has never been caught.FAFNER
Other malice
Ponders the Niblung;
Gains he might from gold
Listen, Loge!
Tell us the truth.
What wondrous gift has the gold,
That the dwarf desires it so?
LOGE
A plaything,
In the waves providing
Children with laughter and sport,
It gives, when to golden
Ring it is rounded,
Power and might unmatched;
It wins its owner the world.
WOTAN [Thoughtfully.
Rumours I have heard
Of the Rhinegold;
Runes of riches
Hide in its ruddy glow;
Pelf and power
Are by the ring bestowed.
FRICKA [Softly to Loge.
Could this gaud,
This gleaming trinket
Forged from the gold,
Be worn by a woman too?
LOGE
The wife who wore
That glittering charm
Never would lose
Her husband's love—
That charm which dwarfs are welding,
Working in thrall to the ring.
FRICKA [Coaxingly to Wotan.
O could but my husband
Come by the ring!
WOTAN
[As if falling more and more under the influence of a spell.
Methinks it were wisdom,
Won I the ring to my service.
But say, Loge,
How shall I learn
To forge and fashion it true?
LOGE
A magic rune
Can round the golden ring.
No one knows it,
Yet plain the spell to him
Who happy love forswears.
[Wotan turns away in annoyance.
That suits thee not;
Thou art too late too.
Alberich did not delay;
Fearless he mastered
The potent spell,
[Harshly.
And wrought aright was the ring.
DONNER [To Wotan.
We should all be
Under the dwarf,
Were not the ring from him wrested.
WOTAN
The ring I must capture!
FROH
Lightly now,
Without cursing love it were won.
LOGE [Harshly.
Just so:
Without guile, as in children's games!
WOTAN
Then tell us how.
LOGE
By theft!
What a thief stole
Steal thou from the thief;
How better could object be won?
But with baleful arms
Battles Alberich.
Wary, wise
Must be thy scheming,
If the thief thou wouldst confound,
[With warmth.
And restore the ruddy
And golden toy,
The Rhinegold, to the maidens.
For this they pray and implore.
WOTAN
The river-maidens?
What profit were mine?
FRICKA
Of that billow-born brood
Bring me no tidings,
For they have wooed
To my woe
Full many a man to their caves.
[Wotan stands silent, struggling with himself. The other Gods gaze at him in mute suspense. Fafner, meanwhile, has been consulting aside with Fasolt.
FAFNER [To Fasolt
Worth far more than Freia
Were the glittering gold.
Eternal youth, too, were his
Who could use the charm in its quest.
[Fasolt's gestures indicate that he is being convinced against his will. Fafner and Fasolt approach Wotan again.
FAFNER
Hear, Wotan,
Our word while we wait;
Freia we will restore you,
And will take
Paltrier payment:
The Niblung's red-gleaming gold
Will guerdon us giants rude.
WOTAN
Ye must be mad!
With what I possess not
How can I, shameless ones, pay you?
FAFNER
Hard labour
Went to those walls;
How easy
With fraud-aided force
(What our malice never achieved)
The Niblung to break and bind!
Fasolt
