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THE RING
OF THE NIBLUNG
THE RHINEGOLD : PRELUDE
THE VALKYRIE : FIRST DAY OF THE TRILOGY
SIEGFRIED : SECOND DAY OF THE TRILOGY
THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS : THIRD
DAY OF THE TRILOGY
"Books Illustrated by Arthur
Uniform u'ith this volume,
l$s. net each.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. By
William Shakespeare.
RIP VAN WINKLE. By Washington Irving.
THE INGOLDSBY LEGENDS OF MIRTH AND
MARVELS. By Thomas Ingoldsby, Esq.
Also
UNDINE. By De la Motte Fouque. Adapted
from the German by W. L. Courtney.
With 15 Coloured and many Text Illustrations,
crown 4/0. Price "Js. 6J. net.
ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.
By Lewis Carroll. With a Proem by
Austin Dobson.
With 12 Coloured and several Text Illustrations,
crown 8rs. Price 6s. net.
LONDON : WILLIAM HEINEMANN, 21 BEDFORD STREET, W.C.
THE RING
OF THE NIBLUNG
A TRILOGY WITH A PRE-
LUDE BY RICHARD WAGNER
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY
MARGARET ARMOUR
r
I
" Raging, Wotan
Rides to the rock !
Like a storm-wind he comes ! "
See p. 143
THE-RHINECOLD
& THE -VALKYRIE
BY • RICHARD-WAGNER
WITH- 1 LLUSTR ATIQNS
BY- ARTHUR- R ACKH AM
TRANSLATED • BY-/n ARCARET- ARMOUR
LONDON fc*fc£teWILLIAM-HEINEMANN
NEW • YORK^SSfe^ DOUBLEDAY- PAGE -&-C*.
1910
All rights reserved
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
" Raging, Wotan To face
Rides to the rock ! Pae«
Like a storm-wind he comes ! " Frontispiece
The frolic of the Rhine-Maidens 4
The Rhine-Maidens teasing Alberich 10
r
" Mock away ! Mock !
The Niblung makes for your toy ! " 14
" Seize the despoiler !
Rescue the gold !
Help us ! Help us !
Woe! Woe!" 16
Freia, the fair one 22
" The Rhine's pure-gleaming children
Told me of their sorrow " 28
Fasolt suddenly seizes Freia and drags her to one side
with Fafner 32
The Gods grow wan and aged at the loss of Freia 34
Mime, howling. "Ohe! Ohe!
Oh ! Oh ! " 38
Mime writhes under the lashes he receives 40
Alberich drives in a band of Niblungs laden with gold
and silver treasure 44
" Ohe ! Ohe !
Horrible dragon,
O swallow me not !
Spare the life of poor Loge ! " 50
vii b
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
To face
page
" Hey ! Come hither,
And stop me this cranny ! " 64
" Erda bids thee beware " 66
Fafner kills Fasolt 68
" To my hammer's swing
Hitherward sweep
Vapours and fogs !
Hovering mists !
Donner, your lord, summons his hosts ! " 70
" The Rhine's fair children,
Bewailing their lost gold, weep " 72
" This healing and honeyed
Draught of mead
Deign to accept from me."
" Set it first to thy lips " 80
Hunding discovers the likeness between Siegmund and
Sieglinde 82
Sieglinde prepares Hunding's draught for the night 88
" Siegmund the Walsung
Thou dost see !
As bride-gift
He brings thee this sword " 100
Briinnhilde 102
Fricka approaches in anger 104
Briinnhilde slowly and silently leads her horse down the
path to the cave 110
"Father! Father!
Tell me what ails thee ?
With dismay thou art filling thy child ! " 112
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
To face
page
Briinnhilde stands for a long time dazed and alarmed 118
Brimnhilde with her horse, at the mouth of the cave 122
" I flee for the first time
And am pursued :
Warfather follows close
He aears, he nears, in fury !
Save this woman !
Sisters, your help ! " 138
" There as a dread
Dragon he sojourns,
And in a cave
Keeps watch over Alberich's ring " 142
The ride of the Valkyries 148
" Appear, flickering fire,
Encircle the rock with thy flame !
Loge ! Loge ! Appear!" 156
As he moves slowly away, Wotan turns and looks
sorrowfully back at Briinnhilde 158
The sleep of Briinnhilde 160
IX
THE RHINEGOLD
CHARACTERS
GODS : WOTAN, DONNER, FROH, LOGE
NIBELUNGS : ALBERICH, MIME
GIANTS : FASOLT, FAFNER
GODDESSES : FRICKA, FREIA, ERDA
RHINE-MAIDENS : WOGLINDE, WELLGUNDE, FLOSSHILDE
SCENES OF ACTION
I. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RHINE
II. OPEN SPACE ON A MOUNTAIN HEIGHT NEAR THE RHINE
III. THE SUBTERRANEAN CAVERNS OF NIBELHEIM
IV. OPEN SPACE AS IN SCENE II.
FIRST SCENE
At the bottom of the Rhine
A greenlfh twilight, lighter above than below. The upper part is filed
with undulating water, which Jlr earns rejtlefsly from right to left.
Towards the bottom the waves resolve themselves into a mijl which
grows finer as it descends, so that a space, as high as a man's body
from the ground, appears to be quite free from the water, which
floats like a train of clouds over the gloomy Jlr etch below. Steep
rocky peaks jut up everywhere from the depths, and enclose the entire
Jiage. The ground is a wild confufion of jagged rocks, no part of
it being quite level, and on every fide deeper fifsures are indicated
by ajlill denser gloom. Ifoglinde circles with graceful swimming
movements round the central rock.
ft&lofllttrti? Weia ! Waga !
Roll, O ye billows,
Rock ye our cradle !
Wagala weia !
Wallala, weiala, weia !
BBellgunbe Woglinde, watchest alone ?
from above.
If Wellgunde came we were two.
g<3ciglin&e Wary of thee.
Swimming off, eludes her. [They playfully tease and chase one another.
Heiaha weia !
From above. HO ! ye wild sisters !
3
THE RHINEGOLD
Flosshilde, swim !
Woglinde flies :
Help me to hinder her flying.
The sleeping gold
Dives down be- Badly ye guard ;
tween the two Watch with more zeal
The slumberer's bed,
Or dear you'll pay for your sport !
[ They swim asunder with merry cries. Flofi-
hilde tries to catch fir ft the one, then the other.
They elude her, and then combine to chase
her, darting like fijb from rock to rock with
jejis and laughter. Meanwhile Alberich
climbs out of a dark ravine on to a rock.
He pauses, JiiH surrounded by darknefs, and
watches the frolic of the Rhine-Maidens
with increafing pleasure.
Hey, hey ! ye nixies !
Ye are a lovely,
Lovable folk !
From Nibelheim's night
Fain would I come,
Would ye be kind to me.
[ The maidens, as soon as they hear AlbericWs
•voice, Jl op playing.
Hei ! Who is there ?
A voice ! It grows dark !
Who listens below ?
[They dive down and see the Nibelung.
Fie \ the loathsome one 1
atrti Zl&Wlfiimto
4
The frolic of the Rhine-Maidens
See p. 4
\
THE RHINEGOLD
Look to the gold !
Swimming Father warned us
up quickly. Qf guch a foe>
[Both the others follow her, and all three
gather quickly round the central rock.
You above there !
What vvouldst thou below there ?
Do I spoil sport
By standing and gazing here ?
Dived ye but deeper,
Fain the Niblung
Would join in your frolic and play.
He wishes to join us?
Is he in jest ?
Ye gleam above me
So glad and fair !
If one would only
Glide down, how close in my arms
Fondly clasped she would be !
I laugh at my fears :
The foe is in love.
The amorous imp !
Let us approach him.
[She finks down to the top of the rock, whose
base Alberich has reached.
Lo ! one of them comes !
Climb up to me here !
5
THE RHINEGOLD
Climbs with
gnome-like agility,
though with re-
peated checks, to
the summit of the
rock. Irritably.
Laughing.
Escaping from him.
gllberfcb
Scratching his
head.
Swims to a third
rock lower down.
Horrid rock,
So slippery, slimy !
I slide and slip !
My hands and feet vainly
Attempt to hold on
To the slithery surface !
Vapour damp
Fills up my nostrils —
Accursed sneezing !
[He has got near Woglinde.
Sneezing tells
That my suitor comes I
Be thou my love I
Adorable child !
[He tries to embrace her.
Here thou must woo,
If woo me thou wilt !
[She swims up to another rock.
Alas ! not yet caught ?
Come but closer !
Hard I found
What so lightly thou didst.
Deeper descend :
Thou 'It certainly seize me !
Clambers down quickly.
Down there it is better !
But better still higher !
Darts upwards to a higher rock at the fide.
Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
6
ant) JFIossftt'Uie
Laughing.
THE RHINEGOLD
&Ibm'cf) How capture this coy,
Elusive fish ?
Wait for me, false one !
[He tries to climb after her in haJJe.
SiBtUgun&e Heia ! my friend there !
Has mnk doiun to Dost thou not hear ?
a lower rock on the other fide.
What ? Didst thou ca]1 ?
1 urnmg round.
SSEellguntre Be counselled by me :
Forsake Woglinde,
Climb up to me now !
®Ibcricf) Thou art more comely
Climbs ha/lity Far than that coy one ;
over the river- Her sheen is duller,
Her skin to° smooth-
But thou must deeper
Dive to delight me !
<528Ellgtintre Well, now am I near ?
Sinking down till Jhe is a little nearer him.
Not near enough.
Thine arms around me
Tenderly throw,
That I may fondle
Thy neck with my fingers,
And closely may cling
To thy bosom with love and with longing.
Art thou in love ?
For love art thou pining ?
Approach and show me
Thy face and thy form.
Fie ! thou horrible
Hunchback, for shame 1
7
THE RHINEGOLD
Swarthy, horny-skinned
Rogue of a dwarf !
Find thou a sweetheart
Fonder than I !
I may not be fair,
Tries to detain her But f ast i can fo^ j
by force.
cllgunte Hold firm, or I will escape I
Swimming up quickly to the middle rock.
anli $ lossfjil&e Ha ! ha ! ha ! ha 1 ha ! ha I
Laughing.
gjlbtricj) Fickle maid !
Angrily Bony, cold-blooded fish !
calling after pair jf j seem not>
Wellgunde. ^^ ^ pjayful>
Smooth and sleek —
Hei ! if I am so loathsome
Give thy love to the eels 1
What ails thee, dwarf ?
Daunted so soon ?
Though two have been wooed,
Still a third waits thee,
Solace sweet
Fain at a word to grant 1
Soothing song
Sounds in my ear !
'Twas well I found
Three and not one I
The chance is I charm one of many,
Whilst, single, no one would choose me I
Hither come gliding,
And I will believe !
8
Jflossfn'toe
Dives down to
Alberich.
Hajiening
towards her.
Carefsing
her with
confidence,
Gently
resijiing
him.
Ardently.
THE RHINEGOLD
How senseless are ye,
Silly sisters,
Not to see he is fair !
I well may deem them
Dull and ill-favoured,
Seeing how lovely thou art !
Sing on ! Thy song,
So soft and sweet,
Entrancing sounds in my ear )
My heart burns
And flutters and fails,
Flattered by praises so sweet !
Thy grace and beauty
Make glad my eye ;
And thy smile refreshes
My soul like balm !
[She draws him tenderly towards her.
Dearest of men !
Sweetest of maids !
Wert thou but mine !
Wert mine for ever !
To be pierced by thy glance,
To be pricked by thy beard,
To see and to feel them for aye !
Might thy hair hard as bristles
Flow ever more
Enraptured Flosshilde wreathing !
And thy form like a frog's,
And the croak of thy voice —
O could I, dumb with amaze,
Marvel forever on these I
anfi SsSellpnltt
Dive down close to them and laugh.
THE RHINEGOLD
Ha! ha I ha! ha! ha! ha!
Wretches, dare ye thus scoff ?
Starting in alarm.
4FIoss!)iUl£ A suitable end to the song.
Suddenly darting away from him. [She swims up quickly with her sifters.
antt SBcIlgunUe Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
Laughing.
<aibEticl) Woe's me ! Ah, woe's me 1
In a waiting voice. Alas ! Alas !
The third one, so dear,
Does she too betray ?
O sly and shameful
Worthless and dissolute wantons !
Live ye on lies
Alone, O ye false nixie brood ?
Wallala ! Wallala I
•4£ljinc=J!Hartjrn8 Lalalelai leialalei !
Heia ! Heia ! ha ! ha !
Shame on thee goblin,
Scolding down yonder!
Cease, and do as we bid thee !
Faint-hearted wooer,
Why couldst not hold
The maid, when won, more fast?
True are we,
And troth we keep
With lovers when once caught.
Grasp then and hold;
Away with all fear !
In the waves we scarce can escape.
Wallala I
IO
The Rhine-Maidens teasing Alberich
^
THE RHINEGOLD
Lalaleia ! Leialalei !
HeiaJ Heia ! Ha hei!
[They swim apart hither and thither, now
lower, now higher, to provo&e Alberich to
give chase.
8Iben'cJ) Fiercely within me
Passionate fires
Consume and flame !
r Love and fury,
Wild, resistless,
Lash me to frenzy !
So laugh and lie your fill —
One of you I desire,
And one must yield to my yearning 1
\HeJlarts chafing them with desperate energy.
He climbs with terrible agility, and, spring-
ing from rock to rock, tries to catch one
maiden after another. They keep eluding
him with mocking laughter. He Jlumbles
and falls into the abyfs, and clambers up
quickly again and resumes the chase. They
Jink down a little towards him ; he almojl
reaches them, but falls back again, and once
more tries to catch them. At lajl he pauses
out of breath, and, foaming with rage,
Jiretches his clenched fijl up towards the
maidens.
If but this fist had one !
[He remains speechlefs with rage, gazing up-
wards, when he is suddenly attracted
and arrejled by the following spectacle.
Through the water a light of continually
increajing brilliance breaks from above,
and, at a point near the top of the middle
rock, kindles to a radiant and dazzling
golden gleam. A magical light Jlream*
from this through the waves.
II
THE RHINEGOLD
Look, sisters !
The wakener laughs to the deep.
389eIIgunie Through the billows green
The blissful slumberer greets.
He kisses the eyelid,
Making it open ;
Bathed in splendour,
Behold it smiles,
Sending, like a star,
Gleaming light through the waves.
^fjrce Heia jaheia !
?=Jwafcen« Heia jaheia !
Swimming Wallala la la la leia jahei !
gratefully Rhinegold !
round the . . * . . ,
cliff- together. Rhinegold !
Radiant delight,
How glorious and glad thy smile,
Over the water
Shooting effulgence afar !
Heia jahei !
Heia jaheia 1
Waken, friend !
Wake in joy !
That we may please thee,
Merry we'll play,
Waters afire,
Billows aflame,
As, blissfully bathing,
Dancing and singing,
We dive and encircle thy bed !
Rhinegold !
Rhinegold !
Heia jaheia 1
12
THE RHINEGOLD
Heia jaheiat
Wallala la la la heia jahei 1
\JVith increasing mirthful abandonment the
maidens swim round the rock. The
water is filled with a glimmering golden
light.
What is it, sleek ones,
Who* eyes, , ™at ^^ '• 6lefns and shines ?
Jlrongly attraded % the raeli«nce> flare fixedly at the gold.
'fir 2Tfjrr? Where dost thou hail from, 0 churl,
Of the Rhinegold not to have heard ?
Knows not the elf
Of the famed eye golden
That wakes and sleeps in turn ?
Of the star resplendent
Down in the depths
Whose light illumines the waves?
See how gaily
We glide in the glory !
'Together. Wouldst thou also
Be bathed in brightness,
Come, float and frolic with us !
Wallala la la leia lalei !
Wallala la la leia jahei !
Has the gold no value
Apart from your games ?
It were not worth getting!
He would not scoff,
Scorning the gold,
Did he but know all its wonders !
That man surely
The earth would inherit
13
THE RHINEGOLD
Who from the Rhinegold
Fashioned the ring
Which measureless power imparts.
jplos8i)tftie Our father told us,
And strictly bade us
Guard with prudence
The precious hoard
That no thief from the water might steal it.
Be still, then, chattering fools.
O prudent sister,
Why chide and reproach ?
Hast thou not heard
That one alone
Can hope to fashion the gold ?
Only the man
Who love defies,
Only the man
From love who flies
Can learn and master the magic
That makes a ring of the gold.
Secure then are we
And free from care :
For love is part of living ;
No one would live without loving.
And least of all he,
The languishing elf,
With pangs of love
Pining away.
jplossijtUie I fear him not
Who should surely know,
By his savage lust
Almost inflamed.
14
" Mock away ! Mock !
The Niblung makes for your toy ! "
See p. 15
THE RHINEGOLD
Together.
eyes fixed
on the gold,
has HJlened
attentively to
the sifters' rapid
chatter.
A brimstone brand
In the surging waves,
In lovesick frenzy
Hissing loud.
Wallala ! Wallaleia la la !
Join in our laughter,
Lovable elf !
In the golden glory
How gallant thy sheen I
O come, lovely one, laugh as we laugh !
Heia jaheia I
Heia jaheia I
Wallala la la la leia jahei !
[They swim, laughing, backiuards and Jor-
wards in the light.
Could I truly
The whole earth inherit through thee?
If love be beyond me
My cunning could compass delight ?
[In a terribly loud voice.
Mock away ! Mock !
The Niblung makes for your toy I
['Raging he springs on to the middle rock, and
clambers to the top. The maidens scatter,
screaming, and swim upwards on different
fides.
Heia ! Heia ! heia jahei !
Save yourselves !
The elf is distraught !
Swirling waters splash
At every leap :
The creature's crazy with love!
Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
THE RHINEGOLD
Still undismayed ?
Reaching the top Go, wanton in darkness,
with a loft spring. Water-born brood !
[Hejiretches his hand out towards the gold.
My hand quenches your light ;
I tear the gold from the rock ;
Forged be the ring for revenge 1
Bear witness, ye floods—
I forswear love and curse it 1
[He tears the gold from the rock with terrific
force, and immediately plunges with it into
the depths, where he quickly disappears.
Sudden darknefs envelops the scene. The
maidens dive down after the robber.
"fjr Cfjrrr Seize the despoiler !
Rescue the gold !
Help us ! Help us !
Woe ! Woe !
[The water finks with them. From the lowejl
depth Alberich's Jhrill, mocking laughter
rings up. The rocks are hidden by im-
penetrable darknefs. The whole Jtage from
top to bottom is filled with black waves,
which for some time appear to Jink even
lower.
" Seize the despoiler !
Rescue the gold !
Help us ! Help us !
Woe! Woe!"
See p. 16
I
SECOND SCENE
The waves have gradually changed into clouds which, becoming lighter and
lighter by degrees, finally disperse in a fine mifl. As the mifl vanijhes
upwards in light little clouds an open space on a mountain height
becomes vifible in the dim light which precedes dawn. At one fide
Wotan with Fricka befide him, both asleep, lie on a flowery bank.
The dawning day illumines with increafing bright nefs a cajlle with
glittering pinnacles which _ftands on the summit of a cliff" in the
background. Between this and the foreground a deep valley is vifible
through which the Rhine flows.
Wotan I My lord 1 Awaken I
gaze falls on the cajlle, which has
vifible ; alarmed.
