Siegmund! Ha!
[She stares about her in growing terror. Almost the whole of the stage is veiled by black thunder-clouds. Hunding's horn is heard close at hand.
HUNDING'S VOICE [From the mountain pass in the background.
Wehwalt! Wehwalt!
Stand there and fight,
Or with the hounds I will hold thee!
SIEGMUND'S VOICE [From farther back in the gorge.
Where hidest thou,
That I have missed thee thus?
Halt, that I may find thee!
SIEGLINDE [Listening in terrible fear.
Hunding—Siegmund—
Could I but see them!
HUNDING
Come hither, impious wooer!
Here by Fricka be slain!
SIEGMUND [Also from the pass now.
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!
SIEGLINDE [With all her strength.
Hold your hands, ye men there!
Strike me dead first!
[She rushes towards the pass, but is suddenly dazzled by a light which flashes forth from above the combatants to the right, and staggers aside as if blinded.
BRÜNNHILDE'S VOICE
Strike him, Siegmund!
Trust to the sword!
[Brünnhilde appears in the glare of light, floating above Siegmund, and protecting him with her shield. Just as Siegmund is aiming a deadly blow at Hunding a glowing red light breaks through the clouds from the left, in which Wotan appears, standing over Hunding and holding his spear across in front of Siegmund.
WOTAN'S VOICE
Back! Back from the spear!
In splinters the sword!
[Brünnhilde with her shield recoils in terror before Wotan; Siegmund's sword breaks in splinters on the outstretched spear. Hunding plunges his sword into the disarmed man's breast. Siegmund falls down dead, and Sieglinde, who has heard his death-sigh, sinks to the ground as if lifeless. With Siegmund's fall the lights on both sides disappear. Dense clouds shroud all but the foreground in darkness. Through these Brünnhilde is dimly seen turning in wild haste to Sieglinde.
BRÜNNHILDE
To horse, that I may save thee!
[She lifts Sieglinde up quickly on to her horse, which is standing near the side ravine, and immediately disappears. Thereupon the clouds divide in the middle, so that Hunding, who has just drawn his sword out of Siegmund's breast, is distinctly seen. Wotan, surrounded by clouds, stands on a rock behind, leaning on his spear and gazing sorrowfully on Siegmund's body.