he that Fáfnir slew!’

  Brynhild

  ‘Worth all surpasses

  who my wavering fire,

  flaming lightning

  fearless vanquished!’

  9

  (Grim laughed

  Gudrún

  Grímhild’s daughter:)

  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 Gnitaheiði?

  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 Högni 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 Völsung’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.

  Högni 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.’

  Högni

  47

  ‘Brynhild beguiles thee

  baleful-hearted,

  woe devising

  to woe stings thee;

  loathing Gudrún,

  her love grudging,

  thy love loathing,

  she lies to thee.’

  Gunnar

  48

  ‘Brynhild, Brynhild,

  I better hold her

  than all women,

  than all treasure.

  I will life sooner leave

  than lose her now,

  than live lonely

  for laughter of men.

  49

  Let us slay Sigurd –

  forsworn is he!

  Let us lords be alone

  of our lands again!

  Let us slay Sigurd,

  this sorrow ending,

  and masters make us

  of his mighty hoard!’

  Högni

  50

  ‘Woe worth the words

  by women spoken!

  Lords unassailed

  our league made us.

  The might of Sigurd

  we shall mourn later,

  and the sister-sons