"Die Nibelungen" "Dedicated to the German People" "Siegfried" "Canto I" "How Siegfried slayed the dragon" "Thus spoke Mime, the artful blacksmith: "Siegfried, son of King Siegmund, ride home to Xanten." "Even I cannot teach you any more!"" "Have you never before heard of the king's castle at Worms on the Rhine and the kings of Burgundy who reign there?" "I shall go there to win Kriemhild!" "Show me the way to Worms or you will lose your life!" "Farewell, Siegfried, son of king Siegmund." "You will never get to Worms!" "Young Siegfried understood the bird's song:" "If the dragon slayer would bathe in the dragon's blood, his body would become invincible, forever safe against sword and spear!" "Here ends the first Canto" "Canto II" "Now Volker, the bard, sang of Siegfried in front of Kriemhild, and how Siegfried came to Worms." "The violin sounded and Volker sang:" "The dragon slayer, the son of Siegmund entered the realm of the Nibelungen." "He won the fight against the dragon." "There is no one on earth like him." "Thus spoke Alberich, the Nibelung:" "Spare my life and I will give you the wonder cap." "Whoever wears it becomes unseen or may take whatever form he chooses!" "Spare my life, O hero, and I will make you the richest king on earth!" "The crown of the King of the Northland, the ruler of the Ice giants is being wrought here by the Nibelungen." "No sword on earth compares with Balmung." "The Nibelungen forged it in fire of blood." "All is lost." "Cursed be the heritage of the heir!" "Return with me to stone all ye whom from stone were wrought." "The violin sounded and Volker sang:" "Siegfried became the dragon slayer The lord of the Nibelungen Treasure." "Twelve kingdoms subdued the powerful." "Twelve kings became his vassals." "Kriemhild, the daughter of Ute: "Volker, take this cloak, as reward for your song!" "I embroidered it myself." "Siegfried, son of King Sigmund, is outside the castle door with twelve of his knights, and asks for an audience with King Gunther." "Thus spake Hagen Tronje:" "King Gunther, let the dragon slayer go his ways, don't welcome him here!" "No one shall say that at Worms one does not know the way kings greet each other!" "Siegfried, son of King Siegmund, has my welcome!" "I dreamt last night an awful dream..." "And now this dream comes to my mind!" "I come, King Gunther, to ask for your sister Kriemhild's hand." "King Gunther, too, has marriage plans." "He has set his heart on a bold and mighty maiden." "Her name is Brunhild and she is Queen of Iceland." "Ringed by fire, her invincible castle towers in the Northland." "Why must you speak of Brunhild?" "You know she has set dangerous conditions:" "Thrice must the suitor best her in feats of strength or die!" "Siegfried, the unique hero, has come to Worms at an opportune moment." "He may help us win Brunhild for you!" "Twelve kings have I for vassals." "But vassal am I to no man, now and ever!" "Prepare for the quest to get your bride, King Gunther." "It is Siegfried the mighty hero who will win Brunhild for you." "Here ends the second Canto." "Canto III:" "How Siegfried won Brunhild for Gunther" "The dragon ship is carrying foreign heroes to your shores!" "The foreigners are nearing the flaming sea." "If he be strong enough and favored by the gods, the flames will consume themselves and die." "My maidens, help me put on my armor, this will be a a fight I've never fought before!" "Welcome, hero, for the fight for life or death!" "Neither life nor death do I desire from you, Brunhild." "It is King Gunther who woos you!" "Before it is evening, King Gunther, your smothered weapons will adorn my hall." "Give me leave, King Gunther, to make ready your ship for your royal bride." "We should set sail for home before sundown!" "Let the triple battle begin, King Gunther!" "You have to defeat me three times, o king: with the stone, the spring, and the spear." "Fear not, o king!" "Make you the motions and my strength will win each contest." "I'll throw the stone for you and carry you in the jump." "Here ends the third Canto" "Canto IV" "How Brunhild enters Worms and how the kings celebrated their wedding." "Start the prepartions for marriage!" "The king's ship is arriving!" "We have reached our destination, my queen!" "Are you really the man who defeated me threefold?" "I am your captive, but I shall never be your wife!" "If Kriemhild gives her consent, o hero, we shall celebrate a double wedding here today." "Since when is it customary among Burgundians to give the King's daughter in marriage to a vassal?" "Siegfried is no vassal." "I love him as though he were my brother." "We shall become blood brothers today!" "Blood is mingling with red blood, the drops fuse inseparably." "Whoever forsakes loyalty to the bloodbrother will perish at the wayside, all