An escort safe did furnish / the young knight Giselher: Forth from out that country / he led them full of care, The monarch with his warriors, / to Netherland their home. How joyless is the greeting / as thither to their kin they come! 1099 How fared that folk thereafter, / that can I nowise say. Here heard ye Kriemhild plaining / as day did follow day, That none there was to comfort / her heart and sorry mood, Did Giselher not do it; / he faithful was to her and good. 1100 The while the fair Queen Brunhild / in mood full haughty sat, And weep howe'er did Kriemhild, / but little recked she that, Nor whit to her of pity / displayed she evermore. Anon was Lady Kriemhild / eke cause to her of sorrow sore. NINETEENTH ADVENTURE How the Nibelungen Hoard was Brought to Worms 1101 When that the noble Kriemhild / thus did widowed stand, Remained there with his warriors / by her in that land Eckewart the margrave, / and served her ever true. And he did help his mistress / oft to mourn his master too. 1102 At Worms a house they built her / the minster high beside, That was both rich and spacious, / full long and eke full wide, Wherein with her attendants / joyless did she dwell. She sought the minster gladly, / --that to do she loved full well. 1103 Seldom undone she left it, / but thither went alway In sorry mood where buried / her loved husband lay. God begged she in his mercy / his soul in charge to keep, And, to the thane right faithful, / for him full often did she weep. 1104 Ute and her attendants / all times a comfort bore, But yet her heart was stricken / and wounded all so sore That no whit might avail it / what solace e'er they brought. For lover taken from her / with such grief her heart was fraught, 1105 As ne'er for spouse beloved / a wife did ever show. Thereby how high in virtue / she stood ye well might know. She mourned until her ending / and while did last her life. Anon a mighty vengeance / wreaked the valiant Siegfried's wife. 1106 And so such load of sorrow / for her dead spouse she bore, The story sayeth truly, / for years full three or more, Nor ever unto Gunther / any word spake she, And meantime eke her enemy / Hagen never might she see. 1107 Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / "Now seek'st thou such an end, That unto thee thy sister / be well-disposed friend? Then Nibelungen treasure / let come to this country: Thereof thou much might'st win thee, / might Kriemhild friendly-minded be." 1108 He spake: "Be that our effort. / My brothers' love hath she: Them shall we beg to win her / that she our friend may be, And that she gladly see it / that we do share her store." "I trow it well," spake Hagen, / "may such thing be nevermore." 1109 Then did he Ortwein / unto the court command And the margrave Gere. / When both were found at hand, Thither brought they Gernot / and eke young Giselher. In friendly manner sought they / to win the Lady Kriemhild there. 1110