"Bridle your steed, warrior maid!" "Soon a conflict will blaze forth" "Brunnhilde must charge into battle and ensure victory for the Walsung" "Hunding is of no value to me in Valhalla" "So with all speed ride forth" "Father, look to yourself." "You will need to weather a storm" "Fricka, your wife, is approaching in her chariot drawn by rams" "How she wields her golden whip!" "The beasts are bleating with fear" "The wheels clatter furiously, she is ready for a quarrel I have no wish to be part of it, though I love men's battles" "Brave the storm as you may." "I gladly leave you to it!" "The old storm, the old trouble!" "But here I must make a stand!" "In the mountains where you hide to escape your wife's eye   I have sought you out   for you to promise me help" "Let Fricka say what troubles her" "I have been hearing Hunding's plaint" "He called on me to avenge him" "As wedlock's guardian I listened" "I swore to punish the misdeed   by the sacrilegious pair who have wronged a husband" "What wrong have this pair done whom Spring has united in love?" "Love's magic bewitched them." "Who must atone for love's power?" "How stupid you feign to be" "As if you did not know   it is about marriage, a sacred vow, that I complain" "Unholy do I deem the vow   that binds the unloving" "Do not demand that I restrain what is outside your control" "For where bold spirits are active I openly urge them to battle lf you respect adultery   then bluster further and praise as holy   the incest between twins!" "I shudder at heart, my brain reels" "Brother embracing sister as bride!" "When it was ever known for brother and sister to be lovers?" "It is known today!" "Something may happen on its own although it never happened before" "That these two love each other must be clear, so hear my advice" "Since pleasure will reward you   then smile on love   and bless their union" "is this then the end of the gods, since you begot the wild Walsungs?" "I have spoken frankly." "Have I divined your meaning?" "Your holy kin mean nothing to you" "You throw aside all you honoured" "You tear apart bonds you tied" "You loosen your hold on heaven   only to give rein to the whim of these sinful twins   the fruit of your infidelity" "Why do I mourn for wedlock's vows which you were the first to break?" "Your wife you have betrayed ln depths and heights, your lecherous eye lingered   to see how you could gratify your fancy and mortify my heart" "Saddened, I had to bear it when you flew to the fray   with those fearsome maids whom lawless love had fathered" "But you feared your wife enough to make the brood of Valkyries   even Brunnhilde   obedient to my authority" "New names have taken your fancy" "As "Walse" you wandered wolfishly" "You descended in dishonour to procreate a couple with a mortal" "Now you would throw your wife to a she-wolf's whelps!" "Then do so." "Fill my cup full" "Trample on the one you betrayed!" "You have never learned" "You never can foresee an event before it takes place in reality" "You understand only the familiar" "But my thoughts dwell on what has never been" "Hear one thing!" "There is need for a hero who, free from divine protection   can free himself from divine law" "Thus alone will he be fit to do the deed   which, though the gods need it   a god is debarred from doing" "You are trying to deceive me" "What could heroes accomplish that would be forbidden to gods   whose grace gives them power?" "Do you disparage their courage?" "Who breathed that into men?" "Who lit up their dull eyes?" "Under your protection they seem strong" "You alone stimulate them" "With new wiles you are trying to escape me" "But you shall not win this Walsung for yourself ln him I find only you   for his daring stems from you" "He grew up by himself in sorrow" "My protection never sheltered him" "Then do not shelter him today!" "Take away the sword you gave him" "The sword?" "The sword of magic power that you gave to your son" "Siegmund won it for himself in his hour of need" "You created that need for him like the sword ..." "Would you deceive me who, day and night   have been following at your heels?" "For him you thrust into the tree   the sword you promised him" "Would you deny that you lured him to where he would find it?" "No noble fights with bondsmen" "A free man punishes an offender" "I might wage war against your power" "But Siegmund must fall, a slave, to me!" "is your immortal wife to obey one who is serf to you as master?" "Must I abase myself   to spur on the insolent, to be mocked by the free?" "My husband cannot wish for that" "He would not profane a goddess so!" "What do you ask?" "Disclaim the Walsung!" "Let him go his own way" "But you must not protect him when the avenger calls him" "I will not protect him" "Look me in the eye." "Do not