Page:The Nibelungenlied - tr. Shumway - 1909.pdf/205

Rh Ye shall not suffer, because we have lost the knight. Ride also with us home again, for the sake of your little child. Lady, ye should not leave him orphaned. When your son groweth up, he will comfort your heart. Meanwhile many bold heroes and good shall serve you.”

“Sir Siegmund,” quoth she, “forsooth I like not for to ride. Whatever fortune, here must I tarry with my kindred, who help me mourn.”

These tales gan now displease the doughty warriors. All spake alike: “We might well aver that now first hath ill befallen us. If ye would stay here with our foes, then have heroes never ridden to court more sorrowfully.”

“Ye shall journey free of care, commended unto God; ye shall be given safe-conduct to Siegmund’s land, I’ll bid them guard you well. To the care of you knights shall my dear child be given.”

When they marked that she would not go hence, then wept all of Siegmund’s men alike. How right sorrowfully Siegmund parted then from Lady Kriemhild! He became acquaint with grief. “Woe worth this courtly feasting,” spake the noble king. “Through pastime will nevermore hap to king or to his kinsmen, what here hath happed to us. Men shall see us nevermore in Burgundy.”

Then Siegfried’s men spake openly: “A journey to this land might still take place, if we discovered aright him who slew our lord. Enow of his kinsmen be their deadly foes.”

He kissed Kriemhild; how sorrowfully he spake, when he perceived aright that she would stay: “Now