"Is it so?" said Sigurd the Volsung, "Ah, I sore misdoubt me then, That thereof shall we hear great tidings that shall be for the ruin of men."
"Why grieveth she so," said Gudrun, "a queen so mighty and wise, The Chooser of the war-host, the desire of many eyes, The Queen of the glorious Gunnar, the wife of the man she chose? And she sits by his side on the high-seat, as the lily blooms by the rose."
"Where then in the world was Brynhild," said he, "when she spake that word, And said that her belovèd was her very earthly lord?"
Then was Sigurd silent a little, and Gudrun spake no more; For despite the heart of the Niblungs, and her love exceeding sore, With fear her soul was smitten for the word that Sigurd spake, And yet more for his following silence; and the stark death seemed to awake And stride through the Niblung dwelling, and the sunny morn grew dim: Till, lo, the voice of the Volsung, and the speech came forth from him:
"Hearken, Gudrun my wife; the season is nigh at hand, Yea, the day is now on the threshold, when thou alone in the land Shalt answer for Sigurd departed, and shalt say that I loved thee well; And yet if thou hear'st men say it, then true is the tale to tell, That Brynhild was my belovèd in the tide and the season of youth; And as great as is thy true-love, e'en so was her love and her truth. But for this cause thus have I spoken, that the tale of the night hast thou told, And cast the word unto Brynhild, and shown her the token of gold. --A deed for the slaying of many, and the ending of my life, Since I betrayed her unwitting.--Yet grieve not, Gudrun my wife! For cloudy of late were the heavens with many a woven lie, And now is the clear of the twilight, when the slumber draweth anigh. But call up the soul of the Niblungs, and harden thine heart to bear, For wert thou not sprung from the mighty, today were thy portion of fear: Yea, thou wottest it even as I; but I see thine heart arise, And the soul of the mighty Niblungs, and fair is the love in thine eyes."
Then forth went the King from the chamber to the council of the Kings, And he sat with the wise in the Doom-ring for the sifting of troublous things, And rejoiced the heart of the people: and the Wrath kept watch by his side. And his eyen were nothing dimmer than on many a joyous tide.