Then greet for me Walhall,
Greet for me Wotan,
Greet for me Wälse
And all the heroes,
Wishmaidens lovely
Greet thou also,
And tell them I will not come!
BRÜNNHILDE
Nay, having looked
On the Valkyrie's face,
Thou must follow her forth!
SIEGMUND
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!
BRÜNNHILDE
Force thee can none
While thou dost live;
Fool, what will force thee is death
Warning of death
Is what I bring.
SIEGMUND
What hero to-day
Shall hew me down?
BRÜNNHILDE
Hunding's hand in the fight.
SIEGMUND
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!
BRÜNNHILDE
Nay, Wälsung,
Doubt not my word;
Thine is the death decreed.
SIEGMUND
Knowest this sword?
Who gave the sword
Gave triumph sure:
With this sword I laugh at thy threats.
BRÜNNHILDE [In a loud voice.
He whose it was
Now dooms thee to death,
For the magic spell he withdraws!
SIEGMUND [Vehemently.
Hush! Alarm not
The slumberer here!
[In an outburst 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!
O shame on him
Who bestowed the sword,
And triumph now turns to scorn!
If I must fall thus,
I fare to no Walhall—
Hella hold me for aye!
[He bends low over Sieglinde.
BRÜNNHILDE [Moved.
So little prizest thou
Life everlasting?
[Slowly and with hesitation.
All thy care
Is thy helpless wife
Who, sad and weary,
Heavily hangs in thy arms?
Precious only is she?
SIEGMUND [Looking up at her bitterly.
Though young and fair
Thou shinest to me,
In my heart I know thee
Cruel and cold!
Canst thou do nothing
But mock me, begone,
Malicious, merciless maid!
Or if thou must gloat
Upon my distress,
Then gloat and feast thyself full!
With my woe
Solace thy envious soul:—
But of Walhall's loveless raptures
Nothing more let me hear!
BRÜNNHILDE
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.
SIEGMUND
No other than I
While my wife is living shall guard her.
If death be my lot
I will slay the slumberer first!
BRÜNNHILDE [With increasing emotion.
Wälsung! Madman!
Listen to me!
Entrust her to me
For the pledge's sake
That she carries of thee and thy love!
SIEGMUND [Drawing his sword.
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!
Take them with one fell stroke!
BRÜNNHILDE [With a passionate outburst of sympathy.
Forbear, Wälsung!
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!
[Horns are heard in the distance.