The Song of the Nibelungs (Medieval Literature Classic). Anonymous

      "To me it is a wonder," / straightway spake the host,

       "From whence, O noble Siegfried, / come to our land thou dost,

       Or what here thou seekest / at Worms upon the Rhine."

       Him the stranger answered: / "Put thou away all doubts of thine.

      107

      "I oft have heard the tiding / within my sire's domain,

       How at thy court resided /—and know this would I fain—

       Knights, of all the keenest, /—'tis often told me so—

       That e'er a monarch boasted: / now come I hither this to know.

      108

      "Thyself have I heard also / high praised for knightly worth;

       'Tis said a nobler monarch / ne'er lived in all the earth.

       Thus speak of thee the people / in all the lands around.

       Nor will I e'er give over / until in this the truth I've found.

      109

      "I too am warrior noble / and born to wear a crown;

       So would I right gladly / that thou of me shouldst own

       That I of right am master / o'er people and o'er land.

       Of this shall now my honor / and eke my head as pledges stand.

      110

      "And art thou then so valiant / as hath to me been told,

       I reck not, will he nill he / thy best warrior bold,

       I'll wrest from thee in combat / whatever thou may'st have;

       Thy lands and all thy castles / shall naught from change of masters save."

      111

      The king was seized with wonder / and all his men beside,

       To see the manner haughty / in which the knight replied

       That he was fully minded / to take from him his land.

       It chafed his thanes to hear it, / who soon in raging mood did stand.

      112

      "How could it be my fortune," / Gunther the king outspoke,

       "What my sire long ruled over / in honor for his folk,

       Now to lose so basely / through any vaunter's might?

       In sooth 'twere nobly showing / that we too merit name of knight!"

      113

      "Nowise will I give over," / was the keen reply.

       "If peace through thine own valor / thy land cannot enjoy,

       To me shall all be subject: / if heritage of mine

       Through thy arm's might thou winnest, / of right shall all hence-forth be thine.

      114

      "Thy land and all that mine is, / at stake shall equal lie.

       Whiche'er of us be victor / when now our strength we try,

       To him shall all be subject, / the folk and eke the land."

       But Hagen spake against it, / and Gernot too was quick at hand.

      115

      "Such purpose have we never," / Gernot then said,

       "For lands to combat ever, / that any warrior dead

       Should lie in bloody battle. / We've mighty lands and strong;

       Of right they call us master, / and better they to none belong."

      116

      There stood full grim and moody / Gernot's friends around,

       And there as well amongst them / was Ortwein to be found.

       He spake: "This mild peace-making / doth grieve me sore at heart,

       For by the doughty Siegfried / attacked all undeserved thou art.

      117

      "If thou and thy two brothers / yourselves to help had naught,

       And if a mighty army / he too had hither brought,

       I trow I'd soon be able / to make this man so keen

       His manner now so haughty / of need replace by meeker mien."

      118

      Thereat did rage full sorely / the hero of Netherland:

       "Never shall be measured / 'gainst me in fight thy hand.

       I am a mighty monarch, / thou a king's serving-knight;

       Of such as thou a dozen / dare not withstand me in the fight."

      119

      For swords then called in anger / of Metz Sir Ortwein:

       Son of Hagen's sister / he was, of Tronje's line.

       That Hagen so long was silent / did grieve the king to see.

       Gernot made peace between them: / a gallant knight and keen was he.

      120

      Spake he thus to Ortwein: / "Curb now thy wrathful tongue,

       For here the noble Siegfried / hath done us no such wrong;

       We yet can end the quarrel / in peace—such is my rede—

       And live with him in friendship; / that were for us a worthier deed."

      121

      Then spake the mighty Hagen: / "Sad things do I forebode

       For all thy train of warriors, / that this knight ever rode

       Unto the Rhine thus arméd. / 'Twere best he stayed at home;

       For from my masters never / to him such wrong as this had come."

      122

      But outspake Siegfried proudly, / whose heart was ne'er dismayed:

       "An't please thee not, Sir Hagen, / what I now have said,

       This arm shall give example / whereby thou plain shall see

       How stern anon its power / here in Burgundy will be."

      123

      "Yet that myself will hinder," / said then Gernot.

       All his men forbade he / henceforth to say aught

       With such unbridled spirit / to stir the stranger's ire.

       Then Siegfried eke was mindful / of one most stately maid and fair.

      124

      "Such strife would ill befit us," / Gernot spake again;

       "For though should die in battle / a host of valiant men

       'Twould bring us little honor / and ye could profit none."

       Thereto gave Siegfried answer, / good King Siegmund's noble son:

      125

      "Wherefore bides thus grim Hagen, / and Ortwein tardy is

       To begin the combat / with all those friends of his,

       Of whom he hath so many / here in Burgundy?"

       Answer him they durst not, / for such was Gernot's stern decree.

      126

      "Thou shalt to us be welcome," / outspake young Giselher,

       "And all thy brave companions / that hither with thee fare.

       Full gladly we'll attend thee, / I and all friends of mine."

       For the guests then bade they / pour out in store of Gunther's wine.

      127

      Then spake the stately monarch: / "But ask thou courteously,

       And all that we call ours / stands at thy service free;