The happy hall of delight
Is guarded by gate and door:
Manhood's honour,
Power for aye,
Rise to my lasting renown !
Up from deceitful
Bliss of a dream !
My husband, wake and consider 1
The walls everlasting are built !
On yonder summit
The Gods' abode
Proudly rears
Its radiant strength 1
As I nursed it in dream
And desired it to be,
Strong it stands,
Fair to behold,
Brave and beautiful pile !
'7 B
Awakes; her
become plainly
512Sotan
Continuing
to dream.
Jprfcfea
Shakes him.
SSSotan
Awakes and
raises himself
slightly. His
glance is
immediately
arrejhd by
the view of
the cajlle.
THE RHINEGOLD
While thou rejoicest,
Joyless am I.
Thou hast thy hall ;
My heart fears for Freia.
Heedless one, hast thou forgotten
The price that was to be paid ?
The work is finished,
And forfeit the pledge :
Hast thou then no care for the cost ?
My bargain well I remember
With them who built the abode.
Twas a pact tamed them,
The obstinate race,
So that this hallowed
Hall they have built me.
It stands — the strong ones' doing: —
Fret not thou, counting the cost.
Jfricfea O laughing, insolent lightness !
Mirth how cruel and callous !
Had I but known of thy pact,
The trick had never been played ;
But far from your counsels
Ye men kept the women,
That, deaf to us and in peace,
Alone ye might deal with the giants.
So without shame
Ye promised them Freia,
Freia, my beautiful sister,
Proud of playing the thief.
What remains holy
Or precious to men
Once grown greedy of might?
SSJotan From such greed
Calmly. Was Fricka then free
Herself when the castle she craved ?
18
THE RHINEGOLD
Jfritfea I was forced to ponder some means
To keep my husband faithful,
True to me when his fancy
Tempted him far from his home.
Halls high and stately,
Decked to delight thee,
Were to constrain thee
To peaceful repose.
But thou hadst the work designed
Intent on war alone ;
It was to add
More to thy might still,
To stir up to tumult still fiercer
That built were the towering walls
Wouldst thou, 0 Wife !
Smiling. jn the castle confine me,
To me, the god, must be granted,
Faithful at home,
The right to wage war
And conquer the world from without.
Ranging and changing
All men love :
That sport at least thou must leave me.
jF"'tfea Cold, hard-hearted,
Merciless man !
For the idle baubles,
Empire and sway,
Thou stakest in insolent scorn
Love and a woman's worth !
When I went wooing, to win thee
I staked ungrudging,
Gladly one of my eyes :
What folly now then to scold !
THE RHINEGOLD
Women I honour
Beyond thy desire !
I will not abandon
Frei, the fair :
Such never was my intent.
Jfrtrfta Then succour her now :
Anxiously look- Defenceless, in fear,
ing towards a Hither she hastens for help !
point not on thejlage.
jFrcia
Enters as if
flying from
some one.
Jn'cfea
<5&lotan
Jprtcfca
Help me, sister !
Shield me, O brother !
From yonder mountain
Menaces Fasolt :
He comes to bear me off captive.
Let him come !
Sawest thou Loge ?
To this tricky deceiver
O why wilt thou trust ?
He always snares thee anew,
Though from his snares thou hast suffered.
I ask for no aid
Where simple truth suffices ;
But to turn the spite
Of foes to profit,
Craft and cunning alone
Can teach, as by Loge employed.
He whose advice I obeyed
Has promised ransom for Freia :
On him my faith I have fixed.
And art left in the lurch.
The giants come.
Lo ! hither they stride :
Where lingers now thine ally ?
20
THE RHINEGOLD
Where tarry ye, my brothers,
When help ye should bring me,
Weak and bartered away by my kin ?
O help me, Donner !
Hither ! Hither !
Rescue Freia, my Froh !
jfn'cfea Now the knaves who plotted and tricked
thee
Abandon thee in thy need.
[Faso/t and Fafner, both of gigantic jlature,
enter, armed with flout clubs.
Jfasolt Soft sleep
Sealed thine eyes
While we, both sleepless,
Built the castle walls :
Working hard
Wearied not,
Heaping, heaving
Heavy stones.
Tower steep,
Door and gate
Keep and guard
Thy goodly castle halls.
[Pointing to the caflle.
There stands
What we builded,
Shining fair
Beneath the sun.
Enter in
And pay the price I
fi&lotan Name, Workers, your wage.
What payment will appease you ?
Jpasolt We made the terms
That seemed to us meet.
21
THE RHINEGOLD
Hast thou forgot so soon ?
Freia, the fair one,
Holda, the free one—
The bargain is
We bear her away.
Ye must be mad
Quickly. To moot such a thing !
Ask some other wage ;
Freia I will not grant.
jpasolt What is this ? Ha !
Stands for a Wouldest deceive? —
space speech lefs Go back on thy bond ?
with angry What thy spear wards
***"*' Are they but sport,
All the runes of solemn bargain ?
jfafner O trusty brother !
Fool, dost now see the trick ?
jfasolt Son of light,
Light, unstable,
Hearken ! Have a care !
In treaties keep thou troth !
What thou art
Thou art only by treaties,
For, built on bonds,
There are bounds to thy might.
Though cunning thou,
More clever than we :
Though we once freemen,
Are pledged to peace,
Cursed be all thy wisdom ; —
Peaceful promises perish ! —
Wilt thou not open,
Honest and frank
22
Freia, the fair one
THE RHINEGOLD
Stand fast by a bargain once fixed.
A stupid giant
Tells thee this :
O wise one, take it from him !
ffi&lotan How sly to judge us serious
When plainly we were but jesting !
The beautiful Goddess
Light and bright —
For churls what charm could she have ?
jfasolt Jeerest thou ?
Ha ! how unjust !
Ye who by beauty rule,
Proud and radiant race !
How foolish, striving
For towers of stone,
Woman's love to pledge —
Price of walls and of halls 1
We dolts, despising ease,
Sweating with toil-hardened hands,
Have worked, that a woman
With gentle delight
In our midst might sojourn
And ye call the pact a jest ?
JFafner Cease thy childish chatter ;
No gain look we to get.
Freia's charms
Mean little ;
But it means much,
If from the Gods we remove her.
Golden apples
Ripen within her garden ;
She alone
Grows the apples and tends them.
The goodly fruit
23
THE RHINEGOLD
Aflde.
jfasolt
Jfasolt
.•(fafner
Jfrob
Clamping Freia
in his arms.
Bonnet
Confronting
the giants.
Jfafnet
JFasolt
Gives to her kinsfolk,
Who eat thereof,
Youth everlasting.
Sick and pale,
Their beauty would perish,
Old and weak,
Wasting away,
Were not Freia among them.
[Roughly.
From their midst, therefore, Freia must
forth !
Loge lingers long !
We wait for thy word !
Ask some other wage !
No other : Freia alone !
Thou there, follow us !
[Fafner and Fasolt prefs towards Freia,
Froh and Dormer enter in hajie.
Help 1 Help from the harsh ones I
To me, Freia 1
[To Fafner.
Back, overbold one !
Froh shields the fair one !
Fasolt and Fafner,
Have ye not felt
With what weight my hammer falls?
What means thy threat ?
What wouldst thou here?
No strife we desire ;
We want but our due reward.
THE RHINEGOLD
Dontur Oft I've doled out
Giants their due :
Come, your reward is here
Waiting, full measure and more!
[He swings his hammer.
Hold, thou fierce one !
Stretching out Nothing by force !
his spear between An bonds an(j treaties
the combatants. My spear protects ;
Spare then thy hammer's haft I
Woe's me ! Woe's me!
Wotan forsakes me !
jfricfea Can such be thy thought,
Merciless man?
5Hotan There comes Loge !
Turns away Hot is thy haste
and sees Loge Smoothly to Settle
coming. xhy sorry, badly-made bargain !
1.0QE What is this bargain
Has come That I am blamed for ? —
up out of the The one with the giants
valley in the That thou thyself didst decide ?
background. Q,^ hm and o>ej. hollow
Drives me my whim ;
House and hearth
I do not crave.
Donner and Froh,
They dream but of roof and room
Wedding, must have
A home in which to dwell,
A stately hall,
A fortress fast.
25
THE RHINEGOLD
It was such Wotan wished.
Hall and house,
Castle, court,
The blissful abode
Now stands complete and strong.
I proved the lordly
Pile myself ;
In fear of flaws,
Scanning it close.
Fasolt and Fafner
Faithful I found ;
Firm-bedded is each stone.
I was not slothful
Like many here:
Who calls me sluggard, he liesl
SSSotan Cunningly
Thou wouldst escape !
Warned be, and wisely
Turn from attempts to deceive.
Of all the Gods
I alone stood by thee
As thy friend,
In the gang that trusted thee not.
Now speak, and to the point!
For when the builders at first
As wage Freia demanded,
I gave way only,
Trusting thy word
When thou didst solemnly promise
To ransom the noble pledge.
Perplexed to puzzle»
Plans to ponder
For its redeeming —
That promise I gave ;
26
THE RHINEGOLD
jprfcfea
HJonwr
Stepping
between them.
jpafiur
j:asolt
Turns Jternly
to Loge.
But to discover
What cannot be,
What none can do,
No man can possibly promise.
See the treacherous
Rogue thou didst trust !
Named art Loge,
But liar I call thee !
Accursed flame,
I will quench thy fire !
From their shame to shelter,
Foolish folk flout me.
[Donner threatens tojhike Loge.
Forbear and let him alone !
Ye wot not Loge's wiles.
Jjjg advice,
Given slowly, gains
Both in weight and in worth.
Do not dally ;
Promptly pay !
Long waits our reward.
Speak up surly one!
Fail me not !
jjow far hast thou ranged and roamed ?
Still with reproach
Is Loge paid !
Concerned but for thee,
Thorough and swift,
I searched and ransacked
To the ends of the earth
47
THE RHINEGOLD
To find a ransom for Freia
Fair to the giants and just.
In vain the search,
Convincing at last
That the world contains
Nothing so sweet
That a man will take it instead
Of woman's love and delight.
[A/l seem surprised and taken aback.
Where life moves and has being,
In water, earth and air
I questioned,
Asking of all things,
Where weak still is strength,
And germs only stirring,
What men thought dear —
And stronger deemed —
Than woman's love and delight.
But where life moves and has being
My questions met
But with laughter and scorn.
In water, earth and air
Woman and love
Will none forego.
[Parted ge/hires of amazement.
One man, one only,
I met who, renouncing love,
Prized ruddy gold
Above any woman's grace.
The Rhine's pure-gleaming children
Told me of their sorrow.
The Nibelung,
Night- Alberich,
Wooed for the favour
Of the swimmers in vain,
And vengeance took,
28
" The Rhine's pure-gleaming children
Told me of their sorrow "
See p. 28
THE RHINEGOLD
Stealing the Rhinegold they guard.
He thinks it now
A thing beyond price,
Greater than woman's grace.
For their glittering toy
Thus torn from the deep
The sorrowful maids lamented.
They pray, Wotan,
Pleading to thee,
That thy wrath may fall on the robber ;
The gold too
They would have thee grant them
To guard in the water for ever.
Loge promised
The maidens to tell thee,
And, keeping faith, he has told.
Dull thou must be
Or downright knavish !
In parlous plight myself,
What help have I for others ?
jpasolt The Niblung has much annoyed us ;
Who has been I greatly grudge him this Rhinegold ;
listening atten- gut such his craft and cunning,
tivety, to Fafner. Re hag neyer been caught.
dFafnct 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 ?
A plaything,
In the waves providing
Children with laughter and sport,
29
THE RHINEGOLD
It gives, when to golden
Ring it is rounded,
Power and might unmatched ;
It wins its owner the world.
S2Sotan Rumours I have heard
Thoughtfully. Of the Rhinegold ;
Runes of riches
Hide in its ruddy glow ;
Pelf and power
Are by the ring bestowed.
Could this gaud,
Softly to Loge. This gleaming trinket
Forged from the gold,
Be worn by a woman too ?
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.
Jfricfea O could but my husband
CoaxinglytoWotan. Come by the ring !
Methinks it were wisdom,
As 'if falling Won I the ring to my service.
more and more But say, Loge,
under the influence ,-, £ « T ,
of a spell. H°W Sha11 J Iearn
To forge and fashion it true ?
A magic rune
Can round the golden ring.
No one knows it,
Yet plain the spell to him
Who happy love forswears.
[ffatan turns away in annoyance.
30
Bonnet
To IVotan
SffiJotan
Harshly.
aiot
iLoge
THE RHINEGOLD
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.
We should all be
Under the dwarf,
Were not the ring from him wrested.
The ring I must capture !
Lightly now,
Without cursing love it were won.
Just so :
Without guile, as in children's games !
Then tell us how.
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.
The river-maidens ?
What profit were mine ?
3»
THE RHINEGOLD
Jfricfea Of that billow-born brood
Bring me no tidings,
For they have wooed
To my woe
Full many a man to their caves.
[Indian /lands fi/ent, Jfruggling with him-
self. The other Gods gaze at him in mute
suspense. Fafner, meanwhile, has been
consulting ajide with Fasolt.
jfafnct Worth far more than Freia
To Fasolt Were the glittering gold.
Eternal youth, too, were his
Who could use the charm in its
quest.
[Fasa/t's gejlures indicate that he is being
convinced again/} his will. Fafner and
Fasolt approach JVotan again.
jfafntr 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.
212Ht)tatt Ye must be mad !
With what I possess not
How can I, shameless ones, pay you ?
Jfafim Hard labour
Went to those walls ;
How easy
With fraud-aided force
(What our malice never achieved)
The Niblung to break and bind I
Fasolt suddenly seizes Freia and drags her to one side
with Fafner
See p. 33
THE RHINEGOLD
More quickly.
Jfasolt
Suddenly seizes
Freia and drags
her tif one fide
with Fafner.
Screaming.
dFafw
dFaaolt
dFrira
dFrofj
Bonnet
dFwa
In the dijlame.
Why should I make
War on the Niblung ?—
Fight, your foe to confound ?
Insolent
And greedily grasping
Dolts you grow through my debt !
Maiden, come !
We claim thee ours !
As pledge thou shalt be held
Till the ransom is paid.
Woe's me! Woe's me! Woe!
From your midst
We bear her forth !
Till evening — mark it well I —
As a pledge she is ours.
We will return then.
But when we come,
If the Rhinegold be not ready,
The Rhinegold bright and red
The respite is ended,
Freia is forfeit
And bides among us for aye I
Sister ! Brothers !
Save me ! Help !
[The giants hajhn off", dragging Freia with
them.
Up ! Follow fast !
Fall now the heavens !
[They look inquiringly at Wotan.
Save me ! Help !
33 c
THE RHINEGOLD
ILogr Downward over stock and stone
Looking after Striding they go ;
the giann. Through the ford across the Rhine
Wade now the robbers.
Sad at heart
Hangs Freia,
Thrown rudely over rough shoulders !
Heia ! hei !
The louts, how they lumber along I
Through the Rhine valley they reel.
Not till Riesenheim's march
Is reached will they rest !
[He turns to the Gods.
How darkly Wotan doth dream !
What ails the high, happy Gods ?
\_A pale mij?, gradually increaftng in den/ity,
fills the Jiage. Seen through it the Gods
look more and more wan and aged. All
Jland in dismay and apprehenfion regard-
ing Wotan, whose eyes are fixed broodingly
on the ground.
Does a mist mock me ?
Tricks me a dream ?
Dismayed and wan,
How swiftly ye fade !
Lo ! the bloom forsakes your cheeks,
And quenched is the light of your eyes 1
Courage, Froh !
Day's but begun !
From thy hand, Donner,
The hammer is falling !
And why frets Fricka?
Sees she with sorrow
That Wotan 's hair, growing grey,
Has made him gloomy and old?
34
The Gods grow wan and aged at the loss of Freia
See p. 34
THE RHINEGOLD
Woe's me ! Woe's me !
What does it mean ?
Uonntr My hand sinks down.
My heart stands still.
JLoge I have it : hear what ye lack I
Of Freia's fruit
Ye have not partaken to-day.
The golden apples
Within her garden
Restored you your strength and your
youth,
Ate ye thereof each day.
The garden's guardian
In pledge has been given.
On the branches dries
And droops the fruit,
To drop soon and decay.
My loss is lighter,
For still did Freia,
Stingy to me,
Stint the delectable fruit.
Not half as godlike
Am I, ye high ones, as you !
[Freely, but quickly and harshly.
But ye trusted solely
To the fruit that makes young,
As well both the giants wist.
Your life they played for,
Plotted to take ;
Contrive so that they fail.
Lacking the apples,
Old and worn,
Grey and weary,
3S
dFticfca
Anxiously.
Coming to a
sudden resolve,
Jlarts up.
Angrily.
ILogf
THE RHINEGOLD
Wasting, the scoff of the world,
The Gods must pine and pass.
Wotan, alas I
Unhappy man !
See what thy laughing
Lightness has brought us —
Scoff and scorn for all !
Up, Loge,
And follow me 1
To Nibelheim hastening downward,
I go in search of the gold.
The Rhine-daughters
Thy aid invoked :
Not vainly they hoped for thy help then ?
Fool, be silent I
Freia, the fair one —
Freia's ransom we go for.
Where thou wouldst go
Gladly I lead.
Shall we dive
Sheer through the depths of the Rhine ?
Not through the Rhine.
Then swift let us swing
Through this smoky chasm.
Together, come, creep we in !
[He goes in front and vanijbes at the fide
through a deft, from which, immediately
afterwards, sulphurous vapour Jlreams
forth.
Ye others wait
Till evening here ;
36
THE RHINEGOLD
The golden ransom
When got will again make us young.
[He descends after Loge into the chasm.
The sulphurous vapour which rises from it
spreads over the whole Jlage and quickly
fills it with thick clouds. Those who
remain behind are soon hidden.
Fare thee well, Wotan I
jFrof) r Good luck ! Good luck I
jFnrfca O come back soon
To thy sorrowing wife I
[The sulphurous vapour darkens till it
becomes a black cloud, which rises upwards
from below. This then changes to a dark,
rocky cavern which keeps rifing, so that the
Jlage seems to fmk deeper and deeper into
the earth.
37
THIRD SCENE
From various points in the dijlance ruddy lights gleam out. An increafing
clamour, as of smiths at work, is heard on all fides. The dang of
the anvils dies away. A vajl subterranean chasm becomes vijible
which seems to open into narrow gorges on all fides. Alberich
drags the screaming Mime out of a fide cleft.
Hehe J Hehe !
Come here ! Come here I
Mischievous dwarf !
Prettily pinched
Promptly thou'lt be
Hast thou not ready,
Wrought to my wish,
The dainty thing I desire !
Ohe ! Ohe !
Oh ! Oh !
Let me alone !
It is forged ;
Heeding thy hest
I laboured hard
Till it was done !
Take but thy nails from my ear !
Then why this delay
To show thy work?
I feared that something
Might still be wanting.
38
Howling.
jflftinu
Mime, howling. " Ohe ! Ohe !
Oh ! Oh ! "
See p. 38
THE RHINEGOLD
What is there to finish?
Jtfltiw
Embarrafsed.
Here— and there
How here and there ?
Hand me the thing !
