None was who aught might comfort / the wife of Siegfried there. They drew the knight's attire / from off his body fair, From wounds the blood, too, washed they / and laid him on the bier. Then from all his people / a mighty wailing might ye hear. 1027 Then outspake his warriors / of Nibelungenland: "Until he be avenged / rest shall not our hand. He is within this castle / who the deed hath done." Then rushed to find their weapons / Siegfried's warriors every one. 1028 The knights of chosen valor / with shields did thither throng, Eleven hundred warriors, / that did to train belong Of Siegmund the monarch. / That his son lay dead, Would he wreak dire vengeance, / whereof in very sooth was need. 1029 Yet knew they not whom should they / beset in battle then, If it were not Gunther / and with him his men With whom their lord Siegfried / unto the hunting rode. Yet filled with fear was Kriemhild / when she beheld how armed they stood. 1030 How great soe'er her sorrow / and stern the grief she bore, Yet for the Nibelungen / feared she death full sore From her brother's warriors, / and bade them hold their wrath. She gave them kindly warning / as friend to friend beloved doth. 1031 Then spake she rich in sorrow: / "What thing beginnest thou, Good my lord Siegmund? / This case thou dost not know. In sooth hath here King Gunther / so many a valiant knight, Lost are ye all together, / will ye the thanes withstand in fight." 1032 With shields upraised they ready / for the fight did stand. But the queen full noble / did straightway give command To those high knights, and prayed them, / their purpose to give o'er. That she might not dissuade them, / in sooth to her was sorrow sore. 1033 Spake she thus: "Lord Siegmund, / thou shalt this thing let be Until more fitting season. / Seek will I e'er with thee Full to avenge my husband. / Who him from me hath ta'en, An I shall know him guilty, / in me shall surely find his bane. 1034 "Of warriors proud and mighty / are many here by Rhine, Therefore will I advise not / the struggle to begin. For one that we can muster / good thirty men have they; As unto us their dealing, / God them requite in equal way. 1035 "Here shall ye bide with me / and help my grief to bear; Soon as dawns the morning, / ye noble knights and rare, Help me my loved husband / prepare for burial." "That shall be done full willing," / spake the doughty warriors all. 1036 To you could never any / full the wonder say, Of knights and noble ladies, / so full of grief were they, That the sound of wailing / through the town was heard afar, Whereat the noble burghers / hastily did gather there. 1037 With the guests they mourned together, / for sore they grieved as well. What was the guilt of Siegfried / none to them might tell, Wherefore the knight so noble / thus his life should lose. Then wept with the high ladies / many a worthy burgher's spouse. 1038