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Scene three
Siegmund
My father promised me a sword: I would find
it in deepest distress.
Unarmed I stumbled into an enemyfs house;
as security for his vengeance I stay here.
I saw a woman lovely and dignified;
enchanting feat eats up my heart.
She draws me to her in longing, she hurts
me with sweet magic, yet she is held captive by the man who mocks my defenselessness.
Volsa,Volsa, where is your sword?
The stout sword that I shall wield in
adversity: will it burst from my breast where my raging heart hides it?
What is that brightly gleaming in the flickering light?
What is the light bursting from the ash
treefs trunk?
My eyes are blinded by the flashing light.
The flare laughs down gaily.
How brightly the beams scorch my heart.
Is it the gaze of that radiant woman that
she left there clinging behind her when she went out of the room?
Night and darkness closed my eyes; then the
blaze of her look fell on me: I knew warmth and daylight.
Like a blessing on me shone the sunlight;
my head was ringed by its wonderful radiance till it sank behind the hills.
Once more as it departed at evening its
light fell on me.
Even the old ash treefs trunk shone in a
golden glow.
Then the blossom faded, the light went out.
Night and darkness close my eyes: deep in
the recesses of my heart an invisible fire burns on.
Sieglinde
Are you asleep, guest?
Siegmund
Whofs tiptoeing over here?
Sieglinde
It is I: listen to me!
Hunding is sound asleep, I made him a
drugged drink; use the night to save yourself.
Siegmund
I am saved by your presence.
Sieglinde
Let me show you a sword: oh if only you
could get it!
I could acclaim you as the noblest of
heroes; it was intended for the strongest alone.
Oh listen carefully to what I tell you!
The men of his family sat in the room here,
they were guests at Hundingfs wedding.
He was marrying a woman who, without being
asked, robbers had made his wife.
Sadly I sat while they drank.
A stranger came in, an old man in a gray
cloak; his hat was pulled down so as to cover one eye.
But the glint of the other made them all
afraid, when the men saw its authority and sternness.
To me alone his eye suggested sweet,
longing sadness, tears and comfort both together.
He looked at me and glowered at them while
a sword flashed in his hand.
This he thrust in the tree trunk, it lodged
there right up to the hilt.
The blade would belong to anyone who pulled
it out of the tree.
All the man, bravely as they tried, failed
to win the weapon.
Visitors came and visitors went.
The strongest tugged at the hilt, but it
moved not an inch from the tree.
The sword remains silently there.
Then I knew who it was that had greeted me
in my grief: and I know too for whom alone he fixed the sword in the tree.
Oh! Could I find him here and now, that
friend, if he came from far away to the most miserable of woman: all that
caused me pain in my shame and dishonor---sweetest revenge would pay for it
all!
I would retrieve what I lost; what I wept
for would be won back to me; if I found this sacred friend my arms would
embrace him as a hero.
 Siegmund
Beloved woman, that friend holds you now;
both sword and woman will be his.
Fiercely in my heart burns the oath that
makes you my noble wife.
All that I longed for I see in you.
I find in you all that I lacked.
Though you suffered disgrace, though I was
outlawed and you dishonored, joyful revenge will now proclaim us happy.
I laugh aloud for holy joy when I hold you
in my embrace and feel your beating heart.
Sieglinde
Ah, who went out?
Who came in?
Siegmund
Nobody went but someone came; look, the
spring smiles into the room.
Wintry storms have vanished before maytime;
in a gentle light springtime shine out.
On balmy breezes light and lovely it weaves
miracles as it wafts.
Through woods and meadows its breath blows,
wide open its eyes are smiling.
Lovely birdsong sweetly proclaims it.
Blissful scents exhale its presence.
Marvelous flowers sprout from its hot blood.
Buds and shoots grow from its strength.
With an armory of delicate charm it
conquers the world.
Winter and storms vanish before their stout
defense.
At these bold blows, of course, the stout
doors yielded too, for stubborn and hard they kept us spring.
To its sister here it flew.
Love decoyed the spring.
In our hearts it was hidden deep; now it
smiles joyfully at the light.
The sister as bride is freed by her
brother.
In ruins lies all that kept them apart.
Joyfully the young couple greets one
another.
Love and spring are united.
Sieglinde
You are the spring for which I longed in he
frosty wintertime.
My heart greeted you with holy terror when
first your glance lighted upon me.
I had only ever seen stranger; my
surroundings were friendless.
As if I had never known it was everything
that befell me.
But you I recognized plain and clear; when
my eyes saw you, you belonged to me.
What I hid in my heart, what I am, bright
as day it came to me, like a resounding echo it fell upon my ear, when in
frosty lonely strangeness I saw my friend.
Siegmund
O sweetest bliss, most blessed woman!
Sieglinde
O let me come close up to you and clearly
see the noble light that shines in your eyes and from your face, and sweetly
grips my senses.
Siegmund
In the spring moonlight you shine brightly,
nobly haloed with waving hair: what enchanted me I can easily guess, for rapturously
my eyes gloat on you.
Sieglinde
Look how your forehead broadens out, and
the network of veins winds into your temples.
I tremble with the delight that enchants
me.
It brings something strange to my mind:
though I first saw you today, Ifve set eyes on you before.
Siegmund
A dream of love comes to my mind as well:
burning with longing I have seen you before.
Sieglinde
In the stream Ifve seen my own likeness;
and now I see it again.
As once it appeared in the water so now you
show me my likeness.
Siegmund
You are the likeness that I hid in myself.
Sieglinde
Hush! Let me listen to your voice.
Its sound, I fancy, I heard as a child, but
now!
I heard it recently?
When the echo of my voice sounded back
through the forest.
Siegmund
O loveliest sound for me to hear!
Sieglinde
The fire in your eyes has blazed at me
before.
So the old man gazed at me in greeting when
to my sadness he brought comfort.
By his look his child recognized him, I
even wanted to call him by name.
Are you really called Woefull?
Siegmund
I am not called that since you love me: now
I am full of purest rapture.
Sieglinde
And gpeacefulh may you not, being happy, be
named?
Siegmund
Name me what you love to call me.
I take my name from you.
Sieglinde
But did you name wolf as your father?
Siegmund
A wolf he was to craven foxes!
But he whose proud eyes shone as grandly as
yours, you marvel, his name was gVolsah.
Sieglinde
If gVolsah was your father and you are a gVolsungh,
it was for you he thrust his sword in the tree?
So let me call you by the name l love:
Siegmund?so I name you.
Siegmund
Siegmund I am called and Siegmund I am, let
this sword, which I fearlessly hold, bear witness.
Volsa promised me that in deepest distress I
should one day find it.
Now I grasp it.
Holiest lovefs deepest distress, yearning lovefs scorching desire,
burn bright in my breast, urge me to deeds and death.
gNotungh, hNotungh, I name you sword.
gNotungh, gNotungh, precious blade, show
your sharpness and cutting edge: come from your scabbard to me!
You see Siegmund, the Volsung, woman!
As wedding gift he brings this sword; so he weds the fairest of woman;
he take you away from the enemyfs house.
Now follow me far from here, out into
springtimefs smiling houses.
For protection youfll have gNotungh the
sword, even if Siegmund expires with love.
Sieglinde
Are you Siegmund whom I see here?
I am Sieglinde who longed for you: you own
sister you have won and the sword as well.
Siegmund
Wife and sister youfll be to your brother.
So let the Volsung blood increase.
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