deceive" "Direct the Valkyrie away from him!" "Let the Valkyrie be free to decide" "She carries out your will" "Forbid her to allow Siegmund's victory!" "I cannot strike him down" "He found my sword" "Remove its magic." "Let it snap" "Let his foe find him defenceless" "Here comes your valiant maid, shouting as she gallops I called her for Siegmund's sake" "Let her shield today defend your wife's sacred honour!" "Derided by men   deprived of power   we gods would perish   if my rights were not avenged by the valiant maid" "The Walsung must die for my honour" "Do I have Wotan's oath?" "Take my oath!" "The father of hosts awaits you" "Let him tell you   how the lot has fallen" "I fear the dispute ended badly." "Fricka was laughing at the outcome" "What must your child be told?" "You seem dispirited" "I am confined in my own fetters" "I am the least free of all beings" "Never have I seen you like this." "What is gnawing at your heart?" "O sacred shame!" "O shameful distress!" "Grief for the gods!" "Endless rage!" "Everlasting sorrow!" "I am the saddest of all beings" "Father, tell me, what is wrong?" "Your troubles dismay your daughter" "Trust in me!" "I am true to you" "See, Brunnhilde begs you" "Were I to disclose it   should I not relax the control I hold on my will?" "It is to Wotan's will you speak when you tell me your will" "What am I if not your will?" "Let what I put into words for no one   then remain forever unspoken" "When talking to you I talk only to myself" "When love's delight declined in me my spirit thirsted for power" "Driven by raging desires, I won the world for myself" "Unwittingly I bound myself by treaties that concealed evil I was lured on by Loge, who now has vanished" "Yet with all my power, I still hungered for love" "The thwarted Nibelung, Alberich, broke from night's bonds" "He cursed love, and gained the Rhine's glittering gold   and with it immeasurable power" "The ring he made I took by treachery I did not return it to the Rhine." "With it I paid for Valhalla   the castle the giants built for me   from which I ruled the world" "She who knows all that ever was, Erda, the wisest holy Wala   cautioned against the ring and warned of eternal doom" "Of that doom I sought to know more, but the woman sank from sight" "Then my peace of mind was lost" "As a god, I had to know ln the bowels of the earth I overpowered the Wala by love I humbled her pride in wisdom, so that she answered me" "From her I drew knowledge" "But from me she secured a pledge" "The world's wisest woman   bore you, Brunnhilde, to me" "With eight sisters I brought you up" "Through you Valkyries I wanted to avert the doom   the Wala made me fear   a shameful end for immortals" "So that foes would find us strong I bade you bring me heroes   we had held in thrall, whose spirits we had crushed   and by treacherous treaties bound to us in obedience" "You were to spur them to strife   so that I could gather hosts of fearless fighters in Valhalla" "We filled your hall" "What now troubles you?" "There is something else." "Mark well what the Wala warned" "Through Alberich's army our downfall threatens" "The Nibelung bears me rancour" "But now I do not fear his forces." "My heroes would bring me victory" "Only if he were to win back the ring   would Valhalla be lost" "He who cursed love could malignly use the ring's magic" "He would turn my heroes against me" "He would compel the conquerors to wage war on me I then pondered how to wrest the ring from my enemy" "One of the giants I once paid with the accursed gold   Fafner, guards the hoard for which he killed his brother" "From him I have to wrest the ring that I myself paid him as fee" "Yet I may not attack one with whom I concluded a contract" "My might would fall powerless" "These are the bonds that bind me I through contracts became ruler" "By contracts I am now enslaved" "Only one could accomplish what I may not   a hero whom I had never deigned to help" "A stranger to the god, free from his favour   acting from his own need, with his own weapon" "He could do the deed that I must shun   that I never suggested to him, though it is my one wish" "One opposed to the gods who would fight for me   this friendly foe, how could I find him?" "How could I create a free man whom I never shielded   who, by his own defiance, would be dearest to me?" "One who, of his own volition, will do what I alone desire?" "Plight for a god!" "Horrible humiliation!" "To my disgust I find only myself   in all I bring about" "This other I shall never discover" "The free man must create himself I can only make one subservient to me" "Does Siegmund not act for himself?" "I roamed the woods with him" "Against the gods' counsel I incited him to defiance" "All that protects him now is the sword   that a god's grace