Chosen suitor of my daughter;
Come, ye fellows from the hamlets,
Lead thee here the bride and bridegroom
To the seat of greatest honor
Facing all the guests of Northland.
Spake, then, ancient Wainamoinen :
WAIN. Grant, O Ukko, God of justice,
Grant thy blessing on the feasting;
Send enjoyment, health and comfort
To the people here assembled,
To the host and to the hostess,
To the bride and to the bridegroom,
That our lives may end in honor,
That we may recall with pleasure
Ilmarinen's magic marriage
To the Maiden of the Rainbow.
[From the "Nibelungen Lied."]
GUNTHER and Hagan, the warriors fierce and bold,
To execute their treason resolved to scour the wold;
The bear, the boar, the wild bull, by hill or dale or fen,
To hunt with keen-edged javelins; what fitter sport for valiant men?
In lordly pomp rode with them Siegfried, the champion strong,
Good store of costly viands they brought with them along.
Anon by a cool runnel he lost his guiltless life-
'Twas so devised by Brunhild, King Gunther's moody wife.
But first he sought the chamber, where he his lady found;
He and his friends already had on the sumpters bound
Their gorgeous hunting raiment; they o'er the Rhine would go.
On her mouth of roses he kissed his lady dear:
"God grant me, dame, returning in health to see thee here;
So may those eyes see me, too; meanwhile, be blithe and gay
Among thy gentle kinsmen; I must hence away."
She thus bespake her husband: "Give up that chase of thine.
I dreamt last night of evil, how two fierce forest swine
Over the heath pursued thee; the flowers turned bloody red.
I cannot help thus weeping; I'm chilled with mortal dread.
"I fear some secret treason, and cannot lose thee hence,
Lest malice should be borne thee for misconceived offence.
Stay, my beloved Siegfried; take not my words amiss,
'Tis the true love I bear thee that bids me counsel this."
"Back shall I be shortly, my own beloved mate.
Not a soul in Rhineland know I, who bears me hate.
I'm well with all my kinsmen; they're all my firm allies;
Nor have I from any e'er deserved otherwise."
"Nay! go not, dearest Siegfried! 'tis e'en thy death I dread,
Last night I dreamt two mountains fell thundering on thy head,
And I no more beheld thee; if thou from me wilt go,
My heart will sure be breaking with bitterness of woe."
Round her peerless body his clasping arms he threw;
Lovingly he kissed her, that faithful wife and true;
Then took his leave, and parted-in a moment all was o'er-
Living, alas poor lady! she never saw him more.
Many a well-laden sumpter before them crossed the Rhine,
That for the fellow-hunters carried bread, and wine,
And flesh, and fish in plenty, with every dainty thing
That might become the table of such a mighty king.
Their course the noble hunters checked in an open glade,
Where the wild beast that haunted the neighboring greenwood shade
Passed to and fro by custom; the hunt they here would hold.
Now every path and outlet the huntsmen had beset,
When thus bespake Sir Siegfried the chiefs who there were met: "Ye bold and dauntless warriors! who will the honor claim To enter first the forest, and bring us to the game?"
"Ere we begin our pastime," Sir Hagan straight replied, "Here in this glade together, 'twere better first divide. We then shall see more clearly, my lords as well as I, Who's the most cunning sportsman of all this company.
"Let us divide amongst us the huntsmen and the hounds, Then each, where'er he pleases, beat all these woody bounds, And who excels his comrades shall thanks have from the rest." Not long the hunters lingered, but started on their quest.
Then said the good Sir Siegfried, "I do not need a pack,
One well-trained hound will serve me the lurking beasts to track,
And the close scent to follow through every bush and brake.
We'll now begin our hunting," so Krimhild's husband spake.
With that, an aged huntsman a watchful lime hound took,
And shortly brought the champion into a shady nook,
Where stores of beasts were couching; as each sprang from his lair,
The warriors, like good hunters, fell on and caught them there.
