Gudrún ‘True spake the tongue
of truth unwitting!
Thy wavering fire
wildly flaming
he rode unrecking
who that ring gave thee –
did Gunnar get it
on Gnitaheiei?
10 Andvari’s ring,
old, enchanted,
is on Brynhild’s hand
bound in token.
Did Gunnar give me
the gleaming ring
from thy hand he drew,
now here on mine !’
11 Coldhued as death
the queen was stricken,
strode swift from stream
as stone silent;
from Rhine-river,
from running water,
her bower sought she
brooding darkly.
12 Dim fell evening,
dusk was starless;
her mind was as night
as she mourned alone;
alone, lightless,
made lamentation:
Brynhild ‘Fell! fell the fates
that forged our days!
13 Mine own must I have
or anguish suffer,
or suffer anguish
Sigurd losing.
Yet he is Gudrún’s
and Gunnar’s I:
foul wrought the fates
that framed my life!’
14 Daylong lay she
drinking nor eating,
as in dead slumber
or dreadful thought.
Her maidens marvelled –
she minded not,
Gunnar sought her;
grim she heard him.
15 Then spake Brynhild
from bitter pondering:
Brynhild ‘Whence came the gold
here gleaming pale?
Who holds the ring
from my hand taken?’
Nought spake Gunnar,
no word answered.
Brynhild 16 ‘King men call thee!
A coward rather,
from fire flinching,
fearful, quaking!
From witch-woman’s
womb thou camest.
Woe to Grímhild,
woe’s contriver!’
Gunnar 17 ‘Vile words to use,
thou Valkyrie,
thou slayer of men,
and sword-hearted!’
Brynhild ‘If sword I had,
I would slay thee now,
for thy secret treason,
for thy sundered oaths!
18 Him only loved I
who all surpassed;
an oath uttered,
him only to wed,
him only to wed
who mine ardent fire
vanquished valorous;
I am vow-breaker.
19 I am oath-breaker,
dishonoured, humbled;
I am love-bereaved
and life-curséd.
In thy halls shalt thou hear
never happy voices,
no queen in thy courts
shall comely walk.’
20 Long there lay she
in lamentation;
afar heard folk
her fell mourning.
Gudrún she spurned,
Gunnar scorning,
and H?gni mocking;
hate was kindled.
*
21 From the hunt rode Sigurd
home returning,
found halls unlit
and hearts darkened.
They brought him to seek her
for sorrow’s healing;
his mood was loath,
on the morrow went he.
(He draws back the coverlet
from Brynhild and wakes her,
as before he had done.)
Sigurd 22 ‘Hail, O sunlight
and sun’s rising!
Sleep no longer
and sorrow cast thou!’
Brynhild ‘I slept on mountain,
I sleep no more!
Accursed be thy words,
cruel forswearer!’
Sigurd 23 ‘What grief ails thee
amid good liking,
who to glorious Gunnar
wert gladly wed?’
Brynhild ‘Gladly! gladly!
Grim thou mockest me.
Him only I loved,
who all surpassed.’
Sigurd 24 ‘Yet glory no less
hath Gjúki’s son,
my blood-brother,
best renownéd.
Well he loves thee,
lord unfearing –
look now and learn
light yet shineth!’
Brynhild 25 ‘Nay, Fáfnir Sigurd
fearless conquered;
my wavering fire
he waded twice;
twice he waded
tongues of lightning:
so great glory
never Gunnar earned.’
Sigurd 26 ‘That twice he waded,
who told thee so?
Sigurd hath not said it –
why saist thou this?’
Brynhild ‘Gloom was round us.
Thy gleaming eyes,
thine eyes gleaming
anguish gave me.
27 Veils of darkness
they vanquished me.
I am life-curséd
and love-bereaved.
Yet I curse thee too,
cruel forswearer,
who rendered to another
the ring taken.
28 Gudrún I curse
for cruel reproach
of bed broken
and body yielded.
