48 to serve you then and from this he shall lose his life, an’ I learn the tale from the bold knight’s wife.”
The king followed his liegeman Hagen in evil wise. These chosen knights gan plan great faithlessness, or ever any one was ware56. From two women’s quarreling full many a hero lost his life.
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1
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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2
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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knights
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| 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 | |
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4
plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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knightly
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| adj. 骑士般的 adv. 骑士般地 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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7
hap
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| n.运气；v.偶然发生 | |
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8
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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doughty
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| adj.勇猛的，坚强的 | |
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lauded
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| v.称赞，赞美( laud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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aver
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| v.极力声明；断言；确证 | |
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vassal
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| n.附庸的；属下；adj.奴仆的 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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beseech
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| v.祈求，恳求 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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worthier
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| 应得某事物( worthy的比较级 )； 值得做某事； 可尊敬的； 有（某人或事物）的典型特征 | |
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19
retract
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| vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消 | |
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sunder
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| v.分开；隔离；n.分离，分开 | |
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averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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sundered
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| v.隔开，分开( sunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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comely
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| adj.漂亮的，合宜的 | |
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dames
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| 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 | |
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32
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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purvey
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| v.（大量）供给，供应 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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40
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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41
hoop
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| n.（篮球）篮圈，篮 | |
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42
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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43
repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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44
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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45
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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46
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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47
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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48
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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49
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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50
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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51
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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52
feud
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| n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇 | |
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53
jousting
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| （骑士）骑马用长矛比武( joust的现在分词 ) | |
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55
shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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56
ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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