[He tries to catch hold of his ear again. In
his terror Mime drops a piece of metal-
ivork which he has been clutching con-
•uulfively. Alberich picks it up hajUly
and examines it with care.
Rogue, observe !
See how all wrought is
Well finished and feat,
Done as desired !
The simpleton wants
Slyly to trick me
And keep by cunning
The wonderful work,
Though all his skill
Came alone from my craft.
Thou art discovered, thief.
[He puts the Tarnhelm on his head.
The helmet fits the head ;
But will the spell prosper too?
[fery softly.
" Night and darkness,
Seen of none ! "
[He vanishes, and a pillar of cloud takes his
place.
Brother, canst see me ?
Looks round in amaze. Where aft th°U ? * S6e n° °ne«
Then feel me instead,
Invifible. Thou lazy scamp !
Take that for thy thievish thoughts I
39
THE RHINEGOLD
J8tmc Ohe ! Ohe I
Writhes under the Oh! Oh! Oh!
la/hes he receives^ the sound of which is heard without the whip being seen.
aibcricfi Ha! ha! ha!
Invifible and Ha ! ha ! ha !
laughing. i thank thee, blockhead ;
Thy work has stood the test.
Hoho ! Hoho !
Nibelungs all
Bow now to Alberich !
For he is everywhere,
Waiting and watching ;
Peace and rest
Are past for ever ;
Ye must all serve him,
Though see him can none ;
Where he cannot be spied
Look out for his coming ;
None shall escape from his thraldom !
[Harshfy.
Hoho ! hoho !
Hearken, he nears :
The Nibelung's lord !
[The pillar of cloud disappears in the back-
ground. Alberich's scolding voice is heard
more and more faintly. Mime lies huddled
up in pain. Wot an and Loge come down
through a cleft in the rock.
iLogc Nibelheim here.
Through pale mists gleaming,
How bright yonder fiery sparks glimmer 1
Oh! Oh! Oh I
I hear loud groans.
Who lies on the ground?
40
Mime writhes under the lashes he receives
See p. 40
THE RHINEGOLD
!aA over Mime. whv a11 this whimpering noise ?
Mim Ohe I Ohe 1
Oh ! Oh I
Hei, Mime ! Merry dwarf !
Who beats and bullies thee so?
Leave me in peace, pray.
So much is certain,
And more still. Hark !
Help I promise thee, Mime !
[He raises him with difficulty.
Jftttiw What help for me?
To do his bidding
My brother can force me,
For I am bound as his slave.
H.ojje But, Mime, how has he
Thus made thee his thrall?
By evil arts
Fashioned Alberich
A yellow ring,
From the Rhinegold forged,
At whose mighty magic
Trembling we marvel ;
This spell puts in his power
The Nibelung hosts of night.
Happy we smiths
Moulded and hammered,
Making our women
Trinkets to wear —
Exquisite Nibelung toys —
And lightly laughed at our toil.
4'
THE RHINEGOLD
The rogue now compels us
To creep into caverns,
For him alone
To labour unthanked.
Through the golden ring
His greed can divine
Where untouched treasure
In hidden gorge gleams.
We still must keep spying,
Peering and delving :
Must melt the booty,
Which, molten, we forge
Without pause or peace,
To heap up higher his hoard.
ILojje Just now, then, an idler
Roused him to wrath?
J&tme Poor Mime, ah !
My lot was the hardest.
I had to work,
Forging a helmet,
With strict instructions
How to contrive it ;
And well I marked
The wondrous might
Bestowed by the helm
That from steel I wrought.
Hence I had gladly
Held it as mine,
And, by its virtue
Risen at last in revolt :
Perchance, yes, perchance
The master himself I had mastered,
And, he in my power, had wrested
The ring from him and used it
42
THE RHINEGOLD
That he might serve me, the free man,
[Harshly,
As now I must serve him, a slave 1
And wherefore, wise one,
Sped not the plan ?
Jdtmc Ah ! though the helm I fashioned,
The magic that lurks therein
I foolishly failed to divine.
He who set the task
And seized the fruits —
From him I have learnt,
Alas ! but too late !
All the helmet's cunning craft.
From my sight he vanished,
But, viciously lashing,
Swung his arm through unseen.
[Howling and sobbing,
This, fool that I am,
Was all my thanks I
[He rubs his back. Wotan and Loge laugh.
Confess, our task
To Mian. Wilj call for skiu>
Yet the foe will yield,
Use thou but fraud.
ffi$lLa the Gods ™h° arf y°ve stran?e rs
more attentively. That ask a11 these questions ?
Friends to thee,
Who from their straits
Will free all the Nibelung folk.
Hark ! Have a care !
Shrinking back in Alberich comes !
fear when he hears Alberich returning. [He runs to and fro in terror.
43
THE RHINEGOLD
We'll wait for him here.
[He Jits down calmly onaftone. Alberich,
who hat taken the Tarnhelm from his head
and hung it on his girdle, is brandishing his
scourge and driving before him a band of
Nibelungs from the gorges below. These
are laden with gold and ftlver treasure,
which, urged on by Alberich, they pile
up so as to form a large heap.
Hither ! Thither !
Hehe ! Hoho !
Lazy herd !
Haste and heap
Higher the hoard.
Up with thee there !
On with thee here !
Indolent dolts,
Down with the treasure !
Need ye my urging ?
Here with it all !
[He suddenly perceives Wotan and Loge.
Hey ! Who are they
That thus intrude?
Mime ! Come here 1
Rascally rogue!
Gossiping art
With the pilgriming pair?
Off, thou idler !
Back to thy bellows and beating !
[Lashing Mime, he chases him into the crowd
of Nibelungs.
Hey ! to your labour !
Get ye all hence now !
Swing ye down swift !
From the virgin gorges
Get me the gold !
This whip will follow,
44
Alberich drives in a band of Nibelungs laden with gold
and silver treasure
See p. 44
THE RHINEGOLD
Delve ye not fast 1
That labour ye shirk not
Mime be surety,
Or surely the lash
Of my whip will find him j
That where no one would guess
I watch and I wander,
None knows it better than he.
Loitering still?
Lingering there ?
[He pulls the ring from his finger, kifses it
and Jlretches it out in menace.
Fear ye and tremble,
O fallen host,
And obey
The ring's dread lord !
[Howling and Jhrieking, the Nibelungs,
among them Mime, scatter, and creep down
into the clefts in all diriftions.
8lbeticf) What seek ye here ?
Looks long and diftrujifully at Wotan and Loge.
From Nibelheim's gloomy realm
Strange tidings have travelled up,
Tales of wonders
Worked here by Alberich ;
And, greedy of marvels,
Hither came we as guests.
By envy urged,
Hither ye hie.
Such doughty guests
I do not mistake.
Since I am known,
Ignorant elf,
Say then, with growling
45
THE RHINEGOLD
Whom dost thou greet?
In caverns cold
Where once thou didst crouch,
Who gave thee light
And fire for thy comfort,
Had Loge not smiled on thee?
Or what hadst thou fashioned
Had not I heated thy forge ?
I am thy kinsman
And once was kind :
Lukewarm, methinks, are thy thanks !
On light-born elves
Laughs now Loge,
The crafty rogue :
Art thou, false one, their friend
As my friend thou wert once,
Haha ! I laugh !
No harm from such need I fear.
ILogr No cause then for thy distrust.
I can trust thy falsehood,
Not thy good faith !
[ Taking up a defiant attitude.
Yet I dare you all unflinching.
Tis thy might
That makes thee so bold ;
Grimly great
Groweth thy power.
Seest thou the hoard
Yonder heaped
High by my host?
A richer one never was seen.
46
THE RHINEGOLD
A wretched pile
Is this to-day, though.
Boldly mounting,
'Twill be bigger henceforward.
Mlotan But what is gained by the hoard
In joyless Nibelheim,
Where wealth finds nothing to buy ?
Treasure to gather
And treasure to garner —
Thereto Nibelheim serves.
But with the hoard
In the caverns upheaped
Wonders all wonder surpassing
Will I perform
And win the whole world and its fairness.
But, my friend, how compass that goal ?
Ye who live above and breathe
The balmy, sweet airs,
Love and laugh :
A hand of gold
Ere long, O ye Gods, will have gripped you !
As I forswore love, even so
No one alive
But shall forswear it ;
By golden songs wooed,
For gold alone will his greed be.
On hills of delight
Your home is, where gladness
Softly lulls ;
The dark elves
Ye despise, O deathless carousers !
Beware !
Beware !
47
Furiously.
ilogr
Stepping
between them.
THE RHINEGOLD
For first your men
Shall bow to my might ;
Then your women fair
Who my wooing spurned
The dwarf will force to his will,
Though frowned on by love.
[Laughing savagely.
Ha! ha! ha! ha!
Mark ye my word ?
Beware !
Beware of the hosts of the night,
When rise shall the Nibelung hoard
From silent depths to the day I
Avaunt, impious fool !
What says he ?
Cease from thy folly !
[To Jlberich.
Who would gaze not in wonder,
Beholding Alberich's work?
If only thy skill can achieve
Everything hope has promised,
Almighty I needs must acclaim thee !
For moon and stars
And the sun in his glory,
Forced to do thee obeisance,
Even they must bow down.
But what would seem of most moment
Is that they who serve thee,
The Nibelung hosts,
Bow and bear no hate.
When thy hand held forth a ring
Thy folk were stricken with fear.
But in thy sleep
A thief might slip up
48
THE RHINEGOLD
And steal slyly the ring.
Say, how wouldst thou save thyself then ?
Most shrewd to himself seems Loge ;
Others always
Figure as fools.
If I had to ask for
Advice or aid
On bitter terms,
How happy the thief would be !
This helmet that hides
I schemed for myself,
And chose for its smith
Mime, finest of forgers.
I am now able
Swift to assume
Any form that I fancy,
Through the helm.
No one sees me,
Search as he will ;
Though everywhere hidden,
I always am there.
So, fearing nothing,
Even from thee I am safe,
Most kind, careful of friends I
I have met
Full many a marvel,
But one so wondrous
Have never known.
Achievement so matchless
Scarce can I credit.
Were this possible, truly
Thy might indeed were eternal.
Dost thou believe
I lie, as would Loge ?
49
THE RHINEGOLD
ILoge
Puts the
Tarnhelm on
his head.
Till it is proved
I must suspect thy word.
Puffed up with wisdom,
The fool will explode soon:
Of envy then die !
Decide to what I shall change ;
In that form I shall stand.
Nay, choose for thyself,
But strike me dumb with amaze.
"Dragon dread,
Wreathe thou and wriggle ! ' '
[He immediately disappears. An enormous
serpent writhes on the floor in his place.
It rears and threatens TVotan and Loge
with its open jaws.
Hogr
Pretends to be terrified.
Ohe!
Laughing.
ILogr
Ha ! ha ! ha ! ha ! ha ! ha !
Ohe ! Ohe !
Horrible dragon,
0 swallow me not !
Spare the life of poor Loge !
Good, Alberich !
Well done, rascal !
How swiftly grew
The dwarf to the dragon immense 1
[ The dragon disappears and, in its Jiead,
Alberich is again seen in his own shape.
He he ! Ye scoffers,
Are ye convinced ?
5°
" Ohe ! Ohe !
Horrible dragon,
O swallow me not !
Spare the life of poor Loge ! "
See p. 50
THE RHINEGOLD
iLogr
In a trembling
voice.
Eogr
To
My trembling tells thee how truly.
A giant snake
Thou wert in a trice.
Having beheld,
I must credit the wonder.
Couldest thou turn
To something quite tiny
As well as bigger?
Methinks that way were best
For slyly slipping from foes ;
That, though, I fear were too hard !
For thee, yes ;
Thou art so dull !
How small shall I be?
The most cramped of crannies must hold
thee
That hides the timorous toad.
Nothing simpler 1
Look at me now !
[He puts the Tarnhelm on his head again.
"Crooked toad,
Creep and crawl there 1 ' '
[He vanishes. The Gods see a toad on the
rocks creeping towards them.
Quick and catch it !
Capture the toad 1
\lVotan sets his foot on the toad. Loge
makes a dash at its head and holds tht
Tarnhelm in his hand.
Ohe 1 I'm caught !
L suddenly seen My curse upon them t
in his own shape writhing under Wotans foot,
Si
THE RHINEGOLD
iLoge Hold him fast
Till he is bound.
[Loge binds his hands and feet with a rope.
Now swiftly up !
Then he is ours.
[Both seize hold of the prisoner, whoJJruggles
vioknt/y, and drag him towards the Jhaft
by which they descended. They disappear
mounting upwardr.
FOURTH SCENE
The scene has changed as before, only in reverse order. Open space en mountain
heights. The prospeft is veiled by pah mijl as at the end of the
second scene. Woian and Loge climb up out of the cavern, bringing
•with them Alberich bound.
2.ojje Here, kinsman,
Thou canst sit down I
Friend, look round thee ;
There lies the world
That was thine for the winning, thou fool !
What corner, say,
Wilt give to me for my stall ?
[He dances round Alberich^ snapping his
fingers.
Infamous robber !
Thou knave ! Thou rogue !
Loosen the rope,
Set me at large,
Or dear for this outrage shalt answer !
My captive art thou,
Caught and in fetters.
As thou hadst fain
Subdued the world
And all that the world containeth,
Thou liest bound at my feet,
And, coward, canst not deny it.
A ransom alone
Shall loose thee from bondage.
53
THE RHINEGOLD
Ah, the dolt,
The dreamer I was,
To trust blindly
The treacherous thief I
Fearful revenge
Shall follow this wrong I
Vain talk this of vengeance
Before thy freedom is won.
To a man in bonds
No free man expiates outrage.
If vengeance thou dreamest.
Dream of the ransom
First without further delay 1
[He shows him the kind of ransom by snap-
ping his fingers.
aiJrarf) Declare then your demands.
The hoard and thy gleaming gold.
Pack of unscrupulous thieves 1
[Aftde.
If I only can keep the ring,
The hoard I can lightly let go,
For anew I could win it
And add to its worth
By the powerful spell of the ring.
If as warning it serves
To make me more wise,
The warning will not have been lost,
Even though lost may be the gold.
Wilt yield up the hoard?
Loosen my hand
To summon it here.
[Luge frees his right hand.
54
THE RHINEGOLD
Behold the Nibelungs
Touches the Hither are called ;
ring with his j can hear them coming,
lips and secretly gjd by theif j^
With the hoard from the depths to the day.
Now loosen these burdensome bonds.
5GiHotan Nay, first in full thou must pay.
[The Nibelungs come up out of the cleft laden
with the objeffs of which the hoard is
composed.
O bitter disgrace
That my shrinking bondsmen
Should see me captive and bound !
[To the Nibelungs.
Lay it down there,
As ye are bid !
In a heap
Pile up the hoard.
Must I aid, idlers ?
No spying at me !
Haste there ! Haste !
Then get ye gone quickly.
Hence to your work.
Home to your gorges !
Let the sluggards beware,
For I follow hard at your heels !
[He kifses the ring and holds it out with an
air of command. As ifjlruck with a b/oiu,
the Nibelungs prefs terrified and cowering
towards the deft, down which they hafiily
disappear.
The price is paid ;
Let me depart !
And that helm of mine
Which Loge still holds,
That also pray give me again I
55
THE RHINEGOLD
Eoge The plunder must pay for the pardon.
Throwing the Tarnhelm on to the heap.
Accursed thief !
But patience ! Calm !
He who moulded the one
Makes me another ;
Still mine is the might
That Mime obeys.
Loath indeed
Am I to leave
My cunning defence to the foe !
Nothing Alberich
Owns at all now ;
Unbind, ye tyrants, his bonds !
Ought I to free him?
Art thou content?
A golden ring
Girdles thy finger:
Hearest, elf ?
That also belongs to the hoard.
The ring?
The ring must also
Go to the ransom.
My life — but the ring : not that I
The ring I covet ;
For thy life I care not at all.
But if my life I ransom
The ring I must also rescue ;
56
Hogr
To Wotan.
SIHotan
Horrified.
ESlotan
Trembling.
With greater
•violence.
THE RHINEGOLD
Hand and head,
Eye and ear
Are not mine more truly
Than mine is the ruddy ring !
The ring thou claimest as thine ?
Impudent elf, thou art raving.
Tell the truth ;
Whence was gotten the gold
To fashion the glittering gaud?
How could that be
Thine which reft was,
Thou rogue, from watery deeps ?
To the Rhine's fair daughters
Down and inquire
If the gold
Was as gift to thee given
That thou didst thieve for the ring !
aibmrf) Vile double-dealing !
Shameless deceit !
Wouldst thou, robber,
Reproach in me
The sin so sweet to thyself ?
How fain thou hadst
Bereft the Rhine of its gold,
If it had been
As easy to forge as to steal !
How well for thee,
Thou unctuous knave,
That the Nibelung, stung
By shameful defeat,
And by fury driven,
Was fired into winning the spell
That now alluringly smiles !
Shall I, bliss debarred,
57
With a fright-
ful cry.
Contemplating
the ring.
iLogc
To IVotan.
ftffiiotan
ILoge
Sets Alberich
quite free.
THE RHINEGOLD
Anguish-burdened
Because of the
Curse-laden deed,
My ring as a toy
Grant to princes for pleasure,
My ban bringing blessing to thee ?
Have a care,
Arrogant God !
My sin was one
Concerning myself alone :
But against all that was,
Is and shall be
Thou wouldst wantonly sin,
Eternal one, taking the ring.
Yield the ring !
Thy foolish talk
Gives no title to that.
[He seizes Alberich and draws the ring from
his finger by force.
Woe ! Defeated ! Undone !
Of wretches the wretchedest slave !
I own what makes me supreme,
The mightiest lord of all lords !
[He puts on the ring.
Shall he go free ?
Loose his bonds.
Slip away home,
For no fetter binds thee 1
Fare forth, thou art free !
THE RHINEGOLD
Am I now free,
Raifmg hit*. Free in truth ?
self, with My freedom's first
farina laughter. Greeting take, for it is thine !
As a curse gave me the ring,
My curse go with the ring !
As its gold
Gave measureless might,
May now its magic
r Deal death evermore !
No man shall gain
Gladness therefrom ;
May ill-fortune befall him
On whom it shines.
Fretted by care
Be he who shall hold it,
And he who doth not,
By envy be gnawed !
All shall covet
And crave its wealth,
Yet none shall it profit
Or pay when won.
Those who guard it nothing shall gain,
Yet shall murder go where they go.
The coward, death-doomed,
By fetters of fear shall be bound;
His whole life long
He shall languish to death —
The ring's proud lord
And its poorest slave —
Till again I have
In my hand the gold I was robbed of.
So blesses
The Nibelung
The ring in bitter despair !
Hold fast to it ! [Laughing.
59
THE RHINEGOLD
Keep it with care ; [Grimly.
From my curse none shall escape !
[He vanishes quickly through the cleft. The
thick mijl in the foreground gradually clean
away.
Hoge Hadst thou ears
For his fond farewell ?
ffl&totan Grudge him not vent to his spleen !
Loll in contemplation of the ring. [It keepi growing lighter.
Fasolt and Fafner
Looking to the Come from afar
r'&ht- Bringing Freia again.
[Through the vanishing mijl Donner, Fro/i,
and Fricka appear, and hajlen towards
the foreground.
dFtof) The giants return.
Homier Be greeted, brother !
