The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie. The Ring of the Niblung, part 1. Рихард Вагнер

hand sinks down.

      FROH

      My heart stands still.

      LOGE

      I have it: hear what ye lack!

      Of Freia's fruit

      Ye have not partaken to-day.

      The golden apples

      Within her garden

      Restored you your strength and your youth,

      Ate ye thereof each day.

      The garden's guardian

      In pledge has been given.

      On the branches dries

      And droops the fruit,

      To drop soon and decay.

      My loss is lighter,

      For still did Freia,

      Stingy to me,

      Stint the delectable fruit.

      Not half as godlike

      Am I, ye high ones, as you!

      [Freely, but quickly and harshly.

      But ye trusted solely

      To the fruit that makes young,

      As well both the giants wist.

      Your life they played for,

      Plotted to take;

      Contrive so that they fail.

      Lacking the apples,

      Old and worn,

      Grey and weary,

      Wasting, the scoff of the world,

      The Gods must pine and pass.

      FRICKA [Anxiously

      Wotan, alas!

      Unhappy man!

      See what thy laughing

      Lightness has brought us—

      Scoff and scorn for all!

      WOTAN [Coming to a sudden resolve, starts up.

      Up, Loge,

      And follow me!

      To Nibelheim hastening downward,

      I go in search of the gold.

      LOGE

      The Rhine-daughters

      Thy aid invoked:

      Not vainly they hoped for thy help then?

      WOTAN [Angrily.

      Fool, be silent!

      Freia, the fair one—

      Freia's ransom we go for.

      LOGE

      Where thou wouldst go

      Gladly I lead.

      Shall we dive

      Sheer through the depths of the Rhine?

      WOTAN

      Not through the Rhine.

      LOGE

      Then swift let us swing

      Through this smoky chasm.

      Together, come, creep we in!

      [He goes in front and vanishes at the side through a cleft, from which, immediately afterwards, sulphurous vapour streams forth.

      WOTAN

      Ye others wait

      Till evening here;

      The golden ransom

      When got will again make us young.

      [He descends after Loge into the chasm. The sulphurous vapour which rises from it spreads over the whole stage and quickly fills it with thick clouds. Those who remain behind are soon hidden.

      DONNER

      Fare thee well, Wotan!

      FROH

      Good luck! Good luck!

      FRICKA

      O come back soon

      To thy sorrowing wife!

      [The sulphurous vapour darkens till it becomes a black cloud, which rises upwards from below. This then changes to a dark, rocky cavern which keeps rising, so that the stage seems to sink deeper and deeper into the earth.

      THIRD SCENE

      From various points in the distance ruddy lights gleam out. An increasing clamour, as of smiths at work, is heard on all sides. The clang of the anvils dies away. A vast subterranean chasm becomes visible which seems to open into narrow gorges on all sides. Alberich drags the screaming Mime out of a side cleft.

      ALBERICH

      Héhé! Héhé!

      Come here! Come here!

      Mischievous dwarf!

      Prettily pinched

      Promptly thou'lt be

      Hast thou not ready,

      Wrought to my wish,

      The dainty thing I desire!

      MIME [Howling.

      Ohé! Ohé!

      Oh! Oh!

      Let me alone!

      It is forged;

      Heeding thy hest

      I laboured hard

      Till it was done!

      Take but thy nails from my ear!

      ALBERICH

      Then why this delay

      To show thy work?

      MIME

      I feared that something

      Might still be wanting.

      MIME, howling.

      "Ohé! Ohé!

      Oh! Oh!"

      ALBERICH

      What is there to finish?

      MIME [Embarrassed.

      Here—and there–

      ALBERICH

      How here and there?

      Hand me the thing!

      [He tries to catch hold of his ear again. In his terror Mime drops a piece of metal-work which he has been clutching convulsively. Alberich picks it up hastily and examines it with care.

      Rogue, observe!

      See how all wrought is

      Well finished and feat,

      Done as desired!

      The simpleton wants

      Slyly to trick me

      And