honor is lost!" "Brunhild has been defeated, not cowed." "Shall the king of Burgundy be scorned by an obstinate woman?" "Damned be the deed half done!" "Will you forsake your friend who gave you his own sister?" "The magic cap will change you into what you wish." "Take Gunther's form and break Brunhild's iron will." "Here ends the fourth Canto" "Canto V" "How, after half a year, Siegfried's gift to his bride, the Nibelungen Treasure, arrives in Worms and how the two queens quarrel with each other." "O king, Burgundy's glory is waning, we need the Nibelungen treasure." "It would be folly to reject what Siegfried offers you as a brother and Kriemhild is worth more than all the gold in the world!" "See what I found!" "Put away the armlet, Kriemhild, it guards an ugly secret." "The Mistress of the Nibelungen Treasure has no need for it!" "Listen, Kriemhild, at how I won the armlet - and keep silent!" "The Nibelungen treasure has arrived!" "How long, King Gunther, will Siegfried and Kriemhild tarry at the court of Burgundy?" "They stay for the sake of my mother." "Would you, Brunhild, be willing to take up the daughter's place for Queen Ute?" "Your brother's honor is entwined with this armlet." "It never should be seen again by human eyes!" "It seems to me high time, King Gunther, that you send Siegfried back home to Xanten!" "Never!" "He shall leave of his own freewill!" "I am going to attend mass, my daughter." "Follow me soon!" "I'll go to the cathedral in the regalia of the queen of Burgundy!" "The wife of a vassal may not precede the Queen of Burgundy!" "How did you dare refer to Siegfried, my husband?" "Siegfried introduced himself to me as Gunther's vassal and servant." "He did servant's work for my husband!" "You, whom he disdained." "You, whom he gave away." "You dare to belittle Siegfried?" "Make way for the Queen of Burgundy, vassal woman!" "You recognize this armlet, you queen of Burgundy?" "How came that armlet into your hand?" "The carrier of the magic helmet who, disguised as Gunther, defeated you three times" " Siegfried, my husband gave it to me!" "King!" "Speaks your sister the truth?" "Kill Siegfried!" "Kill Siegfried!" "Your babbling, hero, was worse than murder!" "Kill Siegfried!" "Siegfried is safe from your wrath." "None can slay the dragon slayer!" "Save in one spot, where the linden leaf clung, is he vulnerable as other men!" "King Gunther, let me deal with the dragon slayer!" "We pledged blood brotherhood." "How can I be party to his death?" "The one who took the armlet from me made me his wife, took my maidenhood from me!" "Tronje, announce to the people of Burgundy that I invite everybody to a royal hunt to kill a mad dog and a ravening." "Here ends the fifth Canto." "Canto VI" "How Gunther betrayed Siegfried." "Can you keep a secret Kriemhild?" "I once broke the oath to be silent and never will do so again!" "Well then, the upcoming hunt might easily turn into a chase for men." "A secret message warns me of war against Burgundy!" "Good for you, Kriemhild, that your husband is the dragon slayer, the invincible!" "Who warrants me that in the heat of battle not a chance blade should pierce where the lime leaf fell?" "If you want me to protect him, I have to know the exact spot where the invicible could be hurt!" "You are good counsel, you truest of true." "I shall mark the spot with a little cross myself!" "I come to take leave, Brunhild." "We are starting for the hunt in the Odenwald forest." "Mind my vow, King Gunther, I shall not eat nor drink until my disgrace has been vindicated!" "O my dear lord, don't leave me." "I dreamt last night a furious boar tore you to pieces!" "O my dear lord, don't leave me." "I dreamt further that two mountains collapsed and buried you!" "Today Gunther and I will reconcile." "Who else is my enemy?" "Mother, I feel as if blood is draining from my heart!" "The hunt in the Odenwald forest lasted from morning until sundown." "A handful of red gold for a cooling draught of white wine!" "A wheel broke from the wagon loaded with wine." "But I know of a cool brook nearby!" "I always heard of you as the fastest runner of all heroes, let's run, you and I, for the first draught!" "Gunther, my brother, let's be friends again!" "When you are back from the spring!" "Grim Hagen spoke:" "The hunt is over!"" "Here ends the sixth Canto." "Canto VII" "How Kriemhild swears revenge to Hagen Tronje." "You may break your fast, Brumhild, Siegfried is dead." "Hail to you King Gunther!" "For the sake of a woman's lie, you have slain your most loyal friend!" "I call to you for justice, King Gunther!" "Hagen Tronje has slain my husband!" "Loyalty for loyalty, Kriemhild." "His deed is ours." "His fate is ours." "Our breast is his shield." "You might try to hide among my clan, behind the altars