All that the lime hound started, anon with mighty hand
Were slain by noble Siegfried, the chief of Netherland.
No beast could there outrun him, so swift his steed could race;
He won from all high praises for mastery in the chase.
Whatever he attempted he went the best before,
The first beast he encountered was a fierce half-bred boar.
Him with a mighty death-stroke he stretched upon the ground;
Just after in a thicket a lion huge he found.
Him the lime hound started-his bow Sir Siegfried drew;
With a keen-headed arrow he shot the lion through.
But three faint bounds thereafter the dying monster made;
Then one upon another a buffalo, an elk,
He slew, four strong ure-oxen, and, last, a savage shelk.
No beast, how swift soever, could leave his steed behind;
Scarcely their speed could profit the flying hart or hind.
Next the sagacious limer a monstrous wild boar traced;
Just then the master-hunter came sudden up in haste,
And crossed his path undaunted as he to fly began.
Straight the churning monster at his bold opponent ran.
Then forward sprang Sir Siegfried, and with his sword him slew,
Such feat, I ween, no hunter besides had dared to do.
Then leashed they the good lime hound, and from the thicket led
And told all the Burgundians how Siegfried's chase had sped.
Then said his merry huntsmen: "Sir Siegfried, be so kind
As not our wood to empty, but leave some game behind;
There'll else be nothing living on mountain or on wold."
The champion at their jesting his laughter scarce could hold.
They heard, then, all about them, throughout those forest grounds,
Such shouting and such baying of huntsmen and of hounds,
That hill and wood reechoed with the wild uproar.
Th' attendants had uncoupled four and twenty dogs or more.
Then full many a monster was doomed his last to groan.
They thought with glad expectance to challenge for their own,
The praise for the best hunting; but lower sunk their pride,
When to the tryst-fire shortly they saw Sir Siegfried ride.
The hunting now was over, for the most part, at least;
Game was brought in plenty and skins of many a beast
To the place of meeting, and laid the hearth before.
Ah! to the busy kitchen what full supplies they bore!
Then bade Gunther summon the noble hunting crew
To the royal breakfast; a horn a huntsman blew
That far and wide reëchoed, and told to all around
Said one of Siegfried's huntsmen: "I heard a warning blast,
That thrilling horn assures me our hunting-time is past;
We must back to our fellows; answer it will I,"
So through the wood resounding rang question and reply.
Then spake the good Sir Siegfried, "Well, let us leave the wood." His courser bore him smoothly, fast pricked his comrades good. With their noise they roused a monster, a wild bear, fierce and grim. Said Siegfried, o'er his shoulder to those who followed him,
"Now, comrades, look for pastime! See you yon thicket there ? Slip the dog directly; I spy a monstrous bear.
The same shall instant with us, hence to the trysting-place;
To get off in safety, swift he indeed must pace."
Straight they slipped the limer; off leapt the bear with speed;
Sir Siegfried thought to catch him through swiftness of his steed,
He came on fallen timber, so thus it could not be;
Then deemed himself the monster from his fierce hunter free.
Down sprang from horse Sir Siegfried, and plied on foot the chase;
Naught then could aid the monster o'ermastered in the race;
Sir Siegfried strongly seized him, and cast a rope around,
And, ere he once could wound him, the struggling bear he bound.
So fast the warrior bound him, he could not scratch nor bite,
Then tied him to the saddle, and after mounted light.
So to the tryst-fire, laughing, with his snorting load,
By way of sport and pastime, the fearless warrior rode.
So stately from the forest rode on the noble knight,
The men of Gunther marked him soon as he came in sight,
And ran and held his courser, and gave him 'tendance fair.
Meanwhile close to the saddle lay bound the groaning bear.
The knight, from horse alighting, soft the band untied
That bound his paws and muzzle; straight, when the bear they spied, All the pack of yelpers opened on him loud.
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