granted him" "Why did I wish to gull myself?" "Fricka spotted the trick easily" "To my shame, she saw through me I must yield to her will" "Then will you withhold victory from Siegmund?" "I touched Alberich's ring" "Greedily I retained his gold" "The curse from which I fled   I cannot shake off" "I must abandon what I love   murder the son I treasure   betray one who trusts me!" "Farewell, to lordly splendour   godlike pomp's shameful sham!" "Let what I built fall in ruins!" "I give up my work I want only one thing now   the end!" "For this end Alberich is working" "Now I understand the meaning of the Wala's words:" "" When the dark foe of love in anger begets a son   the doom of the blessed ones will not long be delayed "" "Recently a rumour reached me" "The Nibelung had overcome a woman and extorted her favours for gold" "The seed of his spite stirs in her womb" "This befell the loveless one" "Yet I who wooed in love did not produce a free man" "Take my blessing   Nibelung son!" "What deeply disgusts me I leave you as legacy   the empty glory of godhead" "Glut your grudge on it!" "What must your child now do?" "Fight for Fricka" "Guard wedlock and its vows" "What she chose is my choice too" "Of what avail is my own will?" "I cannot fashion a free man" "You must fight for Fricka's vassals!" "Repent and recant!" "You love Siegmund I know I must protect the Walsung" "You must strike Siegmund down" "Gain the victory for Hunding" "Guard yourself well" "Bring all your boldness to battle" "Siegmund wields a victorious sword." "He will scarcely die a coward!" "You have taught me to love him" "His virtues are dear." "Your command shall never turn me against him!" "Insolent girl, do you defy me?" "What are you but the obedient agent of my will?" "When I opened my heart did I sink so low   that I am now reviled by my own creation?" "Do you know my wrath?" "Your courage would collapse if its lightning crashed on you" "In my breast I hide the fury   that could waste the world which once gave me pleasure" "Woe to him whom it strikes!" "His defiance would turn to despair I warn you, do not provoke me" "Obey my orders!" "Siegmund must die" "Let this be the Valkyrie's task" "Never have I seen father like this   even when a quarrel has incensed him" "My weapons hang heavily on me" "How light they were when I fought as I fancied!" "Today I creep fearfully into this sinister fray" "Woe, my Walsung!" "In deepest sorrow your friend   must forsake you!" "Rest here now." "Gain some respite!" "Further!" "No further for now" "Wait, sweetest wife!" "From rapture you fled with frantic haste" "I could hardly follow your flight" "Speechless, silent, you sped ahead" "My calls could not curb you!" "Now rest!" "Speak to me!" "End the dread caused by silence" "Your brother is holding his bride" "Siegmund is at your side" "Fly from one who is sullied" "Unholy arms embrace you" "Dishonoured, my body is dead." "Flee from the corpse   of one who unworthily gave herself to a man of honour" "When he embraced her   she found there purest delight" "The man gave her all his love   and awakened all her own" "From the sweetest bliss   which pervaded her soul   horror and loathing for dishonour seized the woman" "She belonged to a husband, although he had gained her without love" "Leave one who is accursed!" "Let her flee from you!" "I am degraded, defiled I must leave the purest of men" "I may never belong to you I bring shame upon my brother   the friend who freed me!" "The miscreant's blood shall pay!" "Flee no further" "Wait for our foe" "Here he shall fall when Notung gnaws at his heart" "Then you will be avenged!" "The horns!" "Do you hear their call?" "All around sounds a fearful din   from wood and countryside" "Hunding has awakened" "He calls kinsmen and hounds" "The frenzied pack is howling" "Savagely they cry to heaven   for the broken marriage vow" "Where are you, Siegmund?" "Can I still see you   beloved brother?" "Let the stars of your eyes   shine on me once more" "Do not reject your sullied wife's kiss!" "Hark!" "Hunding's horn!" "His pack approaches" "No sword will serve against hounds" "Cast it away, Siegmund!" "Where are you?" "There I see you." "Fearful sight!" "Hounds bare fangs at your flesh" "They take no heed of your glance" "They fasten fangs in your feet" "You fall." "The sword shatters" "The ash tree breaks" "Brother!" "Sister!" "Beloved!" "Siegmund!" "Look at me!" "I am she whom you soon will follow" "Who are you   who appear before me so fair and stern?" "Only those doomed to death are entitled to see me" "Whoever beholds me must leave the light of life" "On the field of battle alone do I appear to heroes" "He who has seen me   I have chosen in the fight" "Whither do you lead the hero who follows you?" "I will lead you to the father