of God, or at the end of the world" " You cannot escape my vengeance, Hagen Tronje!" "Announce to King Gunther, my brother, the Queen of Burgundy is dead!" "Thus ends the tale of Siegfried." "Die Nibelungen" "Dedicated to the German people" "Kriemhild's Revenge" "Canto I" "How Kriemhild mourned over Siegfried and how King Attilla woos her through through his ambassador, Ruediger von Bechlam." "King Gunther, Margrave Ruediger von Bechlam asks for an audience." "I come as ambassador of King Attilla, who is called lord of the Earth." "He seeks the hand of Kriemhild, your sister, in marriage." "I am afraid King Attilla does not know whom he woos." "In the name of Siegfried who was murdered and whose murder lives!" "Bear in mind how Siegfried died!" "King Attilla sends me, Lady Kriemhild, to plead in his stead for your hand!" "Ruediger, you seem to know quite well how I am exposed to grievous wrongs in the house of my clan!" "Brother!" "Where is your brother Siegfried?" "My king, deliver to me the murderer of my husband!" "He has kept faith with me, I shall keep faith with him." "This, Kriemhild, is my last word!" "Margrave Ruediger, Lady Kriemhild wishes to speak with you after evensong!" "Now is the time to keep close watch over our Burgundy, Gerenot!" "Tell me all about King Attilla, Ruediger!" "You are wooing a dead woman, Ruediger." "The murderer of my husband flaunts the green sparkling sword he robbed from the dead!" "If somebody, my lady, would do you wrong at Attila's court, King Attilla shall know how to avenge you!" "Lord Margrave, swear that to me in King Attilla's name and yours!" "Not on the cross, Lord Margrave - on the sharp edge of your sword!" "My lady!" "Lord Hagen has robbed the Nibelungen treasure!" "You have my word, Margrave Ruediger!" "Hagen Tronje, where is the treasure?" "The loyal Hagen speaks:" "At a place, my lady, where no one can use the gold to forge weapons against the kings of Burgundy!" "Here ends the first Canto." "Canto II" "How Kriemhild takes leave from her homeland, and how she was received by King Attilla." "Earth, you were once soaked with Siegfried's blood." "One day I shall come and drench you with the blood of Hagen Tronje!" "I shall return!" "Rest assured, I'll come back!" "My daughter, don't you want to bid farewell to your brother Gunther?" "No, mother." "You travel far, Lady Kriemhild." "Don't you want to make peace with your family?" "No, my priest." "Don't you want to greet them one last time, my Lady?" "No, Ruediger." "When Kriemhild reached the country of the Huns, spring had come to the land." "The sack of gold is mine!" "The Queen is coming!" "Let us meet her, brother!" "The King's treasure!" "My lady, King Attilla's brother, Blaodel, welcomes you!" "Ruediger, choose a kingdom from my lands in gratitude for this wondrous woman!" "Ask King Attilla, Margrave Ruediger, if he is ready to make your oath his own!" "By my head, o queen - whoever dares to offend you, shall die a hundred deaths!" "Here ends the second Canto." "Canto III" "How King Attilla besieged Rome and how Kriemhild summoned her brothers." "Lord Attilla swore to turn Rome's churches into horse stables!" "Why does he not fulfill his oath?" "We went into war!" "Why don't we ride on?" "Why is Attilla's horse tethered to his tent?" "And when King Attilla his mount bestrode It was the world over which he rode And when he paused his whip to crack the world cried out" " Woe, woe, alack What deeds are now in his mind?" "What is in the mind of our King?" "He sleeps!" "He sleeps!" "Lord Attilla, Attilla sleeps!" "The white woman stole and bound our lord!" "She uses golden tresses as cord!" "The white woman stole and bound our lord!" "She uses golden tresses as cord!" "My Lord-!" "Kriemhild..." "My lord-!" "Kriemhild has borne you a son!" "Earth..." "O sacred Earth!" "A wish - have you no wish I can fulfill?" "If you would honor me and gladden my heart, then bid my brothers as guests to your court." "Leave for Worms, Blaodel, to invite the royal brothers of my wife as guests to our court!" "Here ends the third Canto." "Canto IV" "How Kriemhild receives her brothers." "For over a month your brothers stayed as guests of Ruediger von Bechlarn." "The minstrels sing a new song about the love between your brother Giselher, and Ruediger's only child, the beautiful Dietlind!" "Thus Bechlam and Burgundy are bound together: one heart, one life, one death!" "To honor your brothers, lord Attilla has sent the noblest of his knights, Dietrich von Bern, to greet them." "Once more, dear Nibelungen, before Lord Attilla comes to greet you:" "Do not forget to whom Attilla will lead you!" "How could we forget, lord, that we come to visit our sister, Kriemhild?" "Whoever wants to win my gratitude, must remember my great sorrow!" "On the day before