Scene three

 A subterranean cavern

Alberich
Hehe! Hehe!
Come here, here, crafty dwarf!
You shall be pitilessly pinched by me if you haven’t,
on time,
finished making what I ordered,
the fine-wrought gold.

Mime
Oh! Oh! Ow! Ow!
Let me go!
It’s ready, as you ordered, made by moiling and toiling: take your nails from my ear!

Alberich
Why then are you so slow to show it to me?

Mime
I hesitated only lest something was lacking.

Alberich
What is not ready?

Mime
Here…..and there.

Alberich
What here and there? Give me the work!
See, you scoundrel!

Everything forged and finished as I commanded!
Did the simpleton slyly seek to deceive me and keep for himself the cunningly worked object that may craft taught him how to forge?
Have I found you out, stupid thief?

The helmet fits my head; will the spell work too?
“Night and mist, like to no one!”

Can you see me, brother?

Mime
Where are you?
I cannot see you.

Alberich
Then feel me, you idle rascal!
Take that for your thieving thoughts!

Mime
Oh! Oh! Ow! Ow! Ow!

Alberich
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Thank you, stupid!
Your work has stood the test.

Hoho! Hoho!
Nibelung all, bow down to Alberich!
Now I am watching you everywhere: repose and rest is refused you:
You must work for me though I am unseen; expect me when you do not perceive me; you are my vassals forever!
Hoho! hoho!
Listen for me, I am near, the lord of the Nibelung!



Loge
Here is nibelheim: though the pale mist what fiery sparks is flashing?

Mime
Ow! Ow! Ow!

Wotan
Those were loud groans: what is that lying among the rocks?

Loge
Why are you whimpering, you oddity?

Mime
Oh! Ow! Ow! Ow!

Loge
Hi, mime! Merry dwarf!
What tweaks and torments you so?

Mime
Leave me in peace!

Loge
That I will, and gladly, and more yet: listen?
I would help you, Mime!

Mime
Who can help me?
I must obey my own brother, who brought these bonds on me.

Loge
But what, mime, gave him the power to bind you?

Mime
By arrant cunning Alberich wrought for himself a golden ring from the Rhine’s gold: at the might of its magic we tremble and marvel; with it he has overcome us, the Nibelung’ nocturnal race.

Carefree smiths, once we created ornaments for our women, wondrous trinkets, dainty trifles for Nibelung, and lightly laughed at our work.

Now this villain compels us to creep into caverns and ever toil for him alone.
Through the ring’s gold his greed divines where a new gleam is concealed in the clefts:
there we have to track and trace it, dig it out,
melt down the booty and forge the cast without pause or peace,
to pile up our master’s hoard.

Loge
Your idleness, then, brought on his ire?

Mime
On me, most wretched, he forced the heaviest task.

He bade me forge and weld for him a helmet:
he gave exact orders how I was to make it.
I shrewdly noted what mighty power lay in the work I fashioned from the metal:
so I wanted to keep the helmet for myself, and through its spell escape from alberich’s sway?

Perhaps,
yes perhaps outwit the tyrant himself and get him in my power,
snatch the ring from him, so that, as I now am a menial to this bully,
I might be free and he my slave!

Loge
Why, wise one, did you not succeed?

Mime
Ah! Though I fashioned the work, the spell that would bind him, that spell I did not guess aright!
He who planned the work and snatched it from me now has taught me?
Alas, too late! ?

What cunning lay in the helmet:
he vanished from my sight,
but unseen,
his arm raised weals on me while I was blind.
That’s what thanks I earned, fool that I am!

Loge
(to Wotan)
Admit, our capture will not be easy.

Wotan
But the foe will fall with the aid of your cunning.

Mime
Who are you, then, strangers, with your questioning?

Loge
Friends to you; we will free the Nibelung people from their misery.

Mime
Beware! Alberich draws near.

Wotan
We’ll wait here for him.

Alberich
Here! There! Hehe! Hoho!
Idle herd, pile up the hoard there in heaps
You there, get up!
Will you get on?
Despicable dogs, put down the treasure!
Must I help you?
Bring it all here!

Ha, who is there?
Who has broken in?
Come here, mime, you shabby scamp!
Have you been chattering to this pair of tramps?

Be off, you idler!
Back to your bench and forge!
Hey, get to work!
Out of here, all of you!
Hurry below!
Find me gold from the new veins!
My whip waits for those that don’t dig deep!
Mine shall stand bail that no one idles, or flee the lash of my whip if he can: that I am every where, though none can tell where, he knows full well, I think.
Are you still lingering?
Still loitering?


