Oh, no! 
  I have seen people at a wedding feast,
  And following a bier, and so I know
  How different they look.  Now let us do
  As strangers might, who’d never met before
  Until by accident within the wood
  They meet, and one has this, the other that,
  And so they put together all they have,
  And thus with joy receive and also give. 
  ’Tis well!  For I bring meat of every kind,
  And I will give to you a mountain bull,
  Five boars and thirty, even forty stags,
  And pheasants too, as many as you will,
  Not mentioning the lion and the bear,
  All this for one small beaker of cool wine.

  DANKWART.

  Alas!

  SIEGFRIED.

  What’s Wrong?

  HAGEN.

  The wine has been forgotten.

  SIEGFRIED.

  Yes, I’ll believe it.  That may well befall
  A hunter who is resting from the chase
  And has a red hot coal for his own tongue
  Inside his mouth.  Well, I must seek myself,
  Although I cannot scent it like a, hound—­
  But let it be—­I’ll never spoil your sport!

    [He seeks.]

  There is none here, nor here!  Where is the cask? 
  I pray thee, minstrel, save me, else I’ll lose
  The tongue that has till now been wagging so.

  HAGEN.

  And that may happen, for—­there is no wine.

  SIEGFRIED.

  The devil and his fiends may take your hunt
  If I am not to have a hunter’s fare! 
  Whose duty was it to provide the drink?

  HAGEN.

  Mine!  Yet I did not know where we should be,

  [Illustration:  Schnorr von Carolsfeld KRIEMHILD FINDS THE SLAIN
  SIEGFRIED]

  And sent the wine to Spessart, where it seems
  There are no thirsty men.

  SIEGFRIED.

  Give thanks who will! 
  But have we then no water?  Must a man
  Be satisfied with evening dew, and lap
  The drops from off the leaves?

  HAGEN.

  But hold thy tongue! 
  Thine ear will bring thee comfort!

  SIEGFRIED (listens).

  Hark, a spring! 
  Oh welcome stream!  ’Tis true I love thee more
  When thou, instead of welling from the stone
  So suddenly and rushing to my mouth,
  Thy winding way pursuest through the grape;
  For from thy journey many things thou bring’st,
  That fill our heads with foolish gaiety. 
  Yet even so be praised.

  [He goes to the spring.]

  Ah no!  I must
  Do penance first and ye shall witness bear
  That I have done it.  I’m the thirstiest man
  Among you all and I will drink the last,
  Because I was so harsh with poor Kriemhild.

  HAGEN.

  Then I’ll begin.

  [He goes to the spring.]

  SIEGFRIED (to GUNTHER).

  Pray look more cheerfully. 
  I know a way to reconcile thy bride;
  Brunhilda’s kisses shall ere long be thine. 
  My joy I will forego as long as thou.