So there these winsome ladies stood by the river-side; And forth of the ships came Gunther with his guests, the folk of his bride; And himself forth out of the galley by the hand led Brunhild the Queen. As they met, bright raiment to raiment and stone unto stone flashed sheen. Then stepped the Lady Kriemhild forward with queenly grace, And she greeted the Lady Brunhild and her train with loving face. Men saw white hands from their foreheads the coronals softly move, As each fair queen kissed other in token of knitting of love. Then sweet spake Kriemhild the maiden, the child of a royal line: "Into this our land Burgundian welcome be thou and thine {P. 80} Unto me and to my mother, and to all this loyal crowd Of liegemen and kinsfolk," With stately grace Queen Brunhild bowed. Ofttimes with arms enfolding those lovely ladies clung;-- Of such loving welcome aforetime hath never minstrel sung As now to the bride was rendered of those noble ladies twain Uta and Kriemhild: her sweet lips kissed they once and again. Now as the ladies of Brunhild beside the river stand, The goodly knights step forward, and they take them by the hand In token of loving greeting to those fair ones lovely-eyed-- Ah, comely were they, the maidens at the Lady Brunhild's side! Ere all that greeting was ended, long time had fleeted by: On rosebud lips full many fell kisses lovingly. Long face to face communing those Daughters of Kings abode; And the peerless knights looked on them with hearts that for gladness glowed. With their own eyes then beheld they, who oft had heard it told That so glorious beauty might no man in all the world behold As the beauty of these two fair ones; and the rumour's truth they learned; For in all their lovely bodies might no blemish be discerned. Of such as could weigh the fairness of form and winsome face, Some to the bride of Gunther gave beauty's chiefest praise; But they that were more discerning, that wiselier looked thereon, Said, "Nay, ye must own that Brunhild by Kriemhild is outshone."