Tremble with terror, abject throng: at once obey the master of the ring!

(To Wotan and loge)
What do you want here?

Wotan
From nibelheim’s land of night we have heard new rumors: mighty marvels Alberich works here: greed drove us here as guests to gorge on them.

Alberich
Envy led you to nibelheim: that I well know, bold guests.

Loge
Do you really know me, childish dwarf?
Now say: who am I, that you should snarl so?
In your cold cave where you lay cowering, who would have given you light and warming flames if Loge had smiled on you?
What would have been the use of your forging if I had not fired the forge?
I am your kinsman, and was your friend: your thanks do not seem very warm.

Alberich
Loge laughs now with the elves of light, the cunning rogue: if, false one, you’re their friend as you once were friend to me, ha ha!
I rejoice!
From them I have nothing to fear.

Loge
Then, I think, you can have faith in me.

Alberich
I have faith in your faithless, not in your fidelity!
But dauntless I defy you all!

Loge
Your power lends you assurance: grim and great has grown your strength.

Alberich
Do you see the hoard that my henchmen have heaped up for me?

Loge
I never yet saw one so enviable.

Alberich
That is today’s a paltry pile: it will increase boldly and mightily in the future.

Wotan
But what help is the hoard to you since nibelheim is joyless and treasure can buy nothing?

Alberich Nibelheim’s night serves me to create treasure and conceal treasure; but with the hoard heaped in the cave I intend to work wonders:

with it I will win the whole world for my own.

Wotan How will you start on that, my man?

Beware! Beware!
For when once you men serve my might the dwarf will take his pleasure with your pretty women who scorn my wooing, though love does not smile upon me.

Ha ha ha ha!


Did you hear?
Beware the Nibelung hoard raises from the silent depths to the daylight!

Wotan
Enough, blasphemous fool!

Alberich
What did he say?

Loge
Keep you cool!

Faced with Alberich’s work, who would not feel wonder?
If you masterly cunning can win, with your treasure, all you demand, I must acclaim you the mightiest: for moon, stars and the radiant sun can do no other but serve you too.
But I deem it significant above all that those who heap the hoard, the Nibelung host, obey you ungrudgingly.
Boldly you fingered a ring before which your people trembled in fear.

But if in sleep a thief stole upon you and by stealth snatched the ring,
How, wise one, would you guard yourself?

Alberich
Loge thinks himself the most artful;
others always seem stupid to him:
that I should need his counsel and advice,
and owe him thanks, the thief would now rejoice to hear!

I myself conceived the concealing helmet; I had Mime,
the most skilful smith,
fashion it for me:
the helmet allows me to transform myself swiftly at will,
and change my shape.
No one can see me,
though he search for me; yet I am everywhere,
hidden from sight.
Thus I can live carefree,
safe even from you, kind, considerate friend!

Loge
I have seen much and met many strange things, but never have I witnessed such a wonder.
I cannot credit this unique work: were this one thing but possible, your power would last forever.

Alberich
Do you think I lie and boast like Loge?

Loge
Until I see it for myself I doubt you word, dwarf.

Alberich
With wisdom the fool is puffed up to bursting!
Now may envy devour you!
Decide, in what shape shall I suddenly appear before you?

Loge
In whatever you will: strike me dumb with astonishment!

Alberich
“Giant snake, curl and coil!”



Loge
Oh! oh!
Terrible serpent, do not swallow me!
Spare Loge’s life!

Wotan
Ha ha ha!
Good, Alberich!
Good, you villain!
How quickly the dwarf turned to a monstrous dragon!

Alberich
Hehe!
Clever ones, do you believe me now?

Loge
My trembling testifies to it.
You swiftly made yourself into a giant snake; now that I have seen it I readily believe the marvel.

But, as you grew larger, can you also make yourself smaller and tiny?
That would seem to me the most astute and subtle way to escape danger; but I think that would be too hard!

Alberich
Too hard for you because you’re stupid!
How small shall I be?

Loge
So that the narrowest crevice might hold you, where a toad timidly hides.

Alberich
Pah! Nothing simpler! Watch me!
“Crawl, crooked and gray toad!”



Loge
(to wotan)
There’s the toad: seize it quickly!

(Wotan puts his foot on the toad: loge holds it by the head and takes the Tarnhelm in his hand)

Alberich
(Suddenly visible in his real shape, squirming under Wotan’s foot)
Oh! Curse it! I am captured!

Loge
Hold him tight till I tie him.


Now quickly up we go: there he will be ours.

Orchestral interlude