for she, too, had amongst them her own true love. When she saw
the messenger coming to her bower, fair Kriemhild spake in kindly
wise: "Now tell me glad news, I pray. And thou dost so without
deceit, I will give thee of my gold and will ever be thy friend.
How fared forth from the battle my brother Gernot and others of
my kin? Are many of them dead perchance? Or who wrought there
the best? This thou must tell me."

Quickly then the envoy spake: "Ne'er a coward did we have, but,
to tell the truth, O noble queen, none rode so well to the strife
and fray, as did the noble stranger from Netherland. Mickle
wonders the hand of valiant Siegfried wrought. Whate'er the
knights have done in strife, Dankwart and Hagen and other men of
the king, however much they strove for honor, 'tis but as the
wind compared with Siegfried, the son of Siegmund, the king.
They slew full many a hero in the fray, but none might tell you
of the wonders which Siegfried wrought, whenever he rode into the
fight. Great woe he did the ladies through their kin; upon the
field the love of many a dame lay dead. His blows were heard to
ring so loud upon the helmets, that from the wounds they drew
forth the blood in streams. In every knightly art he is a worthy
knight and a brave. Whatever Ortwin of Metz achieved (and he
whom he could reach with his good sword, fell sorely wounded, but
mostly dead), yet your brother wrought the direst woe that could
ever chance in battle. One must say of the chosen knights in
truth, that these proud Burgundians acquitted them so well that
they can well preserve their honor from every taint of shame.
Through their hands we saw many a saddle bare, while the field
resounded with the flashing swords. So well rode the warriors
from the Rhine, that it were better for their foes had it been