of battles, who has chosen you" "You will come with me to Valhalla" "In Valhalla's hall   shall I find the father of battles alone?" "The noble band of fallen heroes   will embrace you cordially with solemn greeting" "Would I find in Valhalla   Walse, my own father?" "You will find your father there" "In Valhalla will a woman give me a fond greeting?" "Pleasing maidens preside there in splendour" "Wotan's daughter   will bring you your cup" "You are splendid and holy" "I realise you are Wotan's child" "But tell me one thing" "Will his sister and bride accompany her brother?" "Will I embrace Sieglinde there?" "She must still breathe the air of earth" "Siegmund will not see her there" "Then greet Valhalla for me" "Greet Wotan" "Greet Walse and all the heroes" "Greet the lovely maidens too" "I will not follow you" "You have seen   the Valkyrie's searing gaze" "Now you must go with her" "Where Sieglinde lives   in pleasure or pain there Siegmund too will dwell" "Your gaze has not made me blench lt will never force me from here" "So long as you live nothing can force you" "But death will force you, fool I came here to tell you that" "Where is the hero to whom I fall today?" "Hunding will slay you in battle" "Threaten more than Hunding's blows lf you lurk, lusting for battle, choose him as your prey I intend to kill him" "Walsung, mark what I say" "On you the lot fell" "Do you know this sword?" "He who made it guaranteed victory" "With it I defy your threats" "He who made it for you has now decreed your death" "He withdraws his spell" "Quiet!" "Do not alarm the woman!" "Oh woe!" "Sweetest wife   saddest of all loyal women" "Against you the world rages" "And I, whom alone you trust   for whom you defied it   shall I not shield you?" "Must I betray your courage?" "Shame on him who made the sword   if he decreed disgrace" "If I must die   I will not go to Valhalla" "Let Hella hold me fast!" "Do you so little value everlasting bliss?" "is she everything to you, this poor woman   who, weary and woeful   lies limp in your lap?" "Do you hold nothing else precious?" "So young and fair you seem" "But my heart knows how cold you are" "If you mock, away with you   heartless, unfeeling maid!" "If you must gloat on my woe, let my tribulations rejoice you   my grief gladden your heart" "But of Valhalla's cheerless joys say nothing to me!" "I see distress gnaw at your heart I feel the hero's holy suffering" "Siegmund, entrust your wife to me" "My protection shall enfold her!" "While she lives, none but I shall touch her pure person lf l must fall victim to death, I would kill her while she sleeps!" "Madman!" "Hear my advice!" "Entrust to me your wife   for the sake of the pledge that she conceived for you in love" "This sword a traitor gave to the true   if it will not serve against my foe   let it avail against my friend" "Two lives smile upon you here" "Take them, Notung   with a single stroke!" "Stop, Walsung!" "Hear what I say!" "Sieglinde shall live" "And Siegmund   shall live with her" "It is settled I will change the outcome." "For you I will ensure luck   and victory" "Do you hear the call?" "Make ready, hero!" "Trust in the sword" "The weapon will be true to you   as the Valkyrie will truly defend you" "Farewell, Siegmund, blessed hero I will see you on the battlefield!" "Sleep, like a magic spell   soothes my fair one's grief and pain" "Did the Valkyrie bring her   this solace when she came   so that the battle should not affright the grief-stricken woman?" "She seems lifeless, though she lives" "A smiling dream caresses her" "Slumber on now until the battle is over   and peace gladdens you" "He who calls must prepare himself." "I will deal him his deserts" "Notung shall pay him his due!" "Would that father came home!" "With the boy he is in the forest" "Mother!" "I feel afraid" "The strangers seem neither friendly nor peaceful" "Black smoke, choking fumes   flames are licking round us" "The house is burning." "Brother, help!" "Siegmund!" "Wehwalt!" "Woeful!" "Face me and fight or my hounds will have you!" "Where are you that I shot past?" "Stand and let me see you!" "Hunding!" "Siegmund!" "Could I but see them!" "Come here, foul fornicator!" "Fricka shall cut you down here" "You think me still weaponless?" "You threaten me with women." "Fight for yourself   or Fricka will fail you" "From the tree within your house I dared to draw the sword" "Now savour its sharpness!" "Stop, you men!" "Murder me first!" "Strike, Siegmund, trust the sword!" "Back!" "Let the sword be shattered!" "To horse, so that I may save you!" "Away, slave!" "Kneel before Fricka" "Tell her that Wotan's spear   avenged the cause of her shame" "Go!" "But Brunnhilde!" "Woe to the offender!" "Disobedience shall be punished when my charger catches up with her"