Page:The lay of the Nibelungs; (IA nibelungslay00hortrich).pdf/42

xxxviii "“Now issued forth the lovely one (minnechliche), as the red morning doth from troubled clouds; much care fled away from him who bore her in his heart, and long had done; he saw the lovely one stand in her beauty.

“There glanced from her garments full many precious stones, her rose-red colour shone full lovely: try what he might, each man must confess that in this world he had not seen aught so fair.

“Like as the light moon stands before the stars, and its sheen so clear goes over the clouds, even so stood she now before many fair women; whereat cheered was the mind of the hero.

“The rich chamberlains you saw go before her, the high-spirited Recken would not forbear, but pressed on where they saw the lovely maiden. Siegfried the lord was both glad and sad.

“He thought in his mind, How could this be that I should woo thee? That was a foolish dream; yet must I forever be a stranger, I were rather (sanfter, softer) dead. He became, from these thoughts, in quick changes, pale and red.

“Thus stood so lovely the child of Siegelinde, as if he were limned on parchment by a master’s art; for all granted that hero so beautiful they had never seen.”"

In this passage, which we have rendered, from the Fifth Aventiure, into the closest prose, it is to be remarked, among other singularities, that there are two similes: in which figure of speech our old Singer deals very sparingly. The first, that comparison of Chriemhild to the moon among stars with its sheen going over the clouds, has now for many centuries had little novelty or merit: but the second, that of Siegfried to a Figure in some illuminated Manuscript, is graceful in itself; and unspeakably so to antiquaries, seldom honoured, in their Black-letter stubbing and grubbing, with such a poetic windfall!

A prince and a princess of this quality are clearly made for one another. Nay, on the motion of young Herr Gernot, fair Chriemhild is bid specially to salute Siegfried, she who had never before saluted man; which unparalleled grace the lovely one, in all courtliness, openly does him. “Be welcome,” said she, “Herr Siegfried, a noble Ritter good;” from which salute, for this scems to have been all, “much raised was his mind.” He bowed with graceful reverence, as his manner was with women; she took him