Original subtitles

The First Canto:

How Siegfried Slew the Dragon.

Thus spake Mime, the artful blacksmith:

Ride home to Xanten,

Siegfried, King Siegmund's son!

Even I cannot teach you any more!

Have you never before heard

of the king's castle at Worms on the Rhine,

nor the kings of Burgundy who reign there?

I shall set out for that place, so that I may win Kriemhild!

Show me the way to Worms,

or you shall lose your life!

Fare thee well, Siegfried, King Siegmund's son!

You shall never reach Worms!

Thus did young Siegfried

apprehend the birds' song:

If the dragon-slayer

should bathe in dragon-blood,

He'd then become invincible

And invulnerable to chop or stab!

Thus ends the First Canto.

The Second Canto:

How Volker Sang

Before Kriemhild of Siegfried,

and How Siegfried Came to Worms.

The violin sounded and Volker sang:

The dragon slayer, the son of Siegmund

entered the realm of the Nibelungen.

He won the fight against the dragon.

There is no-one on earth like him.

Thus spake Alberich, the Nibelung:

Spare my life in exchange for the Tarnhelm, O hero!

It turns its wearer invisible;

allows him to take on any form!

Spare my life and I will make you the richest king on earth!

The crown of the Lord of the Northland, the Ice-Giant King,

is being wrought here by the Nibelungen.

No sword in the world compares with Balmung.

The Nibelungen forged it in the fire of blood!

Cursed be the heir's inheritance!

Be enstoned, all ye whom from stone I wrought!

And so Volker sang.

The violin sounded:

Thus did Siegfried, the dragon-slayer,

Take refuge among the lords of the Nibelungen.

Twelve kingdoms did the mighty topple.

Twelve kings became his vassals.

Thus spake Kriemhild, Ute's daughter:

Take this cloak, Volker,

which I embroidered myself,

as reward for your song!

Siegfried, King Siegmund's son,

stands outside the castle door

with twelve of his warriors,

and requests an audience

with King Gunther!

Thus spake Hagen Tronje:

Let the dragon-slayer go where he will, King Gunther!

Refuse him welcome!

No longer shall anyone speak of Worms

saying he is not aware

how kings there greet one another!

Siegfried, King Siegmund's son,

shall have my welcome!

Last night I dreamt an awful dream...

And at this moment does this dream yet again invade my thoughts!

I come, King Gunther, to ask you for your sister Kriemhild's hand in marriage!

King Gunther, too,

has designs on marriage,

and has set his heart

on a mighty, and bold, maiden.

Brunhild is her name,

and she sports the crown of Isenland.

Flames blazing around its perimeter,

her castle loftily projects itself,

invincible, amid the Northland Lights.

Why must you speak of Brunhild,

when you know

that thrice must the most powerful suitor

best her in feats of strength?

Siegfried, the worthy hero,

has come to Worms

at an opportune moment!

He might help us win Brunhild for you!

Twelve kings are my vassals.

Never was I any king's vassal,

nor shall I ever be!

Prepare for your bridal quest,

King Gunther —

for it is Siegfried, the mighty hero,

who shall win you Brunhild!

Thus ends the Second Canto.

The Third Canto:

How Siegfried Won Brunhild for Gunther.

The dragon ship is carrying strange heroes to your shores!

The foreigners draw ever closer to the flaming lake.

If the mightiest approaches, the flames will be extinguished.

Prepare me, my maidens!

This will be a fight unlike any I've encountered!

Welcome, hero, to the fight for life and death!

I desire neither life nor death from your hand, Brunhild!

It is King Gunther who courts you!

Before evening falls, King Gunther,

your shattered weapons shall adorn my hall!

Give me leave, King Gunther,

to notify the ships:

Before evening falls you shall board

prepared to head homeward

with Brunhild, your royal bride!

Let the trifold battle begin, King Gunther!

Thrice must you defeat me, O King:

in the stone hurl,

in the distance jump,

in the spear throw!

Stay strong, O King!

I shall sling the stone for you!

I shall carry you in the jump!

Thus ends the Third Canto.

The Fourth Canto:

How Brunhild Entered Worms

and How the Royals Were Wed.

Begin the preparations for the wedding! The royal vessel approaches!

We have reached our destination, my queen!

Are you truly the man who defeated me thrice?

I am your captive! But I shall never be your wife!

Keep your word, King Gunther, as I have kept mine!

If Kriemhild gives her consent, O hero, today we shall celebrate a double wedding.

Since when is it customary among kings

that the king's daughter

should be given over to a vassal?

Siegfried, King Siegmund's son,

is not my vassal.

Today he and I drink together

as blood brothers!

Red blood mingles with red blood.

Inseparably fuse the drops.

He shall perish at the wayside,

dishonourably,

Who forsakes his loyalty

to his blood brother!

Brunhild may be defeated,

but she is not cowed!

Shall the King of Burgundy

be scorned by an obstinate woman?

Damned be the deed half done!