JFwbz Dost bring joyful tidings?
Anxiously to Jvotan.
iiogr By fraud and by force
Pointing to We have prevailed :
the hoard. There Freia 's ransom lies.
Bonnet From the giant's grasp
Freed comes the fair one.
How sweetly the air
Fans us again !
Balmy delights
Steal soft through each sense I
Sad, forlorn had our lot been,
For ever severed from her
60
THE RHINEGOLD
Who gives us youth everlasting,
And bliss triumphant o'er pain.
\_Fasolt and Fafner enter, leading Frela
between them. Fricka hqjiens joyfully
towards her fister. The foreground has
become quite bright again, the light re-
faring to the aspect of the Gods its original
freshnefs. The background, however, is
Jllll wiled by the mift so that the dijlant
caftle remains invijible.
dFricfea Sweetest of sisters 1
Lovely delight !
Once more for mine have I won thee 1
dFasolt Hold ! Touch her not yet I
Keeping her of. Freia still is ours.
On Riesenheim's
Rampart of rock
Resting we stayed.
The pledge we held
In our hands we used
Loyally.
With deep regret,
I bring her back now
In case ye brothers
Can ransom her.
2123citan Prepared lies the ransom ;
Mete out the gold,
Giving generous measure*
jFasolt In truth it grieves me
Greatly the woman to lose ;
And that my heart may forget her
Ye must heap the hoard,
Pile it so high
That it shall hide
The blossom-sweet maid from mine eyes I
61
THE RHINEGOLD
SJHotan Be Freia's form
The gauge of the gold.
[Freia is placed in the middle by the two
giants, who then flick their Jiaves into
the ground in front of her so that her height
and breadth is indicated.
Our staves give the measure
Of Freia's form ;
Thus high now heap ye the hoard.
On with the work :
Irksome I find it 1
Help me, Froh !
I will end
Freia's dishonour.
\Loge and Froh heap up the treasure hajiily
between the Jiaves.
Let the pile
Less loosely be built ;
Firm and close
Pack ye the gauge !
[He prefses down the treasure with rudt
Jlrength ; he bends down to look for gaps.
I still can see through ;
Come, fill up the crannies !
fLojje Hands off, rude fellow !
Touch nothing here I
jFaftter Come here ! This gap must be closed I
^®ota" Deep in my breast
n^f-V Burns
6z
THE RHINEGOLD
See how in shame
Beautiful Freia stands ;
For release she asks,
Dumb, with sorrowful eyes.
Heartless man !
The lovely one owes this to thee !
Still more ! Pile on still more.
JBonnccr My patience fails ;
Mad is the wrath
Roused by this insolent rogue I
Come hither, hound !
Measure must thou ?
Thy strength then measure with mine!
jFafnrt Softly, Donnerl
Roar where it serves ;
Thy roar is impotent here.
Donnrr It will crush thee to thy cost, rogue.
Lunging out at him.
Calm thyself !
Methinks that Freia is hid.
The hoard is spent.
Still shines to me Holda's hair.
Measures the Yonder thing, too,
hoard carefully Throw on the hoard I
with his eye, and looks to see if there are any crevices.
Even the helm ?
Make haste ! Here with it !
Let it go also I
63
THE RHINEGOLD
ilogc
Throws the
Tarnhelm on the heap.
dFasolt
At last we have finished.
Have ye enough now ?
Freia, the fair,
Is hidden for aye I
The price has been paid.
Ah, have I lost her ?
[He goes up to the hoard and peers through
it.
Sadly shine
Her eyes on me still ,
Like stars they beam
Softly on me ;
Still through this chink
I look on their light.
[Beftde himself.
While her sweet eyes I behold thus,
From the woman how can I part ?
Hey ! Come hither,
And stop me this cranny 1
Greedy grumblers !
Can ye not see
The gold is all gone ?
Not the whole, friend !
On Wotan's finger
Shines a golden ring still ;
Give that to close up the crevice I
What ! Give my ring ?
Be ye counselled !
The Rhine-Maidens
Must have the gold ;
Wotan will give them what theirs is.
Fafner. "Hey! Come hither,
And stop me this cranny ! "
See p. 64
THE RHINEGOLD
Hogc
jFafnit
Furious, pulls
Freia from be-
hind the hoard.
dFrria
dFrof)
Stonnrt
SMotan
What nonsense is this ?
The ring I won so hardly,
Undismayed I hold and will keep.
Broken then
Must be the promise
I gave the maidens who grieved.
By thy promise I am not bound ;
As booty mine is the ring.
Not so. The ring
Must go with the ransom.
Boldly ask what ye will :
It shall be granted ;
But not for all
The world would I give you the ring.
All is off !
The bargain stands :
Fair Freia ours is for ever 1
Help me ! Help me !
Heartless God,
Grant it ! Give way !
Keep not the gold back !
Give them the ring too !
Let me alone !
I hold to the ring.
\Fafner Jlops Fasolt as he is haflening off.
All Jland dismayed ; Jf^otan turns from
them in anger. TheJJage hasgrnun dark
again. From a cleft in the rock on one
fide ifsues a blmjh flame in which Erda
suddenly becomes vijible, rifing so that her
upper half is seen.
65 E
(Prtia
Stretching
out a warning
hand towards
Wotan.
©rtia
JEfclotan
Disappearing.
THE RHINEGOLD
Yield it, Wotan I Yield it !
Flee the ring's dread curse !
Awful
And utter disaster
It will doom thee to.
What woman woe thus foretells ?
All things that were I know,
And things that are ;
All things that shall be
I foresee.
The endless world's
Ur-Wala,
Erda, bids thee beware.
Ere the earth was,
Of my womb born
Were daughters three ;
And my knowledge
Nightly the Norns tell to Wotan.
Now summoned by
Danger most dire,
I myself come.
Hearken 1 Hearken ! Hearken !
All things will end shortly ;
And for the Gods
Dark days are dawning 1
Be counselled ; keep not the ring !
[Erda finks slowly as far as the hrta/l,
while the bluijb light grows fainter.
A mystic might
Rang in thy words.
Tarry, and tell me further.
Thou hast been warned ;
Enough dost know ;
Weigh my words with fear 1
[She vanijbef completely,
66
" Erda bids thee beware "
See p. 66
THE RHINEGOLD
If thus doomed to foreboding —
I must detain thee
Till all is answered !
\lVotan is about to follow Erda in order
to detain her. Froh and Frlcka throw
themselves in his way and prevent him.
jFricfea What meanest thou, madman?
Go not, Wotan !
r Fear thou the warner,
Heed her words well I
\JVotan gazes thoughtfully before him.
Hark, ye giants !
1 urntng to the - / , . ., , .,, .
giants with a Come back and wait stl11 1
resilute air. The gold we give you also.
dFricfea Ah, dare I hope it?
Deem ye Holda
Worthy of such a price ?
[All look at IVotan in suspense ; he, roufing
himself from deep thought, grasps his spear
and swings it in token of having come to a
bold decision.
ffl&otan To me, Freia,
For thou art free !
Bought back for aye,
Youth everlasting, return !
Here, giants, take ye the ring !
[He throws the ring on the hoard. The
giants release Freia ; Jhe hajlens jo\fully
to the Gods, who carefs her in turns for a
space, with every manifestation of delight.
dTasolt Hold there, greedy one !
To Fafner. Grant me my portion !
Honest division
Best for both is.
67
THE RHINEGOLD
jFafner More on the maid than the gold
Thou wert set, love-sick fool,
And much against
Thy will the exchange was.
Sharing not, Freia
Thou wouldst have wooed for thy bride ;
Sharing the gold,
It is but just
That the most of it should be mine.
Infamous thief !
Taunts ? And to me I
[To the Gods,
Come judge ye between us ;
Halve ye the hoard
As seems to you just 1
\_Wotan turns away in contempt.
Hogc Let him have the treasure ;
Hold to what matters : the ring !
Back, brazen rascal I
Falls vpon Fafner, Mine is the ring.
who has mean- I lost for it Freia 's smile.
wfi He beenjleadily packing up the treasure. [He snatches hajiily at the ring.
jFafnrr Off with thy hands I
The ring is mine.
[There is a Jlruggle. Fasolt tears the ring
from Fafner.
jFasolt I hold it. It is mine now !
Hold fast, lest it should fall !
[Lunging out with his Jlave, he fells Fasolt
to the ground with one blow ; from the
dying man he then hajiily tears the ring.
68
Fafner kills Fasolt
See p. 68
THE RHINEGOLD
Now feast upon Freia's smile:
No more shalt thou touch the ring !
\_He puts the ring into the sack and tranquilly
continues to pack up the reji of the hoard. All
the GodsJIand horrified. A solemn filence.
JMJUotan Dread indeed
I find is the curse's might.
ILoge Unmatched, Wotan,
Surely thy luck is !
r Great thy gain was
In getting the ring ;
But the gain of its loss
Is gain greater still :
There thy foemen, see,
Slaughter thy foes
For the gold thou hast let go.
Dark forebodings oppress me !
Care and fear
Fetter my soul ;
Erda must teach me,
Tell how to end them :
To her I must descend.
Why linger, Wotan ?
Carding and Beckon they not,
The stately walls,
Waiting to offer
Welcome kind to their lord?
With wage accurst
Gloomily. pajd was thdr CQSt>
JBonnn; Heavily mists
Pointing to Hang in the ajr .
the background, Gloomy, wearisome
which is till T . . , .
enveloped in Is their W61Sht !
mifl The wan-visaged clouds
69
THE RHINEGOLD
Charged with their storms I will gather,
And sweep the blue heavens clean.
[Donner mounts a high rock on the edge of the
precipice, and swings his hammer ; during
what follows the mijis gather round him.
Hey da ! Hey da ! Hey do !
To me, O ye mists !
Ye vapours, to me !
Donner, your lord,
Summons his hosts !
[He swings his hammer.
To my hammer's swing
Hitherward sweep
Vapours and fogs !
Hovering mists !
Donner, your lord, summons his hosts !
Hey da 1 Hey da ! Hey do !
[Donner disappears completely in a thunder-
cloud which has been growing darker and
denser. The Jhoke ofhis hammer is heard
falling heavily on the rock. A vivid
flajh of lightning comes from the cloud,
followed by a loud clap of thunder. Froh
has also disappeared in the cloud.
Brother, to me 1
Invifible. Show them the way by the bridge 1
[Suddenly the clouds roll away. Donner
and Froh become vifible. A rainbow of
dazzling radiance Jlretches from their feet
acrofs the valley to the cajlle, which is
gleaming in the light of the setting sun.
Lo, light, yet securely,
Who, with out- Leads the bridge to your halls.
jhetched hand Undaunted tread ;
lcTlh fth/ Without danger the road !
\Wotan and the other Gods Jland speechlefe,
¥ >» conumplanon of th/ glorious f.ght.
70
" To my hammer's swing
Hitherward sweep
Vapours and fogs !
Hovering mists !
Donner, your lord, summons his hosts ! "
See p. 70
THE RHINEGOLD
WLlotan
Remaining in
the foreground
and looking
after the Gods.
Smiling at eve
The sun's eye sparkles;
The castle ablaze
Gleams fair in its glow.
In the light of morning
Glittering proudly,
It stood masterless,
Stately, tempting its lord.
From dawn until sundown
No little toil
And fear have gone to the winning 1
From envious night,
That now draws nigh
Shelter it offers us.
[F try firmly, as ifjlruck by a great thought.
So greet I my home,
Safe from dismay and dread.
[He turns solemnly to Fricka,
Follow me, wife !
In Valhall sojourn with me.
What means the name Valhall ?
I never seem to have heard it.
That which, conquering fear,
My fortitude brought
Triumphant to birth —
Let that explain the word !
[He takes Fricka' s hand and walks slowly
with her towards the bridge. Froh,
Freia, and Donner follow.
They are hasting on to their end,
They who dream they are strong and
enduring.
I almost blush
To be of their number ;
71
THE RHINEGOLD
A fancy allures me
And wakes in me longing
Flaming fire to become :
To waste and burn them
Who tamed me of old,
Rather than perish,
Blind with the blind —
Yes, even if godlike the Gods were—
More wise were it, perhaps !
I must consider :
The outcome who knows !
[With a show of carelefsnefs he goes to join
the Gods.
Rhinegold !
Rhinegold !
From the Rhinegold pure !
valle?: How radiant and clear
Invtjtble.
For thy lost glory
We are grieving.
Give us the gold !
Give us the gold !
0 give us the Rhinegold again !
What wailing sound do I hear ?
About to set his foot on the bridge, pauses and turns round.
ILoflr The Rhine's fair children,
Looks down into Bewailing their lost gold, weep.
the valley.
Accursed nixies !
Bid them tease us no more !
Ye in the water,
Colling down wh wajj t() ug ?
towards the ^ ^ Wotan,s decree
" The Rhine's fair children,
Bewailing their lost gold, weep "
See p. 72
THE RHINEGOLD
Ye have seen
The last of the gold ;
In the Gods' increase of splendour
Bask and sun yourselves now.
[The Gods laugh and crofe the bridge during
what follows.
Rhinegold !
Rhinegold !
Rhinegold pure I
Oh, if in the waves
There but shone still our treasure pure !
Down in the deeps
Can faith be found only :
Mean and false
Are all who revel above !
[As the Gods crofe the bridge to the caftle
the curtain falls.
73
THE VALKYRIE
CHARACTERS
"WOTAN HUNDING
FRICKA SIEGMUND
SlEGLINDE
BRUNNHILDE, Valkyrie
EIGHT OTHER VALKYRIES :
Gerhilde, Ortlinde, Waltraute,
Schwertleite, Helmwige, Siegrune,
Grimgerde, Rossweisse
SCENES OF ACTION
ACT I. THE INTERIOR OF HUNDING'S DWELLING
ACT II. A WILD ROCKY MOUNTAIN
ACT III. ON THE TOP OF A ROCKY MOUNTAIN
(BRUNNHILDE'S ROCK)
THE FIRST ACT
The interior of a dwelling-place built of wood, with the Jiem of a mighty afh-
tree as its centre ; to the right, in the foreground, is the hearth, and
behind this the Jiore-room. At the back is the large entrance door ;
to the left, far back, Jieps lead up to an inner chamber ; on the same
fide, nearer the front, Jlands a table with a broad bench behind it,
fixed to the wall, and with Jlools in front. The Jlage remains
empty for a space. Outftde a Jlorm is jujl subfiding. Siegmund
opens the entrance door from without, and enters. With his hand
on the latch he surveys the room. He seems overwhelmed with
fatigue ; hii drefs and appearance indicate that he is in flight.
He /huts the door behind him when he sees nobody, walks to the
hearth with the final effort of an utterly exhaufled man, and throw s
himself down on a bearskin rug.
I rest on this hearth,
Heedless who owns it.
[He Jinks back and remains Jlretched out
motlonlefs. Sicglinde enters from the inner
chamber ; flte thinks her husband has re-
turned. Her grave look changes to one
of surprise when /he sees the Jlranger
flretched out on the hearth,
77
THE VALKYRIE
A stranger here 1
Still at the He must be questioned.
back. [Coming nearer.
What man came in
And lies on the hearth ?
\_AsSiegmunddoes not move, /he draws nearer
Jlill and looks at him.
Way-worn, weary
He seems and spent.
Faints he from weariness?
Can he be sick ?
[She bends over him, and lifiens.
He breathes still, his eyelids
Are sealed but in slumber.
Worthy, valiant his mien,
Though so worn he rests.
iifflmuirtr A drink ! A drink !
Suddenly rat/ing his head.
i go to
[She takes a drinking-horn and hurries out.
She returns with it full, and offers it to
Siegrnund.
Lo, the water
Thy thirsting lips longed for :
Water brought at thy wish !
[Siegrnund drinks, and hands her back the
horn. As he signifies his thanks with a
movement of the head, he gazes at her
with growing intereji.
Welcome the water !
Quenched is my thirst.
My weary load
Lighter it makes ;
New courage it gives ;
Mine eyes that slept
THE VALKYRIE
2jt?ptu>rti
5>i?gtnunli
Shakes himself
and springs up
Re-open glad on the world.
Who soothes and comforts me so?
This house and this wife
Belong to Hunding.
Stay thou here as his guest ;
Tarry till he comes home.
Shelter he surely
Will grant a worn,
Wounded, weaponless stranger.
ick' show me ! Where are thy wounds
My wounds are slight,
Scarce worthy remark ;
My jimbs are wdl knjt stin>
Whole and unharme<i-
Spear and shield had but been
Half so strong as my arm is,
I had vanquished the foe ;
But in splinters were spear and shield.
The horde of foemen
Harassed me sore ;
Through storm and strife
Spent was my force ;
But, faster than I from foemen,
All my faintness has fled ;
Darkness fell deep on my lids,
But now the sun again laughs.
Goes to thejloreroom, fills a
horn with mead^and prof- This healing and honeyed
fen it to Siegmund with Draught of mead
friendly eagernefs. Deign to accept from me.
79
THE VALKYRIE
Set it first to thy lips.
[Sieglinde ftps from the horn and hands it
back to him. Siegmund takes a long
draught, regarding Sieglinde with in-
creajing warmth. Still gazing, he takes
the horn from his lips and lets it fink
slowly, while his features exprefs Jlrong
emotion. He fighs deeply, and lowers his
gaze gloomily to the ground.
Thou hast tended an ill-fated one !
In a trembling voice. May all evil
Be turned from thee !
[He Jlarts up quickly, and goes towards the
the back.
I have been solaced
By sweet repose :
Onward now I must press.
StfBltnto Who pursues thee so close at thy heels?
Turning round quickly.
£trgmunti Bad luck pursues me,
Stops. Everywhere follows ;
And where I linger
Trouble still finds me :
Be thou preserved from its touch I
I must not gaze but go.
[Hebrides hajlily to the door and lifts the latch.
^icglintic Then tarry here 1
Forgetting Misfortune thou canst not bring
herself, calls To those who abide with it !
impetuously after him.
80
Sieglinde. " This healing and honeyed
Draught of mead
Deign to accept from me."
Siegmund. " Set it first to thy lips."
See p. 79
THE VALKYRIE
Wehwalt named I myself :
Deeply moved, Hunding here will I wait for.
remains Jtanding ; fie looks searchingly at Sieglinde, who,
ashamed and sad, lowers her eyes. Returning, he leans
againjt the hearth, his gaze fixed on Sieglinde, who
continues filently embarrafsed.
r
Sieglinde Jiarts, lijlem and hears Hunding outjide leading his horse to the
Jlable. She hurries to the door and opens it. Hunding, armed
with fliield and spear, enters, but, perceiving Siegmund, pauses on
the threshold. Hunding turns with a look of Jiern inquiry
to Sieglinde.
JJ>ic8ltntre On the hearth
In answer to Fainting I found
s look. Qne whom need drove here.
Hast succoured him?
I gave him, as a guest,
Welcome and a drink.
Sifjjmuni Drink she gave,
^undt,ngfirnil Sheltef t0° 5
andcalmh" Wouldst therefore chide the woman ?
?gunt>tnfl Sacred is my hearth :
Sacred hold thou my house.
[To Sieglinde, as he takes off his armour and
hands it to her.
Set the meal for us men !
[Sieglinde hangs up the arms on the Jiem of
the a/h-tree, fetches food and drink from
the Jf ore-room and sets supper on the table.
