Chriemhild, this world’s-wonder, a king’s daughter and king’s
sister, and no less coy and proud than fair, dreams one night
that “she had petted a falcon, strong, beautiful and wild; which
two eagles snatched away from her: this she was forced to see;
greater sorrow felt she never in the world.” Her mother, Ute, to
whom she relates the vision, soon redes it for her; the falcon is a
noble husband, whom, God keep him, she must suddenly lose.
Chriemhild declares warmly for the single state; as, indeed,
living there at the Court of Worms, with her brothers, Gunther,
Gernot, Giselher, “three kings noble and rich,” in such pomp
and renown, the pride of Burgunden-land and Earth, she might
readily enough have changed for the worse. However, dame
Ute bids her not be too emphatical; for “if ever she have
heartfelt joy in life, it will be from man’s love, and she shall be
a fair wife (wip), when God sends her a right worthy Ritter’s lip.”
Chriemhild is more in earnest than maidens usually are when
they talk thus; it appears, she guarded against love, “for many
a lief-long day;” nevertheless, she too must yield to destiny.
“Honourably she was to become a most noble Ritter’s wife.”
“This,” adds the old Singer, “was that same falcon she dreamed
of: how sorely she since revenged him on her nearest kindred!
For that one death died full many a mother’s son.”
It may be observed, that the Poet here, and at all times, shows a marked partiality for Chriemhild; ever striving, unlike his fellow singers, to magnify her worth, her faithfulness and loveliness; and softening, as much as may be, whatever makes against her. No less a favourite with him is Siegfried, the prompt, gay, peaceably fearless hero; to whom, in the Second Aventiure, we
into two at that point, for sometimes, as in Stanza First, the middle words (mæren, lobebæren; geziten, striten) also rhyme; but this is rather a rare case, The word rechen or recken, used in the First Stanza, is the constant designation for bold fighters, and has the same root with rich (thus in old French, hommes riches; in Spanish, ricos hombres), which last is here also synonymous with powerful, and is applied to kings, and even to the Almighty, Got dem richen.