summer solstice the Nibelungen arrived at Attilla's court." "You must be tired from your journey." "Refresh yourselves and rest." "Tomorrow we will celebrate the summer solstice in a very special way." "King Attilla, remember your oath!" "He who murdered Siegfried is now in your hands!" "Remember my suffering!" "Can you never forget Lord Siegfried, woman?" "Hagen Tronje shall duel with me for his life!" "You would fight an assassin, Attilla?" "No, have him killed!" "My guest?" "Remember you oath, Attilla!" "On the life of your child, redeem it!" "In the desert, where I was born, there is but one thing sacred, the guest!" "Hagen Tronje shall be sacred as long as he regards the peace of my abode!" "She said:" "Whoever wants to win my gratitude, should remember my great sorrow!" "Whoever brings me Tronje's head will win a shield full of gold!" "But I beseech you:" "Do not harm the sons of my mother!" "Bard, play on!" "Here ends the fourth Canto." "Canto V" "How the Huns celebrated the summer solstice with the Nibelungen." "Is it the fashion at Worms to sit at table armed head to toe?" "Lord Hagen Tronje knows well, why he never lays aside his sword!" "Methinks the boy has not long to live." "We scarcely shall go as guests to any courts of his!" "Treason!" "The child!" "The work of your guest, King Attilla!" "Now you Nibelungen, all of my men will be against you." "Safe conduct from these halls I demand for me and my following!" "Here ends the fifth Canto." "Canto VI" "The Nibelungen's distress." "Go, tell Lady Kriemhild what you have seen!" "Open the gate!" "Not a Hun is alive in Attilla's hall!" "Huns, avenge your dead!" "It is impossible, my Queen!" "Avenge your dead, Huns, and the royal child!" "Sister!" "Sister!" "Think of our mother!" "Hand over the assassin of Siegfried and you are free!" "The fight is too uneven." "The dawn will see no Nibelung alive." "With Giselher my own child will die!" "Lord Ruediger, stay out of it!" "Blood cries for blood!" "Call Ruediger!" "Now the time has come, Lord Ruediger!" "Redeem your oath!" "Margrave Ruediger, I demand from you the assassin of Siegfried!" "Not against Hagen Tronje, do you send me, Queen, but against your brothers who defend him with their lives!" "Ruediger, you swore by the sharp edge of your sword!" "Giselher is engaged to my only child!" "Blood cries for blood, Ruediger!" "Lord!" "Do not force me to kill my only child!" "Here ends the sixth Canto" "Canto VII" "The Nibelungen's end." "Lord Ruediger stands before the gate!" "He will bring peace!" "What are you bringing us, father?" "Death!" "O Lord, do not allow that they who love, kill one another" "Tell them that if they deliver the murderer of my child, they may go free!" "King Attilla, you do not know the loyal German soul!" "My oath to Kriemhild is older than my oath to you!" "Don't force me to break my oath!" "Fight!" "Do you want me to lose my honor?" "!" " Defend yourself Hagen Tronje!" "O sister, what have you wrought!" "Deliver Tronje to me and you are free!" "Rejoice in your revenge Kriemhild!" "Dead are your young brothers." "Ruediger is dead." "Dead are all his men!" "But Hagen Tronje, who slew Siegfried, still lives!" "Throw fire into the hall!" "O lord, fiery arrows are raining on the hall by the queen's order - the palace is burning." "Lady Kriemhild is right, more than right!" "I myself will stand at her side when the fire will flush out Hagen, the murderer!" "Thank you, Kriemhild!" "Although we were never one in love, we are at last united in hate!" "Never, King Attilla, has my heart been as filled with love as it is at this moment." "I wish to spare King Gunther death in the flames." "I shall offer Lady Kriemhild my head!" "Speak, you Nibelungen." "Will you buy your freedom with Hagen Tronje's head?" "Loyalty, which iron could not break, will not melt in fire, Hagen Tronje!" "Look!" "Volker prepares his violin for a last song!" "I call it a shame, Lady Kriemhild that you let heroes, who could not be beaten in battle, perish in fire's fury!" "Do you hear?" "Volker is singing!" "Ah, if only we were on the green, fresh banks of the Rhine!" "Do you hear?" "Volker is singing!" "Are you not human, lady Kriemhild-!" "No, I died when Siegfried died..." "It is finished!" "It is finished!" "Lord Attilla, there still lives one vassal!" "I cannot go home to my dead Siegfried until every wrong has been atoned..." "Lord Hagen, here is the sword." "Where is the treasure?" "I swore not to betray the location of the treasure as long as one of my kings is alive!" "Now, Kriemhild, nobody knows about the treasure but God and me and God is no more discreet than I!" "Now, earth, drink your fill!" "Take Kriemhild home to Siegfried, her dead husband, for she was his and never belonged to another man!" "Thus ends the tale."