Involuntarily she turns her gaze on Sieg-
mund again.
81
THE VALKYRIE
Bunting How like to the woman !
Examining jn his eye as well
Stegmunfs Gleams the guile of the serpent.
features keenly . ,
and with amaze, \-He cmceah h" ™rPrise, and *ur"s Wlth
compares them apparent unconcern to Siegmund.
with Sieglinde's. Far, I trow,
Must thou have fared ;
The man who rests here
Rode no horse :
What toilsome journey
Made thee so tired ?
Through wood and meadow,
Thicket and moor,
Chased by the storm
And peril sore,
I ran by I know not what road.
I know as little
What goal it led to,
And I would gladly be told.
'Tis Hunding owns
At table, The roof and room
inviting Which have harboured thee.
Sugmund jf t th westward
to be seated. _, ,
Thou wert to wend,
In homesteads rich
Thou wouldst find kinsmen
Who guard the honour of Hunding.
May I ask of my guest
In return to tell me his name ?
[Siegmund, who has taken his seat at the
table, looks thoughtfully before him. Sieg-
linde, who has placed herself befide
Hunding and oppofite Siegmund, gazes
at him with evident sympathy and suspense.
82
Hunding discovers the likeness between Siegmund and
Sieglinde
See p. 82
THE VALKYRIE
[Patching
them both.
TJnembarrafad
and interested.
Sjtrginunti
Looks up and,
gazing into
her eyeiy begins
gravely.
If thou wilt not
Trust it to me,
To this woman tell thy secret :
See, how eagerly she asks 1
Gladly I'd know
Who thou art.
Not for me the name Friedmund ;
Frohwalt fain were I called,
But forced was I to be Wehwalt.
Wolfe they called my father ;
And I am one of twins :
With a sister twin I was born.
Soon lost were
Both mother and maid ;
I hardly knew
Her who gave me my life,
Nor her with whom I was born.
Warlike and strong was Wolfe,
And never wanting for foes.
A-hunting oft
Went the son with the father.
One day we returned
Outworn with the chase
And found the wolf's nest robbed.
The brave abode
To ashes was burnt,
Consumed to dust
The flourishing oak,
And dead was the mother,
Dauntless but slain.
No trace of the sister
Was ever found :
The Neidungs' heartless horde
Had dealt us this bitter blow.
83
THE VALKYRIE
My father fled,
An outlaw with me ;
And the youth
Lived wild in the forest
With Wolfe for many years.
Sore beset and harried were they,
But boldly battled the pair of wolves.
[Turning to Hundlng.
A Wolfing tells thee the tale,
And a well-known Wolfing, I trow.
Wondrous and wild the story
Told by thee, valiant guest :
Wehwalt— the Wolfing !
I think that dark rumours anent
This doughty pair have reached me,
Though unknown Wolfe
And Wolfing too.
But tell me further, stranger :
Where dwells thy father now?
The Neidungs, starting anew,
Hounded and hunted us down ;
But slain by the wolves
Fell many a hunter ;
They fled through the wood,
Chased by the game :
Like chaff we scattered the foe.
But trace of my father I lost ;
Still his trail grew fainter
The longer I followed ;
In the wood a wolf-skin
Was all I found ;
There empty it lay :
My father I had lost. —
In the woods I could not stay ;
84
THE VALKYRIE
My heart longed for men and for women. —
By all I met,
No matter where,
If friend I sought,
Or woman wooed,
Still I was branded an outlaw;
Ill-luck clung to me ;
Whatever I did right,
Others counted it wrong ;
What seemed evil to me
Won from others applause.
Grim feuds arose
Wherever I went ;
Wrath met me
At every turn ;
Longing for gladness,
Woe was my lot :
I called myself Wehwalt therefore,
For woe was all that was mine.
[He looks at Sieglinde and marks her
sympathetic gaze.
Thou wert shown no grace by the Norns
That cast thy grievous lot ;
No one greets thee as guest
With gladness in his home.
Only cowards would fear
A weaponless, lonely man ! —
Tell us, O guest,
How in the strife
At last thy weapon was lost J
Sjirptuirtr A sorrowful child
Cried for my help ;
Her kinsmen wanted
To wed the maiden
85
THE VALKYRIE
To one whom her heart did not choose.
To her defence
Gladly I hied;
The heartless horde
Met me in fight :
Before me foemen fell.
Fordone and dead lay the brothers.
The slain were embraced by the maid,
Her wrongs forgotten in grief.
She wept wild streams of woe,
And bathed the dead with her tears ;
For the loss of her brothers slain
Lamented the ill-fated bride.
Then the dead men's kinsmen
Came like a storm,
Vowing vengeance,
Frantic to fall on me ;
Foemen on all sides
Rose and assailed me.
But from the spot
Moved not the maid ;
My shield and spear
Sheltered her long,
Till spear and shield
Were hewn from my hand.
Standing weaponless, wounded,
I beheld the maid die :
I fled from the furious host —
She lay lifeless on the dead.
[To Sieglinde with a look of fervent
sorrow.
The reason now I have told
Why none may know me as Friedmund.
[He rises and walks to the hearth. Pale
and deeply moved, Sieglinde looks on the
ground.
86
THE VALKYRIE
I know a wild-blooded breed ;
R'ses- What others revere
It flouts unawed :
All hate it, and I with the rest.
When forth in haste I was summoned,
Vengeance to seek
For my kinsmen's blood,
I came too late,
And now return home
To find the impious wretch
In haven under my roof. —
My house holds thee,
Wolfing, to-day ;
For the night thou art my guest.
But wield to-morrow
Thy trustiest weapon.
I choose the day for the fight :
Thy life shall pay for the dead.
[To Sieglinde, who Jleps between the two
men with anxious ge/lures; harjhly.
Forth from the hall I
Linger not here !
Prepare my draught for the night,
And wait until I come.
[Sieglinde Jiands for a while undecided and thoughtful. Slowly
and with hejitating Jleps she goes towards the flare-room.
There she pauses again, loft in thought, her face half averted.
With quiet resolution she opens the cupboard, fills a drinking-
horn, and shakes spices into it out of a box. She then turns
her eyes on Siegmund, in order to meet his gaze, which he
never removes from her. She perceives that Hunding is
watching, and proceeds immediately to the bed-chamber. On
the fteps she turns once more, looks yearningly at Siegmund,
and indicates with her eyes, perjiftently and with speaking
plainnefs, a particular spot in the Jlem of the a/h-tree.
Hunding Jlarts, and drives her off with a violent gejlure.
With a lajl look at Siegmund, she disappears into the
bed-chamber, and shuts the door behind her.
87
THE V>LKYRIE
>ns man should be armed.
With weap«^.morrow th W6lfing.
Taking his We meet '
weapons from M word fiC
the tree-Jiem. Ward thvse
•* ^0?$ z«to ?/;? bed-chamber. The shooting
L/ze' ^ ^/£ js heard from within,
°f
' dark. All the light in the hall comes
Siegmund alone. It has grown quitt Siegmund finks down on to a couch
from a dull fire on the hearth. me time filently in great agitation.
befide the fire and broods for so;
said when most wanted
My father j^hould find and wield
A sword I ; entered
rdlman^ hous
postage here
As a Jiin.
{ remaa fair
saw n and sweet,
iss and dread
bne my heart.
u^ for whom j Jong_
The womaicharm both wounds and
She whose -s _
ildelight' held by the man
i thrall iss a weaponless foe.
°
i is thy sword ?—
5fhe[£usty sword
The tr swung jn battle,
i my bosom should burst
When fronLat fins my heart?
rp le fire collapses. From the flame which
L-'-'-'aps up a Aright light falls on the spot in
"he a/fi-tree's Jlem indicated by Sieglinde's
tiok, and on which the hilt of a sword is
"ww plainly viftble.
f' 88
Sieglinde prepares Hunding's draught for the night
See p. 87
THE VALKYRIE
What can that be
That shines so bright?
What a ray streams
From the ash-tree's stem I
My eyes that saw not
See the bright flash ;
Gay as laughter it gleams.
How the radiant light
Illumes my heart !
Is it the look
That lingered behind,
Yonder clinging,
When forth from the hall
The lovely woman went?
[From this point the fire gradually goes
out.
Darkly the shadows
Covered my eyes,
Till her shining glance
Over me gleamed,
Bringing me warmth and day.
Gay and splendid
The sun appeared,
And blissfully circled
With glory my head —
Till by the hills it was hid.
[The fire flickers up faintly again.
But once more, ere it set,
Bright it shone upon me,
And the ancient ash-tree's stem
Was lit by its golden glow.
The splendour passes,
The light grows dim,
Shadowy darkness
Falls and enshrouds me ;
89
THE VALKYRIE
Deep in my bosom's fastness
Glimmers still faintly the flame !
[The fire goes out altogether. Total dark-
nefs. The door of the bed-chamber opens
noiselefsly. Sieglinds comes out in a white
garment and advances softly but quickly
towards the hearth.
Stefllttrtie Art asleep ?
&{J^uSy surprised. ™ho steals *his way ?
'Tis I : listen to me !
Withjlealthy jn sieep profound lies Hunding ;
hafte- The draught that I mixed him I drugged.
Use to good purpose the night !
Thou here, all is well !
Ardently interrupting.
I have come to show thee a weapon ;
O couldst thou make it thine !
I then might call thee
First among heroes,
For only by him
Can it be won.
O hearken : heed what I tell thee !
Here Hunding's kinsmen
Sat in the hall,
Assembled to honour his wedding.
He took as his wife,
Against her will,
One who was bartered by thieves.
Sad I sat there
Through their carousing.
90
THE VALKYRIE
A stranger entered the hall,
An old and grey-coated man.
So slouched was his hat
That one of his eyes was hidden ;
But the other flashed
So that all feared it :
Overwhelming
Its menace they found ;
I alone
Suffered, when looked on,
Sweet pain, sad delight,
Sorrow and solace in one.
On me glancing,
He scowled at the others,
As he swung a sword in his hands.
This sword he plunged
In the ash -tree's stem,
To the hilt driving it home.
The weapon he gains in guerdon
Who draws it from its place.
Though sore they struggled,
Not one of the heroes
Could win the weapon for his ;
Coming, going,
The guests essayed it,
The strongest tugged at the steel ;
Not an inch it stirred in the stem ;
In silence yonder it cleaves.
I knew then who he was
That in sorrow greeted me.
I know too
Now for whom
The sword was stuck in the tree.
O might I to-day
Find here the friend
Brought from afar
9'
THE VALKYRIE
By a woman's woe !
Then all I have suffered
In sorrow untold,
All scorn and all shame
In anger endured—
All would avenged be,
Sweetly atoned for —
Regained fully
The good I had lost ;
For mine I should win
All I had wept for,
Could I but find the dear friend,
And clasp him close in my arms !
Dear woman, that friend
Embracing Holds thee at last,
Sieghnde Both woman and sword are his.
withpafiitmte Here in my breast
ardour. —. , , J..
Burns hot the oath
That welds us twain into one.
For all that I sought
I see now in thee,
In thee all
That once failed me I find.
Thou wert despised,
My portion was pain ;
I was an outlaw,
Dishonoured wert thou ;
Sweet revenge beckons,
Bids us be joyful ;
I laugh
From sheer fulness of joy,
Holding thee, love, in my arms thus,
Feeling the beat of thy heart !
[The outer door swings open.
92
THE VALKYRIE
Ha, who went ? Who entered there ?
With a ft art [The door remains open. Outjide, a glorious
of alarm, tears spring night. The full moon shines in,
herself away. throwing its bright light on the pair, so
that they can suddenly see one another
quite plainly.
jirgmtnrtJ No one went —
In soft ecjlasy. But one has come :
Laughing the spring
r Enters the hall !
[He draws Sieglinde with tender force on
to the couch, so that she Jits bejide him.
The moon shines more and more brightly.
Winter storms have yielded
To May's sweet moon,
And mild and radiant
Sparkles the spring.
On balmy breezes
Light and lovely,
Weaving wonders,
Soft she sways.
Through field and forest
She is breathing ;
Wide and open
Laughs her eye ;
When blithe the birds are singing
Sounds her voice ;
Fragrant odours
She exhales ;
From her warm blood blossom flowers
Welcome and joyous.
Shoot and bud,
They wax by her aid.
With tender weapons armed,
She conquers the world.
Winter and storm yield
To the strong attack.
93
THE VALKYRIE
No wonder that, beaten boldly,
At last the door should have opened,
Which, stubborn and stiff,
Was keeping her out.
To find her sister
Hither she came ;
By love has spring been allured ;
Within our bosoms
Buried she lay ;
Now glad she laughs to the light.
The bride who is sister
Is freed by the brother ;
In ruin lies
What held them apart.
Loud rejoicing,
They meet and greet ;
Lo ! Love is mated with spring I
S>trgltirtic Thou art the spring
That I used to pine for,
When pinched by the winter frost ;
My heart hailed thee friend
With bliss and with fear,
When thy first glance fell on me sweetly
All I had seen appeared strange ;
Friendless were my surroundings ;
I never seemed to have known
Any one who came nigh.
Thee, however,
Straightway I knew,
And I saw thou wert mine
When I beheld thee :
What I hid in my heart,
All I am,
Clear as the day
Dawned to my sight
94
THE VALKYRIE
Like tones to the ear
Echoing back,
When, upon my frosty desert,
My eyes first beheld a friend.
[She hangs enraptured on his neck, and looks
him close in the face.
O rapture most blissful !
Transported. Woman most blest 1
r
Stpgliirtr O let me, closer
Close to his eyes. And closer clinging,
Discern more clearly
The sacred light
That from thine eyes
And face shines forth,
And so sweetly sways every sense 1
The May-moon's light
Falls on thy face
Framed by masses
Of waving hair.
What snared my heart
'Tis easy to guess :
My gaze on loveliness feasts.
How broad and open
Pushing the is thy brow !
hair back from Blue-branching the veins
his brow In th temples entwine.
regards nini *• « *« j
• 7 . .» I hardly can endure
ment% My burden of bliss. —
Of something I am reminded : —
The man I first saw to-day
Already I have seen !
95
THE VALKYRIE
A dream of love
I too recall ;
I saw thee there
And yearned for thee sore I
The stream has shown me
My imaged face —
Again I see it before me ;
As in the pool it arose
It is reflected by thee.
Thine is the face
I hid in my heart.
O hush 1 That voice !
Quickly averting O let me listen !
her gaze. These tones as a child
Surely I heard —
But no ! I heard the sound lately,
When, calling in the wood,
My voice re-echoing rang.
To sweet and melodious
Music I listen !
And ere now thy glowing
Gazing into Eye have I seen :
his eyes again. The ojd man whose glance
Solaced my grief,
When he greeted me had that eye —
I knew him
Because of his eye,
And almost addressed him as father.
[After a pause.
Art thou Wehwalt in truth ?
If dear to thee,
Wehwalt no more ;
My sway is o'er bliss not sorrow !
96
THE VALKYRIE
And Friedmund does not
Fit with thy fortunes.
Sirgmunto Choose thou the name
Thou wouldst have me be known by :
Thy choice will also be mine 1
The name of thy father was Wolfe ?
A wolf to the fearful foxes !
But he whose eye
Shone with the brightness
Which, fairest one, shines in thine own,
Was named — Walse of old.
Was Walse thy father,
Beftde henelf. And art thou a Walsung ? —
Stuck was for thee
His sword in the stem ? —
Then let my love call thee
What it has found thee ;
Siegmund
Shall be thy name.
Siegmund call me
Springs up. For Siegmund am I !
Be witness this sword
I grasp without shrinking !
That I should find it
In sorest need
Walse foretold.
I grasp it now !
Love the most pure
In utmost need,
Passionate love,
Consuming desire
Burning bright in my breast,
Drive to deeds and death !
97
THE VALKYRIE
Nothung ! Nothung !
That, sword, is thy name.
Nothung I Nothung 1
Conquering steel !
Show me thy sharp
And sundering tooth :
Come forth from thy scabbard to me I
[He draws the sword with a violent effort
from the Jiem of the tree and Jhows it to
the amazed and enraptured Sieg/inde.
Siegmund the Walsung
Thou dost see !
As bride-gift
He brings thee this sword ;
With this he frees
The woman most blest ;
He bears thee
From the house of his foe.
Far from here
Follow thou him :
Forth to the laughing
House of the spring ;
Thy shield be Nothung, the sword,
When Siegmund is captive to love !
[He throws his arm round her so as to draw
her forth with him.
Art thou Siegmund
Delirious with Standing before me,
excitement, Sieglinde am I
tears herslf who longe(j f()r
"before ™* OW" twin-sister
As well as the sword thou hast
won!
[She throws herself on his breaft.
98
THE VALKYRIE
Stoptun'O Bride and sister
Be to thy brother —
So Walsungs shall flourish for aye!
[He draws her to him with fervent pafiion.
The curtain falls quickly.
99
THE SECOND ACT
A wild mountainous spot. In the background a gorge rises from below to a
high ridge of rocks, from which the ground slopes down again towards
the front. Wotan, in full armour, carrying his spear. Before
him Brunnhilde as a f^alkyrie, also fully armed.
Go bridle thy steed,
Valorous maid 1
Bitter strife
Soon will break forth ;
Brunnhilde, storm to the fray
And cause the Walsung to win !
Hunding choose for himself
Where to bide :
No place in Walhall has he.
So up and to horse I
Haste to the field I
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho !
Heiaha ! Heiaha (
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho I
Heiaha ! Heiaha !
Hojotoho I Hojotoho !
Hojotoho I Hojotoho !
IOO
Ascends the
height on the
right, shouting
and springing
from rock
to rock.
1 Siegraund the Walsung
Thou dost see !
As bride-gift
He brings thee this sword "
See p. 98
THE VALKYRIE
Heiaha! Hojohol
[She pauses on a high peak, looks down into
the gorge and calls back to Wotan.
I warn thee, Father,
See to thyself ;
Stern the strife
That is in store :
Here comes Fricka, thy wife,
Drawn hither in her car by her rams,
Swinging the golden
Scourge in her hand !
The wretched beasts
Are groaning with fear ;
And how the wheels rattle I
Hot she hastes to the fray.
Such strife as this
No strife is for me,
Though I love boldly waged
Strife 'twixt men.
The battle alone thou must brave ;
I go ; thou art left in the lurch !
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho !
Heiaha ! Heiaha !
Hojotoho 1 Hojotoho !
Heiaha ! Heiaha I
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho !
Hojotoho I Hojotoho I
Heiaha 1 Ha !
[She disappears behind the mountain peak at
the fide. Fricka, in a car drawn by a
pair of rams, has driven up the gorge to the
mountain ridge, where she suddenly flops,
alights andjlrides angrily towards Wotan
in the foreground,
The usual storm !
Aftde when he The ugual strifc ,
But * must act With firmness'
THE VALKYRIE
Moderating
her pace as /he
approaches, and
(onfronting Wotan
with dignity.
Mftotan
flffilotan
.dFnctta
Sffilotan
All alone among the hills
I seek thee, where thou dost hide
Fearing the eyes
Of thy wife,
That help in need thou may'st promise.
Let Fricka tell
Her trouble in full.
I have heard Hunding's cry,
For vengeance calling on me ;
As wedlock's guardian
I gave ear :
My word passed
To punish the deed
Of this impious pair
Who boldly wrought him the wrong.
