"Come here, crafty dwarf!" "You shall be pitilessly pinched   if you haven't finished the fine-wrought gold on time" "Let me go!" "It's ready as ordered" " Why are you so slow to show it?" " Lest something was lacking" " What is not ready?" " Here ... and there" "Give me the work!" "See, scoundrel, everything finished!" "Did the simpleton seek to deceive   and keep for himself the object my craft taught him how to forge?" "The helmet fits." "Will the spell work too?" ""Night and mist, like to no one!"" "Can you see me, brother?" "Where are you?" "I cannot see you" "Then feel me, rascal!" "Take that for your thieving thoughts!" "Thank you, stupid!" "Your work has stood the test" "Nibelungs, bow down to Alberich!" "Now he is watching you everywhere and rest is refused you" "Work for him though he is unseen" "You are his vassals for ever!" "Listen for him, he is near, the Lord of the Nibelungs" "Here is Nibelheim." "What fiery sparks are flashing?" "What is that among the rocks?" "Why are you whimpering?" "Hey, Mime!" "What torments you so?" "Leave me in peace!" "More yet, I would help you, Mime!" "I must obey my own brother who brought these bonds on me" "What gave him the power to bind you?" "Cunning Alberich wrought himself a ring from the Rhine's gold" "With it he has overcome us, the Nibelungs' nocturnal race" "Carefree smiths, once we created ornaments for our women   and lightly laughed at our work" "This villain compels us to creep into caverns and toil for him" "Through the ring his greed divines where a new gleam is concealed" "We have to dig it out, melt the booty and forge the cast   to pile up our master's hoard" "Your idleness brought on his ire?" "On me he forced the heaviest task" "He bade me forge and weld a helmet" "I noted what power lay in the work I fashioned I wanted to keep the helmet and escape from Alberich's sway   perhaps get him in my power   and snatch the ring so that I might be free and he my slave!" "Why did you not succeed?" "Though I fashioned the work   I did not guess the spell aright" "He who planned the work and snatched it from me   has taught me what cunning lay in the helmet" "He vanished from my sight, but unseen his arm raised weals" "That's what thanks I earned!" " Our capture will not be easy" " He will fall with your cunning" "Who are you, then, strangers?" "Friends." "We will free the Nibelungs" "Beware!" "Alberich draws near" "We'll wait here for him" "Idle herd, pile up the hoard!" "Put down the treasure!" "Must I help?" "Who is there?" "Here, scamp!" "Have you been chattering to these tramps?" "Be off, idler!" "Back to your bench!" "Out of here, all of you!" "Find me gold from the new veins!" "My whip waits for those that don't dig deep!" "I am everywhere though none can tell where" "Are you still lingering?" "Still loitering?" "Tremble, abject throng!" "Obey the master of the ring!" "What do you want here?" "From Nibelheim's land of night we have heard new rumours" "Mighty marvels Alberich works." "Greed brought us as guests to gorge" "Envy led you, that I well know" "Do you know me well?" "Who am I that you should snarl?" "In your cave Loge smiled on you, gave light and warming flames   and fired your forge" "I am your kinsman, was your friend." "You show little thanks" "Loge smiles now with elves of light lf, false one, you're their friend as you once were mine   I have nothing to fear" " You can have faith in me - ln faithlessness not fidelity" "But dauntlessly I defy you all!" "Your power lends you assurance" "Great has grown your strength" "Do you see the hoard heaped up?" "I never yet saw one so enviable" "That is today's paltry pile." "It will increase in the future" "But Nibelheim is joyless   and treasure can buy nothing" "Nibelheim's night serves me to create and conceal treasure" "With the hoard in the cave I intend to work wonders" "I will win the world for my own" "How will you start on that?" "You who aloft in the breeze live, laugh and love   all you gods I'll grip in my golden grasp!" "As I renounced love   all shall renounce it!" "Allured by gold, for gold alone shall you hunger" "On radiant peaks you live in bliss" "The black gnome