Will you forsake your friend

who gave you his own sister?

The Tarnhelm shall transform you

into whatever you wish.

Break Brunhild's will

whilst taking the form of Gunther!

Thus ends the Fourth Canto.

The Fifth Canto:

How, After Six Moons,

Siegfried's Dowry,

the Nibelungen Treasure,

Arrived in Worms,

and How the Queens Quarrelled

with One Another.

Burgundy's glory is waning, O king!

It is crucial

that we obtain the Nibelungen treasure!

It would be folly to reject

what Siegfried offers you as a brother.

And Kriemhild is worth more

than all the gold in the world.

Look what I found!

Take off the armlet, Kriemhild;

the mistress of the Nibelungen treasure

has no need for that

which guards an ugly secret.

Listen, Kriemhild, how I won the armlet — and remain silent!

The Nibelungen treasure has arrived in the courtyard!

How long, King Gunther, do you think

Siegfried and Kriemhild will tarry in Worms?

They remain here

for the sake of my mother.

Are you, Brunhild,

willing to take up

the role of Ute's daughter?

Your brother's honour

depends upon this armlet.

It should never be seen again

by the eyes of men!

It strikes me as high time, King Gunther,

that you send Siegfried homeward

on furlough to Xanten!

Never! He shall go on his own accord!

I shall attend mass, my daughter. Follow me shortly!

I shall go to the cathedral

in the regalia of the Queen of Burgundy!

The wife of a vassal may not precede the Queen of Burgundy!

What did you dare call my husband Siegfried?

Siegfried introduced himself to me as Gunther's vassal and servant!

He carried out the duties of a servant to my husband!

You — whom he spurned, you, — whom he gave up, you dare to belittle Siegfried?

Give way to the Queen of Burgundy, vassal's wife!

Do you recognise this armlet, thou Queen of Burgundy?

How did that armlet come into your hands?

He who donned the Tarnhelm in the guise of Gunther thrice defeated you,

— Siegfried, my husband, bestowed it upon me!

O king! Does she speak the truth?

Kill Siegfried!

Kill Siegfried!

Your babbling, O hero, was worse than murder!

Kill Siegfried!

Siegfried is safe from your vengeance! Invincible be he who is dragon-slayer!

Where the linden leaf clung, there is he as vulnerable as any other!

Allow me, King Gunther, to handle the dragon-slayer!

We drank together as blood brothers!

Shall I kill him, when he was so faithful to me?

He who took the armlet from me,

made me his wife!

He took my maidenhood from me!

Notify the people of Burgundy, Tronje, that I invite them to a hunt!

To put down a mad dog — a ravenous wolf!

Thus ends the Fifth Canto.

The Sixth Canto:

How Gunther Broke His Vow to Siegfried.

Can you keep a secret, Kriemhild?

I once broke an oath to keep a secret, — I shall never do so again!

The upcoming stag hunt

might easily become a manhunt.

A secret message warns me

of war against Burgundy!

Good for you, Kriemhild,

that you have as your husband the dragon-slayer, the invincible!

Who warrants me that in the heat of battle

must no blade by chance pierce him

in that spot to which the linden leaf clung?

If truly you want me to protect him,

I must know the precise spot

where the invincible one is vulnerable!

Thou truest of the true

give me no ill advice!

I'll mark for you myself the very spot,

with a tiny cross.

I come to take leave, Brunhild.

We are gathering for the hunt

in the Odenwald.

Bear my vow in mind, King Gunther:

I shall not eat nor drink

until my disgrace has been vindicated!

O my dear lord, don't leave me!

Last night I dreamt

a furious boar tore you to pieces!

O my dear lord, don't leave me!

I dreamt still more:

Two mountains collapsed on top of you!

Today shall Gunther and I reconcile, —

and what other enemies have I?

Mother, I feel as if the blood is draining from my heart!

The hunt in the Odenwald lasted from morning until the sun set.

A handful of red gold for a draught of white wine!

A wheel broke on the wagon bringing the wine.

But I know of a cool brook, O hero!

I always heard you praised

as the most agile of heroes.

If this be so, then let's place a wager.

You and I,

for which of us takes the first draught!

Brother, let us be friends once more!

When you return from the brook, O hero!

Thus spake grim Hagen: The Hunt is over!

Thus ends the Sixth Canto.

The Seventh Canto:

How Kriemhild Swore Revenge

upon Hagen Tronje.

You may end your vow, Brunhild.

Siegfried is dead.

Hail thee, King Gunther!

For the sake of a woman's lie

have you slain your most loyal friend!

I call to you for justice, King Gunther!

Hagen Tronje slew my husband!

Loyalty for loyalty, Kriemhild!

His deed is our own!

His fate is our own!

Our breast is his shield!

Whether you hide behind my clan,

or God's altars, or the end of the world,

— You shall not escape my vengeance,

Hagen Tronje!

Alert King Gunther, my brother —

the Queen of Burgundy is dead!

Thus ends the myth of Siegfried.