Have this pair then
Done such harm,
Whom spring united in love?
'Twas love's sweet magic
That lured them on ;
None pays for love's might to me.
How dull and how deaf thou wouldst seem I
As though thou wert not aware
That it is wedlock's
Holy oath
Profaned so rudely I grieve for.
Unholy
Hold I the bond
That binds unloving hearts ;
Nor must thou
Imagine that I
102
Briinnhilde
THE VALKYRIE
dFrttfea
OTotan
.dFrtrfea
With a
burft of deep
indignation.
Will restrain by force
What transcends thy power ;
For where bold natures are stirring
I urge them frankly to strife.
Deeming thus laudable
Wedlock's breach,
Pray babble more nonsense
And call it holy
That shame should blossom forth
From bond of a twin-born pair !
I shudder at heart,
My brain reels and whirls.
Sister embraced
As bride by the brother —
Who has ever heard
Of brother and sister as lovers?
Thou hearest it now !
Be taught by this
That a thing may be
Which has never befallen before.
That those two are lovers
Thou must admit ;
So take advice and be wise 1
Thy blessing surely
Will bring to thee gladness,
If thou wilt, laughing on love,
Bless Siegmund and Sieglinde's bond.
Then nothing to thee
Are the gods everlasting
Since the wild Walsungs
Won thee for father?
I speak plainly —
Is that thy thought ?
103
THE VALKYRIE
The holy and high
Immortals are worthless ;
And all that once
Was esteemed is thrown over ;
The bonds thou didst bind
By thyself now are broken ;
Heaven's hold
Is loosed with a laugh,
That this twin-born pair, unimpeded,
The fruit of thy lawless love,
May in wantonness flourish and rule I
But why wail over
Wedlock and vows,
Since by thee the first they are scorned !
The faithful wife
Betrayed at each turn,
Lustfully longing
Wander thy glances ;
Thine eyes scan
Each hollow and height
As thy fickle fancy allures thee,
While grief is gnawing my heart.
Heavy of soul
I had to endure it,
When to the fight
With the graceless maidens
Born out of wedlock,
Forth thou hast fared ;
For, thy wife still holding in awe,
Thou didst give her as maids
The Valkyrie band
To obedience bound,
Even Briinnhilde, bride of thy Wish.
But now that new names
Afford thee new pleasure,
And Walse, wolfish, in
104.
Fricka approaches in anger
See p. ioi
THE VALKYRIE
Forests has wandered ;
Now that to bottomless
Shame thou hast stooped,
And a pair of mortals
Hast vilely begotten — •
Now thy wife at the feet
Of whelps of a wolf thou dost fling !
Come finish thy work !
Fill the cup full I
Mock and trample now the betrayed one !
aSHotan Thou couldst not learn,
Quietly. Though I might teach thee ;
To thee there is nothing plain
Till day has dawned on the deed,
Wonted things
Thou alone canst conceive,
Whereas my spirit broods
On things not yet brought forth.
Listen, woman 1
Some one we need,
A hero gods have not shielded,
And who is not bound by their law.
So alone
Were he fit for the deed
Which no god can accomplish,
Yet which must be done for the gods.
With sayings dark
Thou fain wouldst deceive me !
What deed by hero
Could be accomplished
That was beyond the strength of the gods,
By whose grace alone he is strong ?
Then his own heart's courage
Counts not at all ?
105
THE VALKYRIE
Who breathed their souls into men ?
Who opened their eyes, that they see ?
Behind thy shield
Strong they appear ;
With thee to goad them,
Upward they strive ;
Those men that thou praisest,
'Tis thou who spurrest them on.
With falsehoods fresh
Thou wouldst fain delude me,
With new devices
Thou wouldst evade me ;
Thou shalt not shelter
The Walsung from me ;
He lives only through thee,
And is bold through thee alone.
He grew unaided
With emotion. in grievous distress ;
My shield sheltered him not.
jFtirfea Then shield him not to-day ;
Take back the sword
That thou hast bestowed.
aaaotan The sword?
dFticba Yes, the sword,
The magic sword
Sudden and strong
That thou gavest to thy son.
JttSHotan Nay, Siegmund won it
Unfteadily. Himself in his need.
[From here Wotans whole attitude ex-
prefses an ever-deepening uneaftnefi and
gloom.
106
THE VALKYRIE
Both conquering sword
Continuing And the need came from thee.
pasnonattly. Wouldst thou deceive me
Who, day and night,
At thy heels follow close ?
For him thou didst strike
The sword in the stem ;
Thou didst promise him
The peerless blade.
r Canst thou deny
That thy cunning it was
Which led him where it lay hid ?
\_Wotan makes a wrathful gejlure. Fricka
goes on more and more confidently as she
sees the imprefsion produced on him.
The Gods
Do not battle with bondsmen ;
The free but punish transgressors.
Against thee, my peer,
Have I waged war,
But Siegmund is mine as my slave.
\_Another violent gejlure from JFotan, who
then seems to succumb to the feeling of his
own powerlefsnefs.
Shall thy eternal
Consort obey one
Who calls thee master
And bows as thy slave ?
What ! Shall I be
Despised by the basest,
To the lawless a spur,
A scoff to the free ?
My husband cannot desire me,
A goddess, to suffer such shame 1
What then wouldst thou ?
107
THE VALKYRIE
JFtidta
$23otan
In a muffled voice.
jFridta
tllotan
iSLlotan
After a violent
internal Jiruggle.
JFricfea
Is heard
calling from
the heights.
JFttcfea
Sffilotan
Shield not the Walsung.
His way let him go.
Thou wilt grant him no aid,
When to arms the avenger calls ?
I shield him no more.
Seek not to trick me ;
Look in my eyes !
The Valkyrie turn from him too.
The Valkyrie free shall choose.
Not so ; she but acts
To accomplish thy will ;
Give order that Siegmund die.
Nay, slay him I cannot,
He found my sword !
Remove thou the magic,
And shatter the blade :
Swordless let him be found.
Heiaha ! Heiaha !
Hojotoho 1
Heiaha 1 Heiaha I
Heiohotojo ! Hotojoha 1
Thy valorous maiden comes ;
Shouting, hither she rides.
For Siegmund I called her to horse.
\Brunnhilde appears -with her horse on the
rocky path to the right. When she sees
FricAa she flops abruptly and, during the
following, slowly and Jilently leads her
horse down the path. She then puts it in
a cave.
1 08
THE VALKYRIE
By her shield to-day
Be guarded the honour
Of thy eternal spouse !
Derided by men,
Shorn of our power,
Perish and pass would the Gods
If thy valiant maid
Avenged not to-day
My sacred and sovereign right.
The Walsung falls for my honour.
Does Wotan now pledge me his oath ?
Take the oath !
Throwing himself [Fricka Jlrides towards the back, where she
on to a rocky seat meets Briinnhilde and halts for a moment
in terrible dejection. before her.
jFncfea Warfather
Waits for thee ;
He will instruct thee
How the lot is decreed 1
[She drives off quickly.
111 closed
Comes forward The fight, I fear ;
anxious and won- Fricka laughs at the outcome I
dcnngto Wotan ^&^ ^^ newj;
who. leaning back __
on his rocky seat, Hast thou to tel1 me ?
is brooding gloomily. Sad thou seemest and troubled !
By self-forged fetters
Dropping his I am bound,
arm helplefsly I, least free of all living I
and Jinking his head on his brea/l.
I know thee not thus :
What gnaws at thy heart ?
109
THE VALKYRIE
His exprefsion
and gejtures
working up,
from this point,
to a fearful
outburst.
Alarmed, throws
her fliield, spear
and helmet from
her and kneels
with anxious
affection at
his feet.
O sacrilege vile !
O grievous affront !
Gods' despair !
Gods' despair !
Infinite wrath !
Woe without end !
Most sorrowful I of all living !
Father ! Father !
Tell me what ails thee ?
With dismay thou art filling thy child I
Confide in me
For I am true ;
See, Briinnhilde begs it !
[She lays her head and hands with tender
anxiety on his knees and breajl.
What if, when uttered,
Looks long in Weaker it made
her eyes, then The controlling might of my will ?
Jlrokes her hair with involuntary tenderness. As if coming
out of a deep reverie, he at lajl begins, very softly.
To Wotan's will thou speakest
When thou speakest to me ?
What am I
If I am not thy will ?
What never to any was spoken
Shall be unspoken now and for ever.
Myself I speak to,
Speaking to thee.
[In a low, muffled voice.
When young love grew
A waning delight,
'Twas power my spirit craved ;
By rash and wild
Desires driven on,
I IO
Very softly.
SSftotan
Very softly.
Briinnhilde slowly and silently leads her horse down the
path to the cave
See p. 108
THE VALKYRIE
I won myself the world.
Unknown to me
Dishonest my acts were ;
Bargains I made
Wherein hid mishap,
Craftily lured on by Loge,
Who straightway disappeared.
Yet I could not leave
Love altogether ;
When grown mighty still I desired it.
The child of night,
The craven Nibelung,
Alberich, broke from its bond.
All love he forswore,
And procured by the curse
The gleaming gold of the Rhine,
And with it measureless might.
The ring that he wrought
I stole by my cunning,
But I restored it not
To the Rhine ;
It paid the price
Of Walhall's towers :
The home the giants had built me,
From which I commanded the world.
She who knows all
That ever was,
Erda, the holy,
All-knowing Wala,
Warned me touching the ring :
Prophesied doom everlasting.
Of this doom I was fain
To hear further,
But silent she vanished from sight.
Then my gladness of heart was gone,
The god's one desire was to know,
in
THE VALKYRIE
To the womb of the earth
Downward then I wer.t :
By love's sweet magic
Vanquished the Wala,
Troubled her wisdom proud,
And compelled her tongue to speak.
Tidings by her I was told ;
And with her I left a fair pledge :
The world's wisest of women
Bore me, Briinnhilde, thee.
With eight sisters
Fostered wert thou,
That ye Valkyries
Might avert the doom
Which the Wala's
Dread words foretold :
The gods' ignominious ending.
That foes might find us
Strong for the strife,
Heroes I got ye to gather.
The beings who served us
As slaves aforetime,
The men whose courage
Aforetime we curbed :
Who through treacherous bonds
And devious dealings
Were bound to the gods
In blindfold obedience —
To kindle these men
To strife was your duty,
To drive them on
To savage war,
That hosts of dauntless heroes
Might gather in Walhall's hall.
ttriinn$inre And well filled surely thy halls were ;
Many a one I have brought.
112
" Father ! Father !
Tell me what ails thee ?
With dismay thou art filling thy child ! '
See p. no
THE VALKYRIE
We never were idle,
So why shouldst thou fear?
SSUotan Another ill —
His voice Mark what I say —
muffled again. Was by the Wala foretold !
Through Alberich's hosts
Doom may befall us ;
A furious grudge
r Alberich bears me ;
But now that my heroes
Make victory certain
I defy the hosts of the night.
Only if he won
The ring again from me,
Walhall were forfeit for ever.
Used by him alone
Who love forswore
Could the runes of the ring
Bring doom
To the mighty gods,
And shame without end.
My heroes' valour
He would pervert,
Would stir to strife
The bold ones themselves,
And with their strength
Wage war upon me.
So, alarmed, I resolved
To wrest the ring from the foeman.
[In a low voice.
I once paid Fafner,
One of the giants,
With gold accurst
For work achieved.
Fafner guards now the hoard
"3 H
THE VALKYRIE
For which his own brother he slew.
The ring I must needs recover
With which his work I rewarded.
But I cannot strike one
By treaties protected ;
Vanquished by him
My valour would fail.
These are the bonds
That bind my power ;
I, who by treaties am lord,
To my treaties also am slave.
But what I dare not
One man may dare —
A hero never
Helped by my favour,
To me unknown
And granted no grace,
Unaware,
Bidden by none,
Constrained thereto
By his own distress —
He could achieve
What I must not do :
The deed I never urged,
Though it. was all my desire.
But, alas ! how to find
One to fight me, the god,
For my good —
Most friendly of foes !
How fashion the free one
By me unshielded,
In his proud defiance
Most precious to me ?
How get me the other
Who, not through me,
But of himself
"4
THE VALKYRIE
Will perform my will ?
O woe of the gods 1
Horrible shame !
Soul-sick am I
Of seeing myself
In all I ever created.
The other whom I so long for,
That other I never find.
The free by themselves must be fashioned,
r All that I fashion are slaves !
ISrunnfjitoe But the Walsung, Siegmund,
Works for himself.
Wild I roamed
In the woodland with him,
Ever against the gods
Goading him to rebel.
[Slowly and bitterly.
Now, when the gods seek vengeance,
Shield he has none but the sword
Given to him
By the grace of a god.
Why did I try
To trick myself vainly?
How easily Fricka
Found out the fraud !
She read my inmost
Heart to my shame.
I must bend my will to her wishes.
Of victory wouldst Siegmund deprive ?
I have handled Alberich's ring,
Loth to let the gold go.
The curse that I fled
Is following me :
"5
THE VALKYRIE
I must always lose what I love most,
Slay what my heart holds dearest,
Basely betray
All those who trust.
[His ge/iures, at firjl those of terrible grief ^
end by expressing despair.
Pale then and pass
Glory and pomp,
Godhead's resplendent,
Glittering shame !
In ruins fall
The fabric I built !
Ended is my work ;
I wait but one thing more :
The downfall—
The downfall !
[He pauses thoughtfully,
And for the downfall
Schemes Alberich !
Now I see
The sense hidden
In the strange, wild words of the Wala :
" When the gloomy foe of love
Gets a son in his wrath,
The high gods' doom
Shall be at hand !"
Not long ago
A rumour I heard
That the dwarf had won a woman,
By gold gaining her grace.
A woman bears
Hate's bitter fruit;
The child of spite
Grows in her womb ;
This marvel befell
The man who loved not ;
116
THE VALKYRIE
But I, the loving wooer,
Have never begotten the free.
\Rifing in bitter -wrath,
Accept thou my blessing,
Nibelung son 1
I leave to thee
What I loathe with deep loathing :
The hollow pomp of the gods.
Consume it with envious greed I
O say ! tell me
Alarmed. what task is thy child's ?
Fight, faithful to Fricka ;
Bitterly. Wedlock and vows defend !
What she desires
Is also my choice,
For what does my own will profit,
Since it cannot fashion a free one?
For Fricka 's slaves
Do battle henceforth !
ffriinnfitRr* Ah repent,
And take back thy word 1
Thou lovest,
And fain, I know,
Wouldst have me shelter the Walsung.
Siegmund thou shalt vanquish,
And fight so that Hunding prevails.
Ward thyself well
And doughtily do,
Bring all thy boldness
To bear on the field ;
A strong sword
Swings Siegmund ;
Undismayed he will fight 1
117
THE VALKYRIE
43riinnl)tUie He whom thou still
Hast taught me to love,
He whose courage high
To thy heart was so precious —
I will shield him in spite of
Thy wavering word !
Ha, daring one !
Floutest thou me ?
Who art thou — who but the choiceless,
Blind slave of my will ?
I have sunk so low
By showing my mind,
That the creature made by me
Holds me in scorn.
Dost thou, child, know my wrath ?
If ever its awful
Lightning struck thee
Then quail wouldst thou indeed I
Within my bosom
Burns enough rage
To lay waste
In dread ruin a world
That once wore nothing but smiles.
Woe to him whom it strikes !
Dear the price he would pay !
So be advised,
Call it not forth
But carry out my commands.
Cut down Siegmund !
That is the Valkyrie's task.
[He Jiorms away and disappears among the
rocks to the left,
118
Briinnhilde stands for a long time dazed and alarmed
See p. 119
THE VALKYRIE
Warfather
Stands fir a Oft have I seen
long time Enraged, but never once like this !
ri [Shejhops down sadly,, takes up her armour
and puts it on again.
How heavy
My armour feels !
And it felt so light
When gladly I fought I
I fight afraid.
Evil is my cause !
[She gazes thoughtfully before her.
Woe ! My Walsung !
With sorrow sore
Must the faithful one falsely forsake thee !
[She turns slowly towards the back.
On reaching the rocky pafs, Brttnnhilde, looking down into the gorge,
perceives Siegmund and Sieglinde. She watches them for a moment,
then turns into the cave where her horse is, so that /he is completely
hidden from the audience. Siegmund and Sieglinde appear on the
pafs, Sieglinde hurrying in front. Siegmund tries tojlop her.
Wait here and rest ;
Tarry a while !
5>te gltntoe Farther ! Farther I
No farther now !
Embraces her Q linger, woman most sweet !
with tender prom bliss when most blissful
firce framing Breaking away,
her to him. _ , j?
In headlong haste
Far thou hast fled,
119
Gazes into his
eyes with
growing rap-
ture, throws
her arms
pajjionately
round his neck
and remains
so for some time.
She thenjiarts
up in wild
terror.
THE VALKYRIE
So fleet that I lagged behind :
Through wood and field,
Over cliff and scaur,
Voiceless, silent,
Speeding along,
Thy foot stopped for no call.
\SieglindeJiares wildly before her.
Tarry a while !
Say but a word,
Ending this speechless dread !
See, thy brother
Holds thee, his bride :
Siegmund's comrade art thou I
Away ! Away !
Fly the profaned one!
Unholy
The clasp of her arm ;
In shame, dishonoured,
This body died.
Fling it from thee,
Flee from the corpse !
The winds scatter her dust—
The foul one who loved one so fair !
When in his loving embrace
She rested in rapture pure,
And all the love of the man
Was hers who loved him alone —
When on holiest height,
When bliss was at sweetest,
And sense and soul
Were steeped in delight,
Hatred and loathing
Of hideous dishonour
Shook the disgraced one,
Filled her with fear —
120
THE VALKYRIE
The thought she once had obeyed.
Bridegroom unloving, unloved.
Leave the accurst one,
Far let her fly!
An outcast she is,
Bereft of grace!
Ah, I must leave
The purest of heroes ;
I cannot be thine,
To sully thy glory :
Scorn to bring on the brother,
Shame to the rescuing friend I
5>trfimuirti For the shame and dishonour,
Pay the transgressor's blood I
No farther, then, flying,
Here let us wait him ;
Here — here I shall slay him :
When Nothung's point
Shall pierce his heart,
All thy wrongs will be avenged I
SiYglintoe Hark ! The bugles !
Starts up and Dost thou not hear ?
We™> All around,
Angry and shrill,
From wood and vale
Clamour their calls.
Hunding has wakened
From slumber deep ;
Kinsmen and hounds
He summons together;
How the dogs howl,
Urged on hotly,
Loud-baying to heaven
Of the vows and the wedlock profaned I
[Gazes before her ai if gone crazed.
121
THE VALKYRIE
Where art them, Siegmund ?
Art thou still here,
Fervently loved one,
Beautiful brother ?
Let thine eyes like stars
Shine again on me softly;
Turn not away
From the outcast woman's kiss !
[She throws herself sobbing on his breaft, and
presently Jlarts up in terror again.
Hark ! O hark !
That is Hunding's horn !
With his hounds full force,
In haste he conies.
No sword helps
When the dogs attack : —
Throw it down, Siegmund !
Siegmund, where art thou ?
Ha, there ! I see thee now !
Horrible sight !
