XLIII

In dark and dismal durance them kept apart the queen, So that from that hour neither was by the other seen, Till that at last to Hagan her brother's head she bore.

On both she took with vengeance as tongue ne'er told before.

XLIV

To the cell of Hagan eagerly she went; Thus the knight bespake she, ah! with what fell intent!

"Wilt thou but return me what thou from me hast ta'en, Back thou may'st go living to Burgundy again."

XLV

Then spake grim-visag'd Hagan, "You throw away your prayer, High-descended lady; I took an oath whilere, That, while my lords were living, or of them only one, I'd ne'er point out the treasure; thus 'twill be given to none."

XLVI

Well knew the subtle Hagan, she ne'er let him 'scape.

Ah! when did ever falsehood a.s.sume so foul a shape?

He fear'd, that, soon as ever the queen his life had ta'en, She then would send her brother to Rhineland back again.

XLVII

"I'll make an end, and quickly," Kriemhild fiercely spake.

Her brother's life straight bade she in his dungeon take.

Off his head was smitten; she bore it by the hair To the Lord of Trony; such sight he well could spare.

XLVIII

Awhile in gloomy sorrow he view'd his master's head; Then to remorseless Kriemhild thus the warrior said; "E'en to thy wish this business thou to an end hast brought, To such an end, moreover, as Hagan ever thought.

XLIX

"Now the brave King Gunther of Burgundy is dead; Young Giselher and eke Gernot alike with him are sped; So now, where lies the treasure, none knows save G.o.d and me, And told shall it be never, be sure, she-fiend! to thee."

L Said she, "Ill hast thou quitted a debt so deadly scored; At least in my possession I'll keep my Siegfried's sword.

My lord and lover bore it, when last I saw him go.

For him woe wrung my bosom, that pa.s.s'd all other woe."

LI

Forth from the sheath she drew it; that could not he prevent; At once to slay the champion was Kriemhild's stern intent.

High with both hands she heav'd it, and off his head did smite That was seen of King Etzel; he shudder'd at the sight.

LII

"Ah!" cried the prince impa.s.sion'd, "Harrow and wellaway!

That the hand of a woman the n.o.blest knight should slay, That e'er struck stroke in battle, or ever buckler bore!

Albeit I was his foeman, needs must I sorrow sore."

LIII

Then said the aged Hildebrand, "Let not her boast of gain, In that by her contrivance this n.o.ble chief was slain.

Though to sore strait he brought me, let ruin on me light, But I will take full vengeance for Trony's murdered knight."

LIV

Hildebrand, the aged, fierce on Kriemhild sprung; To the death he smote her as his sword he swung.

Sudden and remorseless he his wrath did wreak.

What could then avail her, her fearful thrilling shriek?

LV There now the dreary corpses stretch'd all around were seen: There lay, hewn in pieces, the fair and n.o.ble queen.

Sir Dietrich and King Etzel, their tears began to start; For kinsmen and for va.s.sals each sorrow'd in his heart.

LVI The mighty and the n.o.ble there lay together dead; For this had all the people dole and drearihead.

The feast of royal Etzel was thus shut up in woe.

Pain in the steps of Pleasure treads ever here below.

LVII

'Tis more than I can tell you what afterward befell, Save that there was weeping for friends belov'd so well; Knights and squires, dames and damsels, were seen lamenting all.

So here I end my story. This is THE NIBELUNGERS' FALL.

NOTES

According to Professor Lachmann, this poem has no t.i.tle in most of the ma.n.u.scripts. In the two that have a superscription, it is styled the Book of Kriemhild. Its ordinary name, The Nibelungenlied, is derived from the La.s.sberg ma.n.u.script which ends with the words, _der Nibelunge liet_, the lay of the Nibelungs, while the better ma.n.u.scripts for _liet_ read _not_, calamity. The word Nibelung is a patronymic from _nebel_, mist or darkness, and means, child of mist or darkness. Who these Nibelungs were is involved in appropriate obscurity. In the first part of the poem, they are Siegfried's Norwegian dependents, formerly subjects of King Nibelung; in the second, they are the Burgundians, possibly as being then the possessors of the wondrous treasure. In F.H.

von der Hagen's Remarks on the poem, there is a long rambling note on this word, a note, however, which is worth reading. The commentator travels from the Nephilim, or giants of scripture, down to Neville, the great Earl of Warwick, and his coal-black head of hair. I have followed Mr. Birch in using the form _Nibelunger_, as more convenient for the verse, and more suitable to our language, and also to mark the difference between the name of an individual, and that of a tribe. For the same reasons I have ventured to employ the form _Amelunger_.

FIRST ADVENTURE

(St. VI.) The famous city of Worms derived its name, according to one tradition, from the _Lindwurm_, or dragon slain by Siegfried under the linden tree; according to another, from the mult.i.tude of dragons that infested the neighborhood. The Rose-garden of Kriemhild (which, though celebrated in other poems, is not noticed in this) was in the vicinity.

The progress of civilization, elegance, cleanliness and cla.s.sic refinement has converted the Rose-garden into a tobacco ground.