drawn is the costly raiment in the cedar caskets hidden;
And she bade for her sons’ sake fashion bright mantle and vest straightway
For the clothing of maid and matron in royal-rich array;
Yea, doublet and cloak for vesture of the knights of Burgundy,
And withal for many a stranger much goodly bravery.
V.
How Siegfried first saw Kriemhild
Now day by day the watchers saw heroes Rhineward ride,
Warriors fain of the joyance of that great festal-tide,
Knights that for love of the Rhine-lords into the Rhineland pressed;
And ever with gifts were they greeted, swift steed and goodly vest.
Fair-dight by this were the high-seats with purple and gleam of gold
For the noblest and the bravest, as the ancient tale hath told,
For the princes two-and-thirty that thronged to the festival.
And in rivalry of beauty fair women arrayed them withal.
There Giselher the stripling all-eager might ye see,
As he welcomed the homeland-dweller and the stranger courteously;
And with him stood Gernot his brother and all their knightly train:
With the honour of ancient custom they greeted each noble thane.
Through the Rhineland highways rode they on saddles with gold red-glowing;
Great shields all splendour-blazoned, rich mantles lordly-flowing
Went flashing up the city to that glorious festal-tide:—
Yea, men unhealed blithe-hearted looked forth on their knightly pride;
Ay, the battle-stricken tossing on beds of pain all day
Forgat how near to the shadow of bitter death they lay:
For the sick and the fever-blasted love’s lips forgot to sigh,
So glad were they all for the dawning of the festal days so nigh;
For they thought, “In such royal bounty shall we live and see good days!”
There were murmurs of mirth unmeasured through all the city’s ways;
There were overflowings of gladness—more bliss no man hath beheld:
High through the land of Gunther the tides of joyance swelled.
All on a merry morning of Whitsuntide rode they,
Those splendour-vestured chosen brave knights in long array,
Five thousand men—nay, haply yet more, to the King’s feast bound:
To and fro were flashing the light jests, and the laughter echoed round.
Now on this was the King still musing—thereof had he long been ware—
How the heart of the Netherland hero lay tangled in love’s snare
Spell-drawn unto his sister, whom yet he had ne’er looked on,
The lady by whom all maidens were in loveliness outshone.
(C) And he spake: “Now all give counsel, both kinsman and vassal true,
What thing to make all-perfect this feast-tide shall we do,
That no man may chide us for failing in aught in the coming days;
For in sooth by our deeds men judge us at the last, to blame us or praise.”
Then the Lord of Metz, knight Ortwein, spake to that kingly host:
“If thy festival with honour shall be crowned to the uttermost,
Thou suffer thy guests to look on the maidens peerless-fair
Whose praise through the land Burgundian is rumoured everywhere.
Wherein is a man’s heart-pleasure, and his eyes’ most dear delight,
Save in loveliness of a maiden, in the beauty of lady bright?
Thou suffer then that thy sister before thy guests appear.”
Leapt the heart of many a hero that welcome word to hear.
“Full fain will I heed thy counsel,” was Gunther’s answering word,
And thereat were the hearts of all men exultation-stirred;
And he spake to the Lady Uta, and to Kriemhild the lovely-eyed,
To come with all their maidens to the King’s high festal-tide.
Then in the cedar-caskets for fair attire sought they,
And unfolded the flashing splendour of royal-rich array,
And the cloudy lace and the bracelets, whereof good store they had.
So with loveliest adorning were the winsome maidens clad.
There was many a young knight yearning that day in eager wise
That he might be found well-pleasing in the high-born ladies’ eyes.
That hope would he not have bartered, no, not for a kingdom’s fee.
The fair forms unbeholden ere this it was joy to see.
Then the great King gave commandment that a guard of honour should go
With his sister and his mother, in their farings to and fro,
Of a hundred of his good knights, each man with sword in hand,
As was ever the royal custom in fair Burgundia-land.
Beside her princess-daughter Uta the queenly came,
And a bright train followed after of many a lovely dame,
Five score, yea more peradventure, in costly raiment arrayed;
And paced behind fair Kriemhild many a winsome maid.
From a stately tiring-bower those daintiest