Eager-fanged
Are the bloodhounds for flesh ;
Ah, what to them
Is thy noble air !
By the feet they seize thee
With terrible teeth ;
Alas!
Thou fallest with splintered sword : —
The ash -tree sinks —
The trunk is rent !
Brother ! My brother 1
Siegmund — ha !
[She falls fainting into his arms.
122
Briinnhilde with her horse, at the mouth of the cave
See p. 123
THE VALKYRIE
Sister ! Beloved !
[He lijlens to her breathing, and, when
convinced that fhe Jiill lives, lets her slide
down so that, as he himself Jinks into a
fitting pojlure, her head re/is upon his
knees. In this pofition both remain till
the end of the following scene. A long
filence, during which Siegmund bends over
Sieglinde with tender concern, and prefses
a long kifs on her brow.
r
Brllnnhilde, leading her horse, comes out of the cave and walks slowly and
solemnly towards the front. She pauses and watches Siegmund
from a dtjlance, then advances slowly again and Jlops when flie
gets nearer. In one hand /he carries her fhield and spear, the
other rep on her horse's neck, and thus /he gravely Jlands looking
at Siegmund.
Siegmund !
Look on me
Whom thou
Must follow soon I
Who art thou, say,
Looking up at her. That dost stand so fair and so stern ?
Death-doomed are they
Who look upon me ;
Who sees me
Bids farewell to the light of life.
On the battle-field only
Heroes view me ;
He whom I greet
Is chosen and must go.
When thou dost lead,
Looks into her Whither follows the hero ?
eyes with a long fteadfajl and searching gaze, then bows his head
in thought and finally turns resolutely to her again.
123
THE VALKYRIE
SStiinnfjilte I lead thee
To Wotan ;
The lot he has cast :
To Walhall must thou come.
In Walhall's hall
Wotan alone shall I find?
i3riinnf)tttip A glorious host
Of heroes slain
Will greet thee there
With love holy and high.
j&tefltnuni Say if in Walhall
Sojourns my father, Walse.
His father there
Will the Walsung find.
Will any woman
Tenderly. Welcome me there?
Wishmaidens
Serve there serene :
Wotan 's daughter
Wine will bring for thy cup.
High art thou
And holy of aspect,
O Wotan 's child :
But one thing tell me, divine one !
The sister and bride,
Shall she follow the brother?
Will Siegmund find Sieglinde there?
Air of earth
Still she must breathe here ;
Siegmund will find no Sieglinde there I
124
THE VALKYRIE
Bends tenderly
over Sieglinde,
kifses her softly
on the brow,
and turns again
quietly to
Briinnhilde.
iSrtinnfjittie
Then greet for me Walhall,
Greet for me Wotan,
Greet for me Walse
And all the heroes,
Wishmaidens lovely
Greet thou also,
And tell them I will not come I
Nay, having looked
On the Valkyrie's face,
Thou must follow her forth !
Where Sieglinde dwells
In weal or woe,
There will Siegmund dwell also ;
My face grew not pale
When I beheld thee :
Thou canst not force me to go 1
Force thee can none
While thou dost live ;
Fool, what will force thee is death
Warning of death
Is what I bring.
What hero to-day
Shall hew me down ?
Hunding's hand in the fight.
Use threats more baleful
Than blows from Hunding !
Lurkest thou here
Longing for strife,
Fix on him for thy prey.
I think it is he who will fall I
Nay, Walsung,
Doubt not my word ;
Thine is the death decreed.
THE VALKYRIE
Knowest this sword ?
Who gave the sword
Gave triumph sure :
With this sword I laugh at thy threats.
He whose it was
In a loud voice. Now dooms thee to death,
For the magic spell he withdraws !
Hush ! Alarm not
Vehemently. The slumberer here !
\ln an outburjl of grief he bends tenderly
over Sieglinde.
Woe ! Woe !
Woman most sweet !
Most sad and ill-starred of all true ones !
Against thee rages
The whole world in arms,
And I who was all thy defence,
For whom thou the world hast defied —
To think I cannot
Shield thee, but, beaten
In battle, thy trust must betray !
0 shame on him
Who bestowed the sword,
And triumph now turns to scorn !
If I must fall thus,
1 fare to no Walhall —
Hella hold me for aye !
[He bends low over Sieglinde.
15tiinnfjtnie So little prizest thou
Moved. Life everlasting?
[Slowly and with hefitation,
All thy care
Is thy helpless wife
Who, sad and weary,
126
THE VALKYRIE
Sirgmunto
Looking up at
her bitterly.
With
increafing
emotion.
Heavily hangs in thy arms ?
Precious only is she ?
Though young and fair
Thou shinest to me,
In my heart I know thee
Cruel and cold I
Canst thou do nothing
But mock me, begone,
Malicious, merciless maid I
Or if thou must gloat
Upon my distress,
Then gloat and feast thyself full 1
With my woe
Solace thy envious soul : —
But of Walhall's loveless raptures
Nothing more let me hear !
I see the distress
That is tearing thy heart ;
The doomed hero's holy
Sorrow I feel.
Siegmund, thy wife be my charge,
Protected safely by me.
No other than I
While my wife is living shall guard her.
If death be my lot
I will slay the slumberer first !
Walsung ! Madman !
Listen to me !
Entrust her to me
For the pledge's sake
That she carries of thee and thy love I
127
THE VALKYRIE
Drawing his
sword.
With a paffionate
outburjl of sym-
pathy.
This sword
That a true man received from a false —
This sword
That fails me when facing the foe ;
Worthless when turned on the foe,
Will serve me when turned on the friend.
[He points the sword at Sieglinde.
Two lives now
Laugh to thee here :
Take them, Nothung,
Envious steel I
Take them with one fell stroke !
Forbear, Walsungl
Listen to me !
Sieglinde spare thou,
And Siegmund too shall be spared !
'Tis thus decreed,
Recast the lot is !
Thou, Siegmund,
Shalt be blest and prevail I
'[Horns are heard in the dlflana,
Hark to the horn !
Prepare for the fray ;
Trust to the sword
And strike without fear :
Thy sword shall prove strong
Thee the Valkyrie faithfully shields I
Farewell, Siegmund,
Hero most blest!
On the field again I shall find thee.
[She rujhes away and disappears with her horse down
a gorge on the right. Siegmund gazes after her
joyful and exultant. The Ji 'age has gradually grown
dark. Heavy Jhrm-clouds have gathered in the
background, and hide the clijffs, gorge, and rocky pafs
completely from view.
128
THE VALKYRIE
StcfltnunTr Charmed slumber
Bending over Softly SOOtheS
Sieglinde, listens i^e dear one's pain and grief.
to her breathing. when the Valkyrie came, perchance
She brought her this blissful repose ;
Else would the grimly fought fight
Have terrified one in such woe.
Lifeless seems she,
And yet she lives ;
The sad one by smiling
Dreams is caressed.
In slumber lie soft
Till the fight is won
And peace shall end thy pain !
[He lays her gently on the rocky seat and
kifses her brow in farewell. Then, hear-
ing Handing's horn sound, he Jtarts up
with resolution.
Thou who dost call,
Arm for the fray ;
Thy dues in full
Thou shalt have :
[He draws his sword.
Nothung pays him his debt.
[He ha/lens to the back and, on reaching the
pafs, immediately disappears in a dark
thunder-cloud, from which, the next injlant,
a fiajh of lightning breaks.
Siegltntje Would but my father come back 1
Begins to move With the boy he still roams in the wood.
uneasily in her Mother ! Mother I
dream' I am afraid—
The strangers seem
So harsh and unfriendly !
Fumes that stifle —
129 i
THE VALKYRIE
bot'ce
From the
mountain pafs
in the background.
botrc
From farther
back in the
gorge.
Lijiening in
terrible fear.
Also from the
pafs now.
Dense and black smoke —
Fierce are the flames,
And closer they flare —
On fire the house !
O help us, brother !
Siegmund 1 Siegmund !
[She Jlarts up. Violent thunder and lightning.
Siegmund 1 Ha !
[She Jlares about her in growing terror.
Almojl the whole of thejlage is veiled by
black thunder-clouds. Hunding's horn is
heard close at hand.
Wehwalt ! Wehwalt !
Stand there and fight,
Or with the hounds I will hold thee (
Where hidest thou,
That I have missed thee thus ?
Halt, that I may find thee 1
Hunding — Siegmund —
Could I but see them I
Come hither, impious wooer 1
Here by Fricka be slain I
Thou thinkest me weaponless,
Coward, still.
Threat not with women !
Thyself now fight me,
Lest Fricka fail thee at need !
For see, from the tree
That grows by thy hearth
I drew undaunted the sword ;
Come and try the taste of its steel I
130
THE VALKYRIE
With all her
Jlrength.
tllie's boicc
'a botrr
$3 run n filler
Hold your hands, ye men there I
Strike me dead first !
[She ru/hes towards the pafs, but is suddenly
dazzled by a light which ftajhes forth from
above the combatants to the right, andjiaggers
aftde as if blinded.
Strike him, Siegmund I
Trust to the sword !
[BrKnnhilde appears in the glare of light , floating
above Siegmund, and protecting him with her
Jhield. Just as Siegmund is aiming a deadly
blow at Hunding a glowing red light breaks
through the clouds from the left, in which
IVotan appears, Jlanding over Hunding
and holding his spear acrofs In front of
Siegmund.
Back ! Back from the spear 1
In splinters the sword I
\Brunnhilde with her Jhield recoils in terror
before Wotan ; Siegmund' s sword breaks in
splinters on the out Jlr etched spear. Hunding
plunges his sword into the disarmed man's
breajl. Siegmund falls down dead, and Sieg-
linde, who has heard his death-figh, Jinks to
the ground as if lifelefs. With Siegmund' s
fall the lights on both fides disappear. Dense
clouds Jhroud all but the foreground in dark-
nefs. Through these Brunnhilde is dimly
seen turning in wild hajle to Sieglinde.
To horse, that I may save thee !
She lifts Sieglinde up quickly on to her horse,
which is Jianding near the fide ravine, and
immediately disappears. Thereupon the clouds
divide in the middle, so that Hunding, who has
jujl drawn his sword out of Siegmund' s breajl,
ii dijlinctly seen. IVotan, surrounded by clouds,
Jlands on a rock behind, leaningon his spear and
gazing sorrowfully on Siegmund' s body.
HI
To Hunding.
THE VALKYRIE
Begone, slave 1
Kneel before Fricka ;
Tell her that Wotan's spear
Has slain what mocked her might.
Go ! Go !
[Before the contemptuous wave of his hand
Hun ding falls dead to the ground. Suddenly
breaking out in terrible anger.
But Briinnhilde I
Woe to the guilty one 1
Woe to her
As soon as my horse
Shall overtake her in flight !
[He vanijhes with thunder and lightning.
The curtain falls quickly.
132
THE THIRD ACT
r
On the top of a rocky mountain
On the right the Jlage is bounded by a pine-wood. On the left is the entrance
to a cave, above which the rock rises to its higheji point. At the
back the view is quite open. Rocks of varying heights form the edge
of the precipice. Clouds fly at intervals paji the mountain peak
as if driven by Jiorm. Gerhilde, Ortlinde, IValtraute, and
Schwertleite have taken up their position on the rocky peak above
the cave. They are in full armour.
Hojotoho I Hojotoho 1
Heiaha 1 Heiaha !
Helmwige ! Here !
Guide hither thy horse I
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho !
Hojotoho I Hojotoho !
Heiaha !
\A flash of lightning comes from the cloud,
showing a Valkyrie on horseback, on whose
saddle hangs a slain warrior. The ap-
parition, approaching the cliff, pafses from
left to right.
Heiaha I Heiaha I
[The cloud with the apparition vani/hes to
the right behind the wood.
133
On the higheji
point, calling
towards the
background, where
a dense cloud is pafsing.
flmtotge's bo ice
A t the back.
iKJaltraute,
arrti Sjcj&toettlette
Calling to her as
jhe draws near.
THE VALKYRIE
©rtltnte
Calling into
the wood.
Scfjtorrtleit?
Thy stallion make fast
By Ortlinde's mare ;
Gladly my grey
Will graze by thy chestnut !
•*
Hegding !
Fasten thy chestnut
Far from the grey then ;
Ortlinde's mare
Carries Wittig, the Irming !
And Sintolt and Wittig
.. . °
Always were foemen '
Heiaha! Heiaha !
-,, . . , . , . ,
The horse ls kickmg my mare I
The heroes' feud
Laughing aloud Makes foes of the horses 1
with Helmwige and Schwertleite.
Descending a little
towards the others.
springs up and
runs to the wood.
»elmtoiBe
Calling back
into the wood.
Q { t Brownie !
JK
Pick not a quarrel.
Hoioho ! Hoioho !
On the highefl Siegrune, come !
point, where What keeps thee so long ?
iiftening towards the right fhe has taken Gerhildes place as watcher,
calling towards the right-hand fide of the background.
„„.
others all there
on the nght.
"34
THE VALKYRIE
$t Falfesws Hojotoho ! Hojotoho I
In answer, their Heiaha ! Heiaha 1
gejlures, as well as a bright light behind the wood,
/bowing that Siegrune has juft arrived there.
an* Hojotoho ! Hojotoho I
e s boimf Heiaha !
From the back on the left.
?151altraute Grimgerd' and Rossweisse !
Towards the left.
Together they ride.
[In a cloud which pafses acrofs the. fl age from
the left, and from which lightning flafhes,
Rofsweifse and Grimgerde appear, also on
horseback, each carrying a slain warrior
on her saddle.
©rtlinfc?, We greet you, valiant ones !
ant Stegrune Rossweiss' and Grimgerde !
Have come out of the wood and wave their hands from the edge of the
precipice to Rofsweifse and Grimgerde, who disappear behind the wood,
l&OBBtoet'ssc'B anfc Hojotoho ! Hojotoho I
botrcs Heiaha !
sail tf>e otf)« Hojotoho 1 Hojotoho I
TJal&Bttcs Heiaha ! Heiaha !
<@rrf)ilbe Your horses lead into
Calling into the wood. The wood to rest !
©rtlintoe Lead the mares far off
Aha calling into One from the other,
the -wood. Untii our heroes'
Anger is laid !
The grey has paid
The others laughing For the heroes' anger.
'35
THE VALKYRIE
ISosstomse
ant) ©vtmgfrtre
Coming out of the
Cfie Falfegrtrs
Srijtocrtlrite
©rimgertie
Kosstunssc
MHaltraute
Stfflrutte
On the look-out^
calling towards
the back.
A II hajien to the
look-out.
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho !
wood.
Be welcomed I Be welcomed !
Went ye twain on one quest ?
No, singly we rode,
And met but to-day.
If we all are assembled
Why linger longer ?
To Walhall let us away,
Bringing to Wotan the slain.
We are but eight ;
Wanting is one.
By the brown-eyed Walsung
Briinnhilde tarries.
Until she joins us
Here we must wait ;
Warfather's greeting
Grim were indeed
If we returned without her 1
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho !
This way ! This way 1
[To the others.
In hottest haste riding,
Hither she comes.
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho I
Heiaha !
Briinnhilde, hei !
[They watch her with growing astoniflnnent.
136
THE VALKYRIE
TOaltraute
©rtlinto
i&elmtotge
Sifflrune
Scijtoettlcite
OTaltraute
Calling down
very loudly.
©rtltnfce
3H)e Ualfegries
Looking into the wood.
Cfje otfjrt
"Falfegrics
Running to the
wood.
See, she leads woodward
Her staggering horse.
From swift riding
How Grane pants !
No Valkyrie's flight
Ever so fast was.
What lies on her saddle ?
That is no man !
Tis a woman, see !
Where found she the maid ?
Has she no greeting
For her sisters ?
Heiaha ! Briinnhilde I
Dost thou not hear ?
From her horse
Let us help our sister.
\_Helmwige and Gerhilde run to the wood,
followed by Siegrune and Rofsweifse.
Hojotoho ! Hojotoho 1
Heiaha !
To earth has sunk
Grane the strong one !
From the saddle swift
She snatches the maid.
Sister ! Sister !
What has occurred ?
[The Valkyries all return to the Jlage ;
Briinnhilde accompanies them, leading and
supporting Sieglinde.
137
THE VALKYRIE
Breathlefs.
Fabrics
Ctje
Terribly alarmed.
Turns and looks
out anxiously,
then comes back.
©rtltnfce
?12aaltrautr
Shield me and help
In dire distress !
Whence rodest thou hither,
Hasting so hard ?
Thus ride they only who flee.
I flee for the first time
And am pursued :
Warfather follows close.
Hast thou gone crazy ?
Speak to us ! What ?
Pursued by Warfather ?
Flying from him ?
O sisters, spy
From the rocky peak !
Look north and tell me
If Warfather nears !
[Ortlinde and Waltraute spring up the peak
to the look-out.
Quick ! Is he in sight ?
A storm from the north
Is nearing.
Darkly the clouds
Congregate there.
Warfather, riding
His sacred steed, comes !
The wrathful hunter,
He rides from the north ;
He nears, he nears, in fury !
Save this woman !
Sisters your help !
138
Briinnhilde. " I flee for the first time
And am pursued :
Warfather follows close.
He nears, he nears, in fury !
Save this woman !
Sisters, your help ! "
See p. 138
THE VALKYRIE
ITalfegttes What threatens the woman ?
Hark to me quickly !
Sieglinde this is,
Siegmund's sister and bride.
Wotan his fury
Against the Walsungs has turned.
He told me
That to-day I must fail
The brother in strife ;
But with my shield
I guarded him safe,
Daring the God,
Who slew him himself with his spear.
Siegmund fell ;
But I fled,
Bearing his bride.
To protect her
And from the stroke
Of his wrath to hide,
I hastened, O my sisters, to you I
O foolish sister,
Full of fear. HOW mad thy deed !
Woe's me ! Woe's me 1
Brunnhilde, lost one !
Mocked, disobeyed
By Brunnhilde
Warfather's holy command !
521altraute Darkness comes
On the look-out. From the north like the night.
©ttlnrtie Hither steering,
On the look-out. Rages the storm.
139
THE VALKYRIE
Wildly neighs
Warfather's horse !
Panting, snorting it conies !
ant) Sttflcune
33tiinnl)iRie Woe to the woman
If here she is found,
For Wotan has vowed
The Walsungs shall perish !
The horse that is swiftest
Which of you lends,
That forth the woman may fly ?
Stefltune Wouldst have us too
Madly rebel ?
Rossweisse, sister,
Wilt lend me thy racer !
The fleet one from Wotan
Never yet fled.
Helmwige, hear me !
f^elmtotge I flout not our father.
Waltraute ! Gerhilde !
Give me your horse !
Schwertleite ! Siegrune !
See my distress !
Stand by me now
Because of our love :
Rescue this woman in woe I
140
THE VALKYRIE
Concern thyself not about me ;
Who until now Death is all that I crave.
has beenjlarmg prom off thg fidd
f^t;>;f Who bade thee thus bear me ?
up with a repel- F°r there perchance
lent gejlure as By the selfsame weapon
'Briinnhilde That struck down Siegmund
encircles her with \ too had died,
a warm, Made one with him
protect™ embrace. Jn tfae hour Qf death>
r Far from Siegmund —
Siegmund, from thee !
O cover me, Death,
From the sorrow !
