The Nibelungenlied: The Lay of the Nibelungs (Oxford World's Classics) by Cyril Edwards Page B
Authors: Cyril Edwards
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heroes, you must all say the same: Gunther is my lord and I am his vassal. All that he hopes for there will be done.’
386
They were ready to do all that he ordered them to vow. In their pride, none of them desisted, but they all asserted whatever he wanted—that turned out well for them when King Gunther saw fair Prünhilt.
387
[Sivrit said:] * ‘I don’t swear this oath so much for your sake as for love of your sister, that fair maiden. She is as dear to me as my life and soul. I will gladly serve to earn her for my wife.’
388
SEVENTH ADVENTURE
HOW GUNTHER WON PRÜNHILT
B Y that time their skiff had come so close to the castle that the king could see fair maidens in great numbers standing high up at the windows. Gunther was sorry to know nothing of their identity.
389
He asked Sivrit, his companion: ‘Do you know anything about these maidens who are looking down towards us, here on the waves? No matter what their lord is called, their spirits are most high.’
390
Then Lord Sivrit said: ‘Now you must search secretly among the damsels and tell me then which you would take if it were in your power.’
‘I will do so,’ replied Gunther, that bold and valiant knight.
391
‘Well, I see one of them standing in that window in snow-white clothing, who is so well-favoured—my eyes choose her because of her fair person. If it were in my power, she would become my wife.’
392
‘Your eyes have chosen rightly. That is noble Prünhilt, the fair maiden for whom your heart, your mind, and your intent strive.’
The whole of her demeanour seemed noble to Gunther.
393
Then the queen ordered her noble maidens to go away from the windows. They were not to stand there to be looked at by the foreigners. They did her bidding. What the ladies did next has also been told us. To meet the strangers they adorned themselves, as has
394
ever been comely women’s custom. They walked over to the narrow windows, from which they could see the heroes—they did so in order to observe them.
395
There were only four of them who had come to that land. Bold Sivrit led a warhorse onto the beach, watched through the windows by the comely women. King Gunther thought himself honoured by that. * Sivrit held his elegant charger by the reins there—it was noble
396
and handsome, huge and strong—until King Gunther had seated himself in the saddle. Such was the service Sivrit rendered Gunther, though he was afterwards to forget it altogether. Then he also led his
397
own horse down from the skiff. Seldom had he done such service before as to stand at a hero’s stirrups. The fair and proud ladies saw that through the windows. Those two most gallant heroes were very
398
much alike, in that their chargers and their clothing were both of the same snow-white hue. Their fair shields shone from the hands of those most gallant men. Their saddles were well adorned with gems,
399
their bridles slender. They rode in splendour up to Prünhilt’s hall. From their harness hung bells of bright red gold. They arrived in that land, as their courage commanded, with new-cut lances, with splendid
400
swords which reached down to those gallant men’s spurs. Those valiant warriors carried swords that were sharp and broad. Prünhilt, that most noble maiden, saw all that for herself.
401
Together with them came then Dancwart, and also Hagen. We hear tell that those knights wore sumptuous clothing of raven-black hue. Their shields were splendid, of great size, good and broad.
402
They saw them wearing gems from the land of India; they could see them rippling on their clothes in all splendour. They left their little skiff unguarded by the tide. Thus those bold and worthy heroes rode up to the castle. They saw eighty-six towers standing
403
within there, three spacious palaces and a handsome great hall of noble marble, green as grass, where Prünhilt herself resided with her retinue.
404
The castle gates were opened wide. Then
386
They were ready to do all that he ordered them to vow. In their pride, none of them desisted, but they all asserted whatever he wanted—that turned out well for them when King Gunther saw fair Prünhilt.
387
[Sivrit said:] * ‘I don’t swear this oath so much for your sake as for love of your sister, that fair maiden. She is as dear to me as my life and soul. I will gladly serve to earn her for my wife.’
388
SEVENTH ADVENTURE
HOW GUNTHER WON PRÜNHILT
B Y that time their skiff had come so close to the castle that the king could see fair maidens in great numbers standing high up at the windows. Gunther was sorry to know nothing of their identity.
389
He asked Sivrit, his companion: ‘Do you know anything about these maidens who are looking down towards us, here on the waves? No matter what their lord is called, their spirits are most high.’
390
Then Lord Sivrit said: ‘Now you must search secretly among the damsels and tell me then which you would take if it were in your power.’
‘I will do so,’ replied Gunther, that bold and valiant knight.
391
‘Well, I see one of them standing in that window in snow-white clothing, who is so well-favoured—my eyes choose her because of her fair person. If it were in my power, she would become my wife.’
392
‘Your eyes have chosen rightly. That is noble Prünhilt, the fair maiden for whom your heart, your mind, and your intent strive.’
The whole of her demeanour seemed noble to Gunther.
393
Then the queen ordered her noble maidens to go away from the windows. They were not to stand there to be looked at by the foreigners. They did her bidding. What the ladies did next has also been told us. To meet the strangers they adorned themselves, as has
394
ever been comely women’s custom. They walked over to the narrow windows, from which they could see the heroes—they did so in order to observe them.
395
There were only four of them who had come to that land. Bold Sivrit led a warhorse onto the beach, watched through the windows by the comely women. King Gunther thought himself honoured by that. * Sivrit held his elegant charger by the reins there—it was noble
396
and handsome, huge and strong—until King Gunther had seated himself in the saddle. Such was the service Sivrit rendered Gunther, though he was afterwards to forget it altogether. Then he also led his
397
own horse down from the skiff. Seldom had he done such service before as to stand at a hero’s stirrups. The fair and proud ladies saw that through the windows. Those two most gallant heroes were very
398
much alike, in that their chargers and their clothing were both of the same snow-white hue. Their fair shields shone from the hands of those most gallant men. Their saddles were well adorned with gems,
399
their bridles slender. They rode in splendour up to Prünhilt’s hall. From their harness hung bells of bright red gold. They arrived in that land, as their courage commanded, with new-cut lances, with splendid
400
swords which reached down to those gallant men’s spurs. Those valiant warriors carried swords that were sharp and broad. Prünhilt, that most noble maiden, saw all that for herself.
401
Together with them came then Dancwart, and also Hagen. We hear tell that those knights wore sumptuous clothing of raven-black hue. Their shields were splendid, of great size, good and broad.
402
They saw them wearing gems from the land of India; they could see them rippling on their clothes in all splendour. They left their little skiff unguarded by the tide. Thus those bold and worthy heroes rode up to the castle. They saw eighty-six towers standing
403
within there, three spacious palaces and a handsome great hall of noble marble, green as grass, where Prünhilt herself resided with her retinue.
404
The castle gates were opened wide. Then
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