Valkyre Act 3 scene 3

Act 3
scene 3

Was it s shameful what I did that you punish my misdeed so shamefully?

Was it so base what I did to you that you so profoundly debase me?

Was it so dishonorable what I did that my offence now robs me of honor?

Oh, speak, father.
Look me in the eyes.

Silence your rage, control your anger, and clearly explain to me my hidden guilt that has blindly and stubbornly forced you to abandon your favorite child.

Wotan
Ask yourself what you did; it will explain your guilt.

Brunnhilde
I carried out your command.

Wotan
Did I command you to fight for the Volsung?

Brunnhild
So you ordered me as ruler of battles.

Wotan
But I reversed my decree.

Brunnhilde
When Fricka made your own intentions foreign to you, when you took her point of view, you were your own enemy.

Wotan
That you understood me I took for granted, and scolded conscious defiance.
But you thought me cowardly and foolish.
Did I not have to avenge treason?
Were you too insignificant to make me angry?

Brunnhilde
I am not clever, but I knew one thing, that you loved the Volsung.

I knew the dilemma that compelled you entirely to forget this one thing.
The alternative alone you had to see, though to see its bitterness pained your heart: that you must deny Siegmund your support.

Wotan
Did you know this and still dared to protect him?

Brunnhilde
Because my eyes are yours I held to the one thing which the alternative forced you in a painful dilemma summarily to turn your back on.

When Wotan is at war I guard his back, and this time I only saw what you could not see: I could not help seeing Siegmund.
To warn him of death I went to him, I saw his eyes, heard his words; I realized the hero’s solemn distress; I heard the sounds of the brave man’s lament.
Unbounded love’s terrible sorrow, sad heart’s grandest defiance.
These fell upon my ears, and my eyes beheld what deep in my breast my heart sensed with noble throbbing.
Shy, astonished, ashamed I stood.
How best to serve him I could still imagine: victory or death to share with Siegmund:
I only knew that this was the lot I must choose.

One man’s love breathed this into my heart; one will it was that allied me with the Volsung: and faithful to you inwardly I disobeyed your command.

Wotan
So you did what I wanted so much to do, though two-faced necessity compelled me to refrain from it.
So easily did you imagine love’s bliss was attained when burning pain had stabbed me to the heart, when desperate necessity had roused my anger, when love of the world allowed the source of love to be curbed in my aching heart?

Against myself I had turned myself in agony; above stunning sorrows I had risen in a rage; angry longing with its burning desires had formed my dread decision: in the ruins of my own world I would end my endless sadness.
Just then you were sweetly enjoying the joys of bliss; heavenly emotion’s ecstatic swirl made you smile ad you drank the draught of love, while my divine distress was mingled with rapacious gall?

Your light heart can guide you then.
You have renounced me.
I must keep away from you, and in company with you I can never again meditate plans.
We are separated and cannot work together any more.
While life and breath last the god must never meet you again.

Brunnhilde

Doubtless it did not suit you that the simple girl, astonished by your orders, did not understand you.

My own intelligence told me only one thing: to love what you loved.

If I must go away from you and timidly avoid you, if you must split what once linked us; if a half of yourself must keep its distance from you, that once was wholly yours, you god!

Yet you will not dishonor an everlasting part of you, cannot wish for a disgrace that disgraces you: you would demean yourself if you saw people mock and laugh at me.

Wotan
You were happy to follow the power of love:
now follow him whom you are obliged to love.

Brunnhilde
If I must leave Valhalla, no longer work and govern with you, if I must henceforth be subordinated to a domineering man: then let no cowardly boaster have me as his prize.
He must not be worthless who wins me.

	Wotan You have renounced warfather, he cannot choose for you.

	Brunnhilde You fathered a noble family. No faint heart can ever spring from it. The greatest hero-- I know-- will be born to the Volsung race.

Wotan
Hold your tongue about the Volsung race!
When I gave you up, I gave them up too.
Hatred demanded their annihilation!


	Brunnhilde By tearing myself from you I have saved them. Sieglinde is carrying the holiest of issue: in sorrow and pain such as no wife suffered, she will bear what she is anxiously hiding.

Wotan
Never ask me to protect the woman, still less the fruit of her loins.
Brunnhilde
She is looking after the sword that you made for Siegmund

Wotan
And which I struck to pieces in his hands!
Girl, do not try to alter my decision.
Await your lot as it falls to you; I cannot choose it for you.

And now I must go, travel far away.
I have stayed here too long.
As you turned away I must turn from you.

I may not know what you whish for yourself: only your punishment I must see exacted.
Brunnhilde
What have you ordained that I must suffer?

Wotan
In deep sleep I shall enclose you.
Whoever wakes you defenseless, has you as wife when you wake.

Brunnhilde
If enchaining sleep is to bind me fast, the feeblest man’s easy acquisition: one thing you must grant and I beg it in solemn fear.
Let my sleep be protected by terrors that scare, so that only a fearless unrestrained hero may one day find me here on the rock.
Wotan
You ask too much, too great a favor.

Brunnhilde
This one thing you must allow.
Destroy your child, who clasps your knees, trample on your favorite, crush the girl, let all trace of her body be destroyed by your spear; but do not be so cruel as to condemn her to vilest disgrace.

At your demand let fire blaze up; round the rock let it burn with flaring flames; let its tongues flicker, its teeth devour any coward who rashly dares to approach the fearsome rock.

Wotan
Farewell, you bold, wonderful child!
You, my heart’s holiest pride.
Farewell, farewell, farewell!

If I must reject you and may not lovingly greet you again with my greeting, if you may no longer ride beside me, or bring me mead at table; if I must lose you whom I loved you, laughing joy of my eyes: then a bridal fire shall burn for you, as it never burned for any bride!

A blaze of flame shall burn round the rock; with devouring terror let it scare the fainthearted; let cowards run away from Brunnhilde’s rock!

For only one shall win the bride, one free than I, the god!

That bright pair of eyes that often I fondled with smiles, when lust of battle won you a kiss, when childlike chatter in praise of heroes flowed from your dear lips:

that radiant pair of eyes that often in tempests blazed at me, when hopeful yearning burned up my heart, when for worldly joy my desire longed amid wild weaving fear:

for the last time let them delight me today with farewell’s last kiss!

May their star shine for that happier man: for the luckless immortal they must close in parting.

For thus the god departs from you, thus he kisses your godhead away!