Thy glory alone
seems good to thee;
of all women the worst
thou weenest me.’
Sigurd 29 ‘Woe worth the words
by women spoken!
Woe worth the while
this work began!
Webs enwound me
woven dreadly,
my mind shadowing,
my mood darkening.
30 Long I loved thee,
long desiring.
Thee only would I hold,
now all I know.
My mood mastering,
my mind wielding,
I sat unsmiling,
no sign making.
31 This solace sought I,
that I saw thee still,
the one hall walking
though wife of other.’
Brynhild ‘Too late! too late,
love thou speakest!
To allay this evil
there leech is none.’
Sigurd 32 ‘Is hope all fallen,
is healing vain?
Must fate fierce-hearted
thus find its end?’
Brynhild ‘This hope only,
this heart’s comfort –
that Sigurd forsworn
a sword should bite!’
Sigurd 33 ‘Swords lightly sleep,
soon may I feel them!
Then would Brynhild die –
bitter would she deem it.’
Brynhild ‘Well fall the words
from woe’s maker!
Little light in life
hath he left to me.’
Sigurd 34 ‘Yet Gunnar would I slay,
Gudrún forsake,
from death thee to keep,
our doom o’ercoming!’
Brynhild ‘I am wife of one,
I wed no other.
No lord will I love,
and least Sigurd!’
*
35 Forth went Sigurd
filled with anguish,
his heart was swollen
in heaving breast.
Mail-rings clutched him,
marred his breathing,
to his flesh cutting
fiercely straining.
36 There stood Gudrún
gleaming-lovely:
Gudrún ‘Sleeps yet Brynhild,
sickness bearing?’
Sigurd ‘Brynhild sleeps not,
brooding darkly.
She broodeth darkly
our bale and doom.’
37 Gudrún wanly
grasped him weeping:
Gudrún ‘What doth Brynhild brood,
what bale purpose?’
Sigurd ‘Thou shouldst know it,
needless asking.
Woe worth the words
by women spoken!’
38 (Then spake Gunnar
gloomy-hearted:)
Gunnar ‘What hope of healing
harm’s amending?
Shall we gold offer,
gold and silver?’
Sigurd ‘Gold and silver
let Gunnar offer!
Her lord alone
her leech must be.’
39 Then Gunnar offered
gold and silver,
gold and silver
gleaming-hoarded.
Brynhild ‘Gunnar, speak not
of gold and silver;
swords were me dearer
to slay my life.
40 All men’s master,
all surpassing,
such only ever
shall earn my love.
Than thy liege lower
thou art less become,
a V?lsung’s squire,
a vassal’s servant!
41 From thy bed parting,
at thy board humbled
I will leave thee alone
to laughter of men,
if life thou allowest
to liege forsworn,
if thou slay not Sigurd,
thy sister’s lord.’
Gunnar 42 ‘Fell-hearted thou,
and foe of peace!
I oaths have sworn
for ever lasting,
bonds of brotherhood
in blood mingled;
though Brynhild bid it,
I may break them not.’
Brynhild 43 ‘Oaths too I swore
for ever lasting –
light thou heldest them!
I am love-betrayed.
Sigurd thou sent me,
thy sworn brother.
My bed he entered,
by my body laid him,
betrayed thy trust,
betraying me.
44 To Gudrún he told it,
Gudrún knoweth.
In shame am I shrouded,
and shamed art thou!’
Gunnar came forth
grievous-hearted,
daylong he sat,
deeply brooding.
45 From mood to mood
his mind wandered,
from shame to shame
shorn of friendship.
H?gni called he
to hidden counsel,
his true brother,
whom he trusted well.
Gunnar 46 ‘Evil wrought Sigurd:
oaths he swore me,
oaths he swore me,
all belied them;
betrayed my trust,
whom I trusted most,
truth forswearing,
whom most true I deemed.’
H?gni 47 ‘Brynhild beguiles thee