Wouldst thou not have me
Curse thee for flying ?
Thou must hearken, maid, to my prayer :
Pierce thou my heart with thy sword !
iSriinnJjt'ttrc Live for the sake
Imprefsively. Of thy love, O woman !
Rescue the pledge
Thou has gotten from him :
The Walsung's child thou shalt bear !
J&trgltntie Save me, ye bold ones !
Gives a violent Rescue my child !
tort* suddenly sh d maidens,
her face beams ' .
with sublime joy. And strong be your shield !
\_jfn ever-darkening thunderjlorm nears from
the back.
The storm has drawn ni h
On the look-out.
©rtlinte Fly, all who fear it !
141
THE VALKYRIE
On her knees
before BrRnnhilde.
Raises Sieglinde
•with sudden
•resolve.
Sirgtune
Scljtoertlette
Hence with the woman ;
Here she is lost :
The Valkyries dare not
Shield her from doom !
Save me, O maid !
Rescue the mother !
Away then, and swiftly I
Alone thou shalt fly.
I — stay in thy stead,
Victim of Wotan's anger.
I will hold here
The God in his wrath,
Till I know thee past reach of his rage.
Say, whither shall my flight be ?
Which of you, sisters,
Eastward has journeyed ?
A forest stretches
Far in the east ;
The Nibelung's hoard
By Fafner thither was borne.
There as a dread
Dragon he sojourns,
And in a cave
Keeps watch over Alberich's ring.
Tis uncanny there
For a woman's home.
And yet from Wotan's wrath
Shelter sure were the wood ;
For he both fears
And keeps far from the place.
142
" There as a dread
Dragon he sojourns,
And in a cave
Keeps watch over Alberich's ring
See p. 142
THE VALKYRIE
On the look-out.
iJrunnfnltic
Urgently.
Strglintic
Greatly moved.
Raging, Wotan
Rides to the rock !
Briinnhilde, hark !
Like a storm-wind he comes !
Flee then swiftly,
Thy face to the east !
Boldly enduring,
Defy every ill —
Hunger and thirst,
Briar and stone ;
Laugh, whether gnawed
By anguish or want !
For one thing know
And hold to always —
The world's most glorious hero
Hideth, O woman, thy sheltering womb I
[She takes the pieces of Siegmuntfs sword
from under her breajl-plate and gives
them to Sleglinde.
The splintered sword's pieces
Guard securely ;
From the field where slain was
His father I brought them.
And now I name
Him who one day
The sword new-welded shall swing —
"Siegfried" rejoice and prevail !
Sublimest wonder 1
Glorious maid I
From thee high solace
I have received 1
For him whom we loved
I save the beloved one.
May my thanks one day
H3
ffl&Jotan's botce
anli SSJaltraute
Coming down
from the look-out.
Fly towards the
rocky point in
fear, drawing
Briinnhilde with
them.
THE VALKYRIE
Sweet reward bring !
Fare thou well !
Be blest by Sieglind' in woe !
[She hajlens away to the right In front. The
rocky peak is surrounded by black thunder-
clouds. A fearful Jlorm rages from the
back. A fiery glow increases in Jlrength
to the right.
Stay, Briinnhilde 1
The rock is reached
By horse and rider !
[Briinnhilde, offer following Sieglinde with
her eyes for a -while, goes towards the
background, looks into the wood, and comes
forward again fearfully.
Woe, Woe ! Briinnhilde !
Vengeance he brings I
Ah, sisters, help 1
My courage fails 1
His wrath will crush me
Unless ye ward off its weight.
This way, then, lost one !
Hide from his sight !
Cling closely to us,
And heed not his call !
{They hide Briinnhilde in their rn'idjl and
look anxiously towards the wood, which is
now lit up by a bright fiery glow, while
in the background it has grown quite dark.
Woe ! Woe !
Raging, Wotan
Swings from his horse !
Hither hastes
His foot for revenge !
'44
THE VALKYRIE
Where is Briinnhilde ?
Coma from the Where is the guilty
wood in a terrible Would ye defy me
fate of wrath And hide the rebel?
and excitement and goes towards the Valkyries on
the height^ looking angrily for Briinnhilde.
Fearful and loud thy rage is !
By what misdeed have thy daughters
Vexed and provoked thee
To terrible wrath ?
S&lotan
"Ualfepws
Fools, would ye flout me?
Have a care, rash ones !
I know : Briinnhilde
Fain ye would hide.
Leave her, the lost one
Cast off for ever,
Even as she
Cast off her worth I
To us fled the pursued one,
In her need praying for help,
Dismayed and fearful,
Dreading thy wrath.
For our trembling sister
Humbly we beg
That thy first wild rage be calmed.
Weak-hearted
And womanish brood !
Is this your valour,
Given by me ?
For this have I reared you
Bold for the fight,
Made you relentless
And hard of heart
'45
THE VALKYRIE
That ye wild ones might weep and whine
When my wrath on a faithless one falls ?
Learn, wretched whimperers,
What was the crime
Of her for whom
Ye are shedding those tears.
No one but she
Knew what most deeply I brooded ;
No one but she
Pierced to the source of my being ;
Through her deeds
All, I wished to be, came to birth.
This sacred bond
So completely she broke
That she defied me,
Opposing my will,
Her master's command
Openly mocked,
And against me pointed the spear
That she held from me alone.
Hearest, Briinnhilde ?
Thou who didst hold
Thy helm and spear,
Grace and delight,
Life and name as my gift !
Hearing my voice thus accusing,
Dost hide from me in terror,
A coward who shirks her doom ?
23riinnf)inie Here I am, Father,
Steps out from the Awaiting thy sentence !
band of Valkyries, and humbly but with a firm ft ep descends
from the rocky peak until within a Jhort dijlance from Wot an.
ffl&lotan I — sentence thee not ;
Thou hast shaped thy doom for thyself.
Through my will only
146
THE VALKYRIE
Wert thou at all,
Yet against my will thou hast worked ;
Thy part it was
To fulfil my commands,
Yet against me thou hast commanded ;
Wish-maid
Thou wert to me,
Yet thy wish has dared to cross mine ;
Shield-maid
c Thou wert to me,
Yet against me raised was thy shield ;
Lot-chooser
Thou wert to me :
Against me the lot thou hast chosen ;
Hero-rouser
Thou wert to me :
Thou hast roused up heroes against me.
What once thou wert
Wotan has told thee :
What thou art now,
Demand of thyself I
Wish-maid thou art no more ;
Valkyrie thou art no longer : —
What now thou art
For aye thou shalt be !
33tunnf)ittjc Thou dost cast me off ?
Greatly terrified. Ah, can it be SO ?
No more shall I send thee from Walhall
To seek upon fierce
Fields for the slain ;
With heroes no more
Shalt thou fill my hall :
When the high Gods sit at banquet,
No more shalt thou pour
The wine in my horn ;
H7
THE VALKYRIE
Miotan
No more shall I kiss
The mouth of my child.
Among heaven's hosts
Numbered no longer,
Outcast art thou
From the kinship of Gods ;
Our bond is broken in twain,
And from my sight henceforth thou now
art banned.
2TJ)f 17alftgnf0 Woe's me ! Woe I
Leave their places Sister I O sister !
in the excitement, and come a little farther down the rocks.
All that thou gavest
Thou dost recall?
Conquering thee, one shall take all !
For here on the rock
Bound thou shalt be,
Defenceless in sleep,
Charmed and enchained ;
The man who chances this way
And awakes her, shall master the maid.
O stay, Father !
The sentence recall.
Shall the maiden droop
And be withered by man ?
O dread one, avert thou
The crying disgrace :
For as sisters share we her shame.
Have ye not heard
Wotan's decree ?
From out your band
Shall your traitorous sister be banished,
No more to ride
148
Ualfegws
Come down from
the height in
great excitement,
and in terrified
groups surround
Brlinnhilde, ^vho
lies half kneeling
before Wotan.
The ride of the Valkyries
See p. 149
THE VALKYRIE
Through the clouds her swift steed to the
battle ;
Her maidenhood's flower
Will fade away ;
Her grace and her favour
Her husband's will be ;
Her husband will rule her
And she will obey ;
Beside the hearth she will spin,
To all mockers a mark for scorn.
c \_Brilnnhilde finks with a cry to the ground.
The PalkyrieSy horror-ftrickeny recoil from
her violently.
Fear ye her fate ?
Then fly from the lost one 1
Swiftly forsake
And flee from her far !
Let one but venture
Near her to linger,
Seek to befriend her,
Defying my will —
The fool shall share the same doom :
I warn you, ye bold ones, well I
Up and away 1
Hence, and return not !
Get ye gone at a gallop,
Trouble is rife else for you here !
Ualkgrirs Woe ! Woe !
Separate with a [Black clouds settle thickly on the cliff; a ru/hing sound is
wild cry and rufli heard in the wood. From the clouds breaks a vivid
into the wood. fiafh of lightning, by which the Valkyries are seen
packed closely together, and riding wildly away with
loose bridles. The Jiorrn soon subftdes ; the thunder-
clouds gradually disperse. In the following scene the
weather becomes fine again and twilight falls, followed
at the close by night.
149
THE VALKYRIE
tfotan and BrBnnhiide, who lie; Jlretched at his feet, remain behind alone.
A long solemn Jifence.
$3vimnf)tn>e Was the offence
Begins to raise go shameful and foul
her head a little, That to such shame the offender should be
and, commencing doomed?
timidly, pains _ ,. ,
confidence as fie Was what I did
proceeds. So base and so vile
That I must suffer abasement so low?
Was the dishonour
Truly so deep
That it must rob me of honour for aye ?
[She raises herself gradually to a kneeling
pojiure.
O speak, Father !
In my eye looking,
Calming thy rage,
Taming thy wrath,
Explain why so dark
This deed of mine
That in thy implacable anger
It costs thee thy favourite child !
Ask of thy deed,
His attitude And that will show thee thy guilt 1
unchanged, gravely and gloomily.
33riinnf)inir I but fulfilled
Wotan's command.
By my command
Didst thou fight for the Walsung ?
Yea, lord of the lots,
So ran thy decree.
150
THE VALKYRIE
SSJotan But I took back
The order, changed the decree !
iStunnfjillie When Fricka had weaned
Thy will from its purpose ;
In yielding what she desired
Thou wert a foe to thyself.
ffiSHotan I thought thou didst understand me,
Softfy and bitterly. And punished thy conscious revolt ;
But coward and fool
I seemed to thee !
If I had not treason to punish
Thou wouldst be unworthy my wrath.
I am not wise,
But I knew well this one thing —
That thy love was the Walsung's ;
I knew that, by discord
Drawn two ways,
This one thing thou hadst forgotten.
The other only
Couldst thou discern —
What so bitterly
Wounded thy heart :
That Siegmund might not be shielded.
And yet thou didst dare
To shield him, knowing 'twas so?
Because I the one thing
Beginning softly. Had kept in my eye,
While by twofold desire
Divided wert thou,
Blindly thy back on him turning !
She who wards thy back
From the foe in the field,
'51
THE VALKYRIE
She saw alone
What thou sawest not : —
Siegmund I beheld.
Bringing him doom
I approached ;
I looked in his eyes,
Gave ear to his words.
I perceived the hero's
Bitter distress ;
Loud the lament
Of the brave one resounded ;
Uttermost love's
Most terrible pang,
Saddest of hearts
Defying all odds —
With my ear I heard,
My eye beheld
That which stirred the heart in my breast
With trouble holy and strange.
Shamed, astonished,
Shrinking I stood.
Then all my thought
Was how I could serve him ;
Triumph and death
To share with Siegmund —
That seemed, that only,
The lot I could choose !
Faithful to him
Who taught my heart this love,
And set me
By the Walsung's side as friend —
Most faithful to him —
Thy word I disobeyed.
<E<Hotan So thou hast done
What I yearned so greatly to do —
THE VALKYRIE
What a twofold fate
Withheld from my desire !
So easy seemed to thee
Heart's delight in the winning,
When burning woe
In my heart flamed fierce,
When terrible anguish
Wrung my soul,
When, to save the world
That I loved, love's spring
In my tortured heart I imprisoned ?
Against my own self
When I turned, to my torment,
From swooning pain
Arose in a frenzy,
When a wild longing
Burning like fire
The fearful design in me woke
In the ruins of my own world
My unending sorrow to bury,
{Somewhat freely.
Thy heart was lapped
In blissful delight.
Trembling with rapture,
Drunken with joy,
Thy lips drank laughing
The draught of love,
While I drank of divine woe
Mixed with wormwood and gall.
[Dryly and shortly.
By thy lightsome heart
Henceforth be guided :
From me thou hast turned away !
I must renounce thee ;
Together no more
Shall we two whisper counsel ;
THE VALKYRIE
Apart our paths lie,
Sundered for ever,
And so long as life lasts
I, the God, dare nevermore greet thee !
Unfit was the foolish
Simply. Maid for thee,
Who, dazed by thy counsel,
Grasped not thy mind
When, to her, one counsel
Alone appeared plain —
To love what was loved by thee.
If I must forth
Where I shall not find thee,
If the fast -woven bond
Must be loosed,
And half thy being
Far from thee banished —
A half once thine and thine only,
O God, forget not that I —
Thy other self
Thou wilt not dishonour,
Dealing out shame
That will shame thee too ;
Thine own honour were lowered,
Were I a target for scorn I
SUMotan The lure of love
Thou hast followed fain :
Follow the man
Who shall wield its might !
^ninnf)tttre If I must go from Walhall,
No more in thy work be a sharer,
And if as my master
A man I must serve,
To braggart base
'54
THE VALKYRIE
Abandon me not I
Not all unworthy
Be he who wins !
<52Hotan With Wotan no part hast thou —
He cannot fashion thy fate.
$3riinnf)tKie By thee has been founded a race
Too glorious to bring forth a coward ;
One day must a matchless hero
From Walsung lineage spring.
SSHotafn Name not the Walsungs to me !
Renouncing thee,
Them too I renounced ;
Through envy they came to naught.
13runnf)iltie She who turned from thee
Rescued the race ;
\iyith an air of secrecy.
Sieglinde bears
Fruit holy and high ;
In pain and woe
Beyond woe known to woman
She will bring forth
What in fear she hides !
fflSHotan No shelter for her
Seek at my hand,
Nor for fruit that she may bear.
ISrunntJtlfce The sword she has kept
That thou gavest Siegmund.
?12Hotan And that I splintered with my spear.
Violently. Strive not, O maid,
My spirit to trouble I
Await thou the lot
Cast and decreed ;
THE VALKYRIE
I cannot choose it or change !
But now I must forth,
Fare from thee far ;
Too long I stay by thy side.
I must turn from thee,
As thou didst from me ;
I must not even
Know thy desire ;
Thy doom alone
I must see fulfilled !
And what is the doom
That I must suffer ?
JUHotan In slumber fast
Thou shalt be locked ;
Wife thou shalt be to the man
Who finds and wakes thee from sleep !
33runnf)tltie If fettering sleep
Falls on her knees. Fast must bind me,
An easy prey
To the basest coward,
This one thing that in deep anguish
I plead for thou must accord !
0 shield thou the sleeper
With soul-daunting terrors,
[Firmly.
That by a dauntless
Hero alone
Here on the rock
1 may be found !
&2Rotan Too much thou askest —
Too big a boon !
iSriinnijilDe This one thing
Clasping his knees. Grant me, O grant me !
156
Wotan. " Appear, flickering fire,
Encircle the rock with thy flame !
Loge ! Loge ! Appear ! "
See p. 159
THE VALKYRIE
ffi&otan
Overcome and
deeply Jiirred)
turns quickly
towards Brtinn-
hilde^ raises her
from her knees
and looks into her
eyes with emotion.
The child that is clasping
Thy knees crush dead ;
Tread down thy dear one
And shatter the maid ;
Let her body perish,
Pierced by thy spear,
But, cruel one, expose her not
To this crying shame I
[With wild ec/iasy.
O cause a fire
To burn at thy bidding,
With flame fiercely flaring
Girdle the rock,
And may its tongue lick,
And may its tooth eat
The coward who, daring, rashly
Approaches the terrible spot I
Farewell, thou valiant,
Glorious child !
Thou the most holy
Pride of my heart,
Farewell I Farewell ! Farewell I
[PaJJionately.
Must we be parted ?
Shall I never more
Give thee love's greeting ?
Must thou no longer
Gallop beside me,
Nor bring me mead at banquet ?
If I must lose thee,
Whom I have loved so,
The laughing delight of my eyes,
For thee there shall burn
A bridal fire brighter
Than ever yet burned for a bride !
'57
THE VALKYRIE
Fiercely the flames
Shall flare round thy bed,
Flames dreadful, devouring,
Daunting all cowards ;
Let cravens flee
From Briinnhilde's rock I
One only shall set the bride free,
One freer than I, the God !
[Moved and enraptured, Br&nnhilde Jinks on
the breaji of Wotan, who holds her in a
long embrace ; then /he throws back her
head again, and, Jtill embracing him, gazes
into his eyes with emotion and awe.
Those eyes so lovely and bright
That oft with smiles I caressed,
Thy valour
With a kiss rewarding
When, sweetly lisped
By thy childlike mouth,
The praise of heroes I heard :
Those eyes so radiant and fair
That oft in storm on me shone,
When hopeless yearning
My heart was wasting,
And when the joy
Of the world I longed for,
While fears thronged thick around me —
Once more to-day
Gladdening me,
Let them take this kiss
Of fond farewell I
On happier mortal
May they yet shine ;
On me, hapless immortal,
Must they close, and for ever !
[He takes her head in both hands.
158
As he moves slowly away, Wotan turns and looks sorrowfully
back at Briinnhilde
See p. 160
THE VALKYRIE
Tis thus that the God
From thee turns :
He kisses thy Godhead away 1
\_He kifses her long on the eyes, and with
these closed {he Jinks back softly into his
arms, unconscious. He carries her gently
to a low mofsy mound, and lays her there
beneath the broad-spreading pine-tree
which over/hadows it. He gazes at her
and closes her helmet ; his eyes then reji
on the form of the sleeptr, which he com-
pletely covers with the great Jleel shield of
the Valkyries. Having done so, he moves
slowly away, turning to take one more
sorrowful look. Then he Jirides with
solemn resolve to the middle of the Jt age,
and points his sword towards a large rock.
Loge, hear I
Hark to my word I
I who found thee at first
A fiery flame,
And from whom thou didst vanish
In wandering fire,
I, who once bound,
Bid thee break forth I
Appear, flickering fire,
Encircle the rock with thy flame !
[He Jlrikes the rock three times with his
spear during the following.
Loge ! Loge ! Appear !
\A gleam of fire ifsues from the Jlone and
gradually becomes a fiery glow ; then
flickering flames break forth. Soon wild,
shooting flames surround Wotan, who,
with his spear, directs the sea of fire to
encircle the rock. It spreads towards the
background, so that the mountain is sur-
rounded by flame.
159
THE VALKYRIE
Let none who fears
The spear of Wotan
Adventure across this fire I
[He Jlretches out his spear as a ban, looks
sorrowfully back at Briinnhilde, then moves
slowly away, turning his head for a fare-
well gaze. Finally he disappears through
the fire. The curtain falls.
Printed by BALLANTYNE &- COMPANY LTD.
Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London
The sleep of Brunnhilde
See p. 159
\
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