On the high-seat sitteth Gudrun when she sees the man of war
    Come gleaming into the chamber; then she standeth up on the floor,
    And is great and goodly to look on mid the women of that place: 
    But she knoweth the guise of the Niblungs, and she knoweth Gunnar’s
      face,
    And at first she turneth to flee, as erewhile she fled away
    When she rose from the wound of Sigurd and loathed the light of day: 
    But her father’s heart rose in her, and the sleeping wrong awoke,
    And she made one step from the high-seat before Queen Thora’s folk;
    And Gunnar moved from the threshold, and smiled as he drew anear,
    And Hogni went behind him and the Mother of Kings was there;
    And her maids and the Earls of the Niblungs stood gleaming there
      behind: 
    Lo, the kin and the friends of Gudrun, a smiling folk and kind!

    In the midst stood Gudrun before them, and cried aloud and said: 
    “What! bear ye tidings of Sigurd? is he new come back from the dead? 
    O then will I hasten to greet him, and cherish my love and my lord,
    Though the murderous sons of Giuki have borne the tale abroad.”

    Dead-pale she stood before them, and no mouth answered again,
    And the summer morn grew heavy, and chill were the hearts of men
    And Thora’s people trembled:  there the simple people first
    Saw the horror of the King-folk, and mighty lives accurst.

    All hushed stood the glorious Gunnar, but Hogni came before,
    And he said:  “It is sooth, my sister, that thy sorrow hath been sore,
    That hath rent thee away from thy kindred and the folk that love thee
      most: 
    But to double sorrow with hatred is to cast all after the lost,
    And to die and to rest not in death, and to loathe and linger the end: 
    Now today do we come to this dwelling thy grief and thy woe to amend,
    And to give thee the gift that we may; for without thy love and thy
      peace
    Doth our life and our glory sicken, though its outward show increase. 
    Lo, we bear thee rule and dominion, and hope and the glory of life,
    For King Atli wooeth thee, Gudrun, for his queen and his wedded wife.”

    Still she stood as a carven image, as a stone of ancient days
    When the sun is bright about it and the wind sweeps low o’er the ways. 
    All hushed was Gunnar the Niblung and knew not how to beseech,
    But still Hogni faced his sister, nor faltered aught in his speech: 

    “Thou art young,” he said, “O sister; thou wert called a mighty queen
    When the nurses first upraised thee and first thy body was seen: 
    If thou bide with these toiling women when a great king bids thee to
      wife,
    Then first is it seen of the Niblungs that they cringe and cower from
      strife: 
    By the deeds of the Golden Sigurd I charge thee hinder us not,
    When the Norns have dight the way-beasts, and our hearts for the
      journey are hot!”