you despise, you eternal revellers!" "Beware!" "When you men serve my might the dwarf will take his pleasure   with your pretty women, though love does not smile on him" "Did you hear?" "Beware when the Nibelung horde   rises from the depths to the light!" " Blasphemous fool!" " What?" "Keep your head!" "Faced with Alberich's work who would not feel wonder?" "If you win, with your treasure, all you demand   I must acclaim you the mightiest" "Moon, stars, and radiant sun   can do no other but serve you" "But   I deem it significant that those who heap the hoard   obey you ungrudgingly" "Boldly you fingered a ring   before which they trembled" "But if a thief by stealth   snatched the ring?" "How would you guard yourself?" "Loge thinks himself most artful" "Others seem stupid to him" "That I should need his counsel, the thief would rejoice to hear" "I conceived the concealing helmet and had Mime fashion it for me" "The helmet allows me to change my shape at will" "No one can see me, yet I am everywhere" "I can live safe even from you   kind, considerate friend!" "I have seen many strange things, but never witnessed such a wonder" "I cannot credit this unique work" "Were this possible, your power would last for ever" " Do you think I lie like Loge?" " Until I see for myself" "The fool is bursting with wisdom" "Now may envy devour you!" "In what shape shall I appear?" "Whatever you will" "Strike me dumb with astonishment!" "Giant serpent, curl and coil!" "Oh, do not swallow me!" "Spare Loge's life!" "Good, you villain!" "How quickly the dwarf turned to a dragon!" "Do you believe me now?" "My trembling testifies to it" "Now that I have seen it I readily believe the marvel" "But can you make yourself tiny?" "That would be the subtle way to escape danger" "But that would be too hard!" "How small shall I be?" "So that a crevice might hold you where a toad timidly hides" "Nothing simpler!" "Watch me!" "Crawl, crooked grey toad!" "Seize it quickly!" " l am captured!" " Hold him till I tie him!" "Up we go." "There he will be ours" "Sit tight there, kinsman!" "Look, there lies the world that you wanted to win" "What spot, tell me, will you allow for my sty?" "Rogue!" "Ruffian!" "Loosen my bonds or you'll rue this outrage!" "You are caught in my chains" "You fancied the world lay in your power" "Wretch, you cannot deny it!" "To free you a ransom is demanded" "Dolt I am, to trust this trick!" "Terrible vengeance I vow!" "First you must set yourself free" "To a fettered man no free soul makes amends" "If you relish thoughts of revenge, first think about the ransom" " Say what it is you want" " The treasure and your gold" "Greedy gang of rogues!" "But if I keep the ring I could spare the treasure" "New wealth would soon be won at the ring's command I shall not pay too dear if the lesson costs only baubles" " Will you yield the treasure?" " Loosen my hand and I'll summon it" "I have called the Nibelungs" "I hear them hauling the hoard from the depths" "Now loosen my bonds!" "Not until all has been paid" "Oh humiliation that my slaves should see me captive!" "Bring it in as I command!" "Pile the hoard into a heap!" "Don't glance over here!" "Quick there, quick" "Then get back to your labour!" "Woe betide if I find you idle!" "I am following at your heels" "I have paid." "Now let me depart" "And the helmet that Loge holds, now kindly give back to me" "This belongs to the ransom" "Accursed thief!" "But patience!" "He who made it can make another" "Mine is the might that Mime obeys" "Yet it's hard to leave my weapon to my foes" "Alberich has left you everything." "Now, bullies, loosen my bonds!" "Shall I untie him?" "A golden ring rests on your finger" " That belongs to the hoard" " The ring?" " To be freed you must forfeit it" " My life, but not the ring!" "I require the ring." "With your life do what you will!" "I lose limb and life if I must lose the ring too" "Hand and head, eye and ear are not more my own than this!" "You call the ring your own?" "Are you raving, shameless gnome?" "From whom did you take the gold from which you made the ring?" "Was it your own, that you stole it from the depths?" "Ask the Rhine's