The scene shows the bed and flowing waters of the Rhine, the light of day reaching the depths only as a greenish twilight. The current flows on over rugged rocks and through dark chasms.
_Woglinde_ is circling gracefully around the central ridge of rock. To an accompaniment as wavy as the waters through which she swims, she sings:
Weia! Waga! Woge, du Welle, Walle zur Wiege! Wagala weia! Wallala, Weiala weia!
They are sung to the =Motive of the Rhinedaughters=.
[Music: Weia Waga! Woge, du Welle, walle zur Wiege! Wagala weia! wallala, weiala weia!]
In wavy sport the _Rhinedaughters_ dart from cliff to cliff. Meanwhile _Alberich_ has clambered from the depths up to one of the cliffs, and watches, while standing in its shadow, the gambols of the _Rhinedaughters_. As he speaks to them there is a momentary harshness in the music, whose flowing rhythm is broken. In futile endeavours to clamber up to them, he inveighs against the "slippery slime" which causes him to lose his foothold.
_Woglinde_, _Wellgunde_, and _Flosshilde_ in turn gambol almost within his reach, only to dart away again. He curses his own weakness in the =Motive of the Nibelungs' Servitude=.
Swimming high above him the _Rhinedaughters_ incite him with gleeful cries to chase them. _Alberich_ tries to ascend, but always slips and falls down. Then his gaze is attracted and held by a glow which suddenly pervades the waves above him and increases until from the highest point of the central cliff a bright, golden ray shoots through the water. Amid the shimmering accompaniment of the violins is heard on the horn the =Rhinegold Motive=.
With shouts of triumph the _Rhinedaughters_ swim around the rock. Their cry "Rhinegold," is a characteristic motive. The =Rhinedaughters' Shout of Triumph= and the accompaniment to it are as follows:
As the river glitters with golden light the Rhinegold Motive rings out brilliantly on the trumpet. The Nibelung is fascinated by the sheen. The _Rhinedaughters_ gossip with one another, and _Alberich_ thus learns that the light is that of the Rhinegold, and that whoever shall shape a ring from this gold will become invested with great power. We hear =The Ring Motive=.
_Flosshilde_ bids her sisters cease their prattle, lest some sinister foe should overhear them. _Wellgunde_ and _Woglinde_ ridicule their sister's anxiety, saying that no one would care to filch the gold, because it would give power only to him who abjures or renounces love. At this point is heard the darkly prophetic =Motive of the Renunciation of Love=.