"God speed thee well, Sir Siegfried, / for this thy purpose fair:
And though such help in earnest / thy arm should render ne'er,
Yet do I joy at hearing / thou art so true to me.
And live I yet a season, / right heartily repaid 'twill be.
"Know will I also let thee / wherefore I sorrowing stand.
Through messengers from my foemen / have tidings reached my land
That they with hosts of warriors / will ride my country o'er;
Such thing to us did never / thanes of any land before."
"Small cause is that for grieving," / said then Siegfried;
"But calm thy troubled spirit / and hearken to my rede:
Let me for thee acquire / honor and vantage too,
And bid thou now assemble / for service eke thy warriors true.
"And had thy mighty enemies / to help them now at hand
Good thanes full thirty thousand, / against them all I'd stand,
Had I but one good thousand: / put all thy trust in me."
Then answered him King Gunther: / "Thy help shall full requited be."
"Then bid for me to summon / a thousand of thy men,
Since I now have with me / of all my knightly train
None but twelve knights only; / then will I guard thy land.
For thee shall service faithful / be done alway by Siegfried's hand.