daughters   whether they gave you the gold you robbed" "Base trickery!" "Vile deceit!" "Do you throw on me the blame for what you so dearly desired?" "Gladly you would have robbed the Rhine of its gold   had you so easily found the way to forge it!" "How well it worked for you   that I, in shame and fury   gained the terrible magic whose work now gladdens you!" "Must this fatal, fearful deed   serve you as a royal toy, my curse serve for your pleasure?" "Take heed, haughty god!" "If I sinned it was against myself" "But you sin against all that was, is and shall be   if you seize my ring!" "Surrender the ring!" "No right to it can you prove" "Crushed!" "Shattered!" "Of wretches the wretchedest slave!" "Now I possess what will make me the mightiest of mighty lords!" "is he to go?" "Set him free!" "Slink off home!" "No knot holds you" "Am I free?" "Truly free?" "Then thus I give you my freedom's first greeting!" "Since by curse it came to me, accursed be this ring!" "Since its gold gave me might   may its magic bring death to whoever wears it!" "It shall gladden no happy man its gleam shall light on no one lucky!" "Whoever possesses it shall be consumed with care   whoever has it not shall be gnawed with envy!" "Each shall itch to possess it, but none shall find in it pleasure!" "Its owner shall guard it profitlessly" "Through it he shall meet his executioner!" "Forfeit to death, faint with fear shall he be fettered" "The length of his life he shall long to die   the ring's master to the ring a slave   until again I hold in my hand what was stolen!" "Thus in direst distress   the Nibelung blesses his ring!" "Keep it now, guard it well!" "My curse you cannot escape!" "Did you heed his fond farewell?" "Let him give vent to his fury" "Fasolt and Fafner are approaching" "They are bringing Freia back" " They have returned" " Welcome, brother!" "Do you bring good tidings?" "We carried out the task." "There lies what will free Freia" "From the giants' grasp our fair one approaches" "The breeze breathes on us again" "Bliss fills our senses lt would be gloomy to be for ever separated from her   who gives us perpetual youth and joyous delight!" "Dearest sister!" "Are you restored to me?" "Do not touch her!" "She still belongs to us" "At Riesenheim's boundary we stopped to rest" "Honourably we tended the pledge for the pact" "I regret I am returning her   for us to be paid her ransom" "The ransom lies ready" "Now the gold shall be measured" "To do without the woman saddens us sorely lf she is to be banished from my mind   the treasure must be so high that it hides her from my sight!" "Freia's form shall be the measure" "These poles measure the pledge." "Now fill the space with the hoard" "Hurry!" "The work is repugnant!" " Help me, Froh!" " l'll end Freia's shame" "Not so loosely packed!" "Fill the measure tightly!" "I can still see through it." "Stop up these chinks!" "Stand back, clod!" " Keep your hands off!" " Close these crevices!" "Deep in me burns my disgrace" "Our pure one stands humiliated" "Her look mutely pleads for release" "Wicked man, to ask this of a loved one!" "Still more!" "Rage this rogue rouses in me!" "You cur!" "If you want to measure, measure yourself against me!" "Your din avails you nothing!" "Not even to crush you?" "Peace!" "I think Freia is covered now" "The hoard is used up" "I still see the gleam of her hair." "Throw that object on the pile!" "The helmet too?" " Here with it!" " Let it go!" "Are you satisfied?" "Freia the fair I see no more" "Must I let her go?" "Her gaze still gleams on me here, through a crack" "As long as I see those lovely eyes I cannot tear myself away!" "I advise you, stop up this crack!" "Can't you see the gold has gone?" "By no means." "On Wotan's finger   still glints a ring of gold." "Give it here to fill the crack!" "What!" "This ring?" "Listen!" "This gold belongs to the Rhinemaidens" "Wotan will give it back to them" "What idle chatter is this?" "What I won I'll keep for myself lt goes badly with the promise I gave the lamenting maidens" "Your promise does not bind me." "The ring remains with me" "But you must yield it here I will grant you everything   