Die Nibelungen

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Die Nibelungen

Die Nibelungen

Dedicated to the German people

Kriemhild's Revenge

Canto I

How Kriemhild mourned over Siegfried

and how King Attilla woos her through

through his ambassador, Ruediger von

Bechlam.

King Gunther, Margrave Ruediger von

Bechlam asks for an audience.

I come as ambassador of King Attilla,

who is called lord of the Earth.

He seeks the hand of Kriemhild,

your sister, in marriage.

I am afraid King Attilla does

not know whom he woos.

In the name of Siegfried who was

murdered and whose murder lives!

Bear in mind how Siegfried died!

King Attilla sends me, Lady Kriemhild,

to plead in his stead for your hand!

Ruediger, you seem to know quite well

how I am exposed to grievous wrongs

in the house of my clan!

Brother! Where is your brother

Siegfried?

My king, deliver to me the murderer

of my husband!

He has kept faith with me, I

shall keep faith with him. This,

Kriemhild, is my last word!

Margrave Ruediger, Lady Kriemhild

wishes to speak with you after evensong!

Now is the time to keep close watch

over our Burgundy, Gerenot!

Tell me all about King Attilla,

Ruediger!

You are wooing a dead woman,

Ruediger. The murderer of my

husband flaunts the green

sparkling sword he robbed from

the dead!

If somebody, my lady, would do you wrong

at Attila's court, King Attilla shall know how

to avenge you!

Lord Margrave, swear that to me in

King Attilla's name and yours!

Not on the cross, Lord Margrave -

on the sharp edge of your sword!

My lady! Lord Hagen has robbed

the Nibelungen treasure!

You have my word,

Margrave Ruediger!

Hagen Tronje, where is the

treasure?

The loyal Hagen speaks: At a place,

my lady, where no one can use the

gold to forge weapons against the

kings of Burgundy!

Here ends the first Canto.

Canto II

How Kriemhild takes leave from her

homeland, and how she was received

by King Attilla.

Earth, you were once soaked with

Siegfried's blood. One day I shall

come and drench you with the blood

of Hagen Tronje!

I shall return! Rest assured,

I'll come back!

My daughter, don't you want to bid

farewell to your brother Gunther?

No, mother.

You travel far, Lady Kriemhild. Don't you

want to make peace with your family?

No, my priest.

Don't you want to greet them one

last time, my Lady?

No, Ruediger.

When Kriemhild reached the country

of the Huns, spring had come to the

land.

The sack of gold is mine!

The Queen is coming!

Let us meet her, brother!

The King's treasure!

My lady, King Attilla's brother, Blaodel,

welcomes you!

Ruediger, choose a kingdom

from my lands in gratitude for

this wondrous woman!

Ask King Attilla, Margrave Ruediger,

if he is ready to make your oath his

own!

By my head, o queen - whoever

dares to offend you, shall die a

hundred deaths!

Here ends the second Canto.

Canto III

How King Attilla besieged Rome

and how Kriemhild summoned her

brothers.

Lord Attilla swore to turn Rome's

churches into horse stables! Why

does he not fulfill his oath?

We went into war! Why don't we ride

on? Why is Attilla's horse tethered to

his tent?

And when King Attilla his mount bestrode

It was the world over which he rode

And when he paused his whip to crack

the world cried out - Woe, woe, alack

What deeds are now in his mind?

What is in the mind of our King?

He sleeps! He sleeps! Lord Attilla,

Attilla sleeps!

The white woman stole and bound

our lord! She uses golden tresses

as cord!

The white woman stole and bound

our lord! She uses golden tresses

as cord!!

My Lord-! Kriemhild...

My lord-! Kriemhild has borne

you a son!

Earth... O sacred Earth!

A wish - have you no wish I can

fulfill?

If you would honor me and gladden

my heart, then bid my brothers as

guests to your court.

Leave for Worms, Blaodel, to invite

the royal brothers of my wife as

guests to our court!

Here ends the third Canto.

Canto IV

How Kriemhild receives her brothers.

For over a month your brothers

stayed as guests of Ruediger von

Bechlarn.

The minstrels sing a new song about

the love between your brother Giselher,

and Ruediger's only child, the beautiful

Dietlind!

Thus Bechlam and Burgundy are bound

together:
one heart, one life, one death!

To honor your brothers, lord Attilla

has sent the noblest of his knights,

Dietrich von Bern, to greet them.

Once more, dear Nibelungen, before Lord

Attilla comes to greet you: Do not forget

to whom Attilla will lead you!

How could we forget, lord, that we

come to visit our sister, Kriemhild?

Whoever wants to win my gratitude,

must remember my great sorrow!

On the day before summer solstice

the Nibelungen arrived at Attilla's

court.

You must be tired from your

journey. Refresh yourselves

and rest. Tomorrow we will

celebrate the summer solstice

in a very special way.

King Attilla, remember your oath!

He who murdered Siegfried is

now in your hands! Remember

my suffering!

Can you never forget

Lord Siegfried, woman?

Hagen Tronje shall duel with me

for his life!

You would fight an assassin, Attilla?

No, have him killed!

My guest?

Remember you oath, Attilla!

On the life of your child, redeem it!

In the desert, where I was born,

there is but one thing sacred,

the guest!

Hagen Tronje shall be sacred as long

as he regards the peace of my abode!

She said:
Whoever wants to win

my gratitude, should remember my

great sorrow!

Whoever brings me Tronje's head

will win a shield full of gold!

But I beseech you: Do not harm

the sons of my mother!

Bard, play on!

Here ends the fourth Canto.

Canto V

How the Huns celebrated

the summer solstice with

the Nibelungen.

Is it the fashion at Worms to sit

at table armed head to toe?

Lord Hagen Tronje knows well,

why he never lays aside his sword!

Methinks, from such a feast

the heir to King Attilla's

crowns should not be absent!

Methinks the boy has not long

to live. We scarcely shall go as

guests to any courts of his!

Treason!

The child!

The work of your guest,

King Attilla!

Now you Nibelungen,

all of my men will be

against you.

Safe conduct from these

halls I demand for me and

my following!

Here ends the fifth Canto.

Canto VI

The Nibelungen's distress.

Go, tell Lady Kriemhild what you

have seen!

Open the gate!

Not a Hun is alive in

Attilla's hall!

Huns, avenge your dead!

It is impossible, my Queen!

Avenge your dead, Huns,

and the royal child!

Sister!

Sister!

Think of our mother!

Hand over the assassin of

Siegfried and you are free!

The fight is too uneven.

The dawn will see no

Nibelung alive.

With Giselher my own child

will die!

Lord Ruediger, stay out of it!

Blood cries for blood!

Call Ruediger!

Now the time has come,

Lord Ruediger! Redeem

your oath!

Margrave Ruediger, I demand

from you the assassin of

Siegfried!

Not against Hagen Tronje,

do you send me, Queen, but

against your brothers who

defend him with their lives!

Ruediger, you swore by the

sharp edge of your sword!

Giselher is engaged to my

only child!

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