but for all the world I will not surrender the ring!" "Then our first bargain stands." "Freia follows us for ever!" " Help!" " Give in to them!" " Do not hold back!" " Give up the ring!" "Leave me in peace!" "The ring I'll not surrender" "Yield, Wotan, yield!" "Escape from the ring's curse" "To dark destruction   its possession dooms you" "Who is this woman who threatens?" "I know whatever was" "Whatever is, whatever shall be   I also see" "The eternal world's first ancestress   Erda warns you" "My womb bore three daughters, conceived before the start of time" "What I see, the Norns nightly tell you" "But direst danger today brings me in person to you" "Hear me!" "All that is shall come to an end" "A dark day dawns for the gods" "I charge you   shun the ring!" "Mysterious your words sound" "Stay that I may know more!" "I have warned you" "You know enough" "Reflect in fear and dread!" "If I must fear and dread, I must seize you and learn all!" "What would you do, madman?" "Desist, Wotan!" "Touch not the noble one." "Heed her words!" "Listen, you giants!" "Wait!" "You shall be given the gold" "Dare I hope so?" "Do you think me truly worth this ransom?" "Come to me, Freia!" "You are freed" "Bought back, restore our youth!" "You giants, take your ring!" "Stop, greedy!" "Leave some for me." "A fair division will be best" "You longed more for the maid than for gold, lovesick loon!" "I persuaded you to exchange her." "You would not have shared Freia   so I retain more for myself" "Do you insult me?" "I call on you as judges" "Divide the treasure between us" "Let him take the treasure." "Only keep the ring!" "Back!" "Mine is the ring!" "For it I gave up Freia's gaze" "Hands away!" "The ring is mine!" "I hold it. lt belongs to me!" "Hold it fast in case it falls!" "Now blink at Freia's gaze." "The ring you will not touch again!" "Terrible now I find the curse" "What luck, Wotan!" "Great your gain when you won the ring" "More it profits now it is taken" "See, your foes fell each other for the gold that you gave up" "Yet anxiety weighs upon me" "Dread and fear fetter my mind" "How to end it Erda must teach me I must go down to her" "Why do you tarry, Wotan?" "Does the noble fort not beckon as it waits to welcome its owner?" "I paid for it with unclean wages!" "A sultry haze hangs in the air." "Its dull weight oppresses me I will collect the clouds in a storm to sweep the sky" "Come to me, mists and vapours!" "Donner, your master, summons you" "As I swing my hammer, hover here!" "Misty moisture, hanging haze!" "Donner, your master, summons you" "Brother, point out the path!" "The bridge leads to the fort   light but firm below your feet" "Boldly tread its terrorless path!" "The sun sheds its evening beams" "In its gleam the castle shines" "In the radiance of the morning it stood tenantless   grand and inviting before me" "From morn to eve, in care and anxiety   not lightly was it won" "Night draws on" "From envy it now offers shelter" "Thus I salute the fortress   safe from terror and dread" "Wife, follow me" "Dwell in Valhalla with me!" "What means the name?" "Never have I heard it before" "What my courage found for me" "If it lives on victorious, it will make its meaning plain" "They hasten to their end, though they think themselves strong I am almost ashamed to share their doings" "Fancy lures me to transform myself back into flames" "To burn them who tamed me rather than end with the blind!" "It doesn't seem stupid l'll think it over" "Who knows what I'll do?" "Rhinegold!" "Purest gold!" "How bright you once shone on us!" "What lamenting assails me here?" "Give us the gold!" "The children of the Rhine lament their looted gold" "Accursed nymphs!" "Give us its glory again!" "Stop them annoying us!" "You in the water, why wall to us?" "Hear what Wotan wills for you" "No more gleams the gold on you" "Henceforth bask in bliss   in the gods' new radiance!" "Rhinegold!" "If but your gleam still glittered in the deep!" "Now only in the depths lie tenderness and truth" "False and faint-hearted are those who revel above!" "Translation (c) Lionel Salter Subtitling:" "David Hogarth (c) 1988 Philips Classics Productions"