"The youngest one among them / he is a worthy knight: As modest as a maiden, / I see the thane of might Goodly in his bearing / standing so fair to see, We all might fear if any / affront to him should offered be. 415 "How blithe soe'er his manner, / how fair soe'er is he, Well could he cause of sorrow / to stately woman be, If he gan show his anger. / In him may well be seen He is in knightly virtues / a thane of valor bold and keen." 416 Then spake the queen in answer: / "Bring now my robes to hand. And is the mighty Siegfried / come unto this land, For love of me brought thither, / he pays it with his life. I fear him not so sorely / that I e'er become his wife." 417 So was fair Brunhild / straightway well arrayed. Then went with her thither / full many a beauteous maid, A hundred good or over, / bedight right merrily. The full beauteous maidens / would those stranger warriors see. 418 And with them went the warriors / there of Isenland, The knights attending Brunhild, / who bore sword in hand, Five hundred men or over. / Scarce heart the strangers kept As those knights brave and seemly / down from out the saddle leapt. 419 When the royal lady / Siegfried espied, Now mote ye willing listen / what there the maiden said. "Welcome be thou, Siegfried, / hither unto this land. What meaneth this thy journey, / gladly might I understand." 420 "Full mickle do I thank thee, / my Lady, high Brunhild, That thou art pleased to greet me, / noble Princess mild, Before this knight so noble, / who stands before me here: For he is my master, / whom first to honor fitting were. 421 "Born is he of Rhineland: / what need I say more? For thee 'tis highest favor / that we do hither fare. Thee will he gladly marry, / an bring that whatsoe'er. Betimes shalt thou bethink thee: / my master will thee never spare. 422 "For his name is Gunther / and he a mighty king. If he thy love hath won him, / more wants he not a thing. In sooth the king so noble / hath bade me hither fare: And gladly had I left it, / might I to thwart his wishes dare." 423 She spake: "Is he thy master / and thou his vassal art, Some games to him I offer, / and dare he there take part, And comes he forth the victor, / so am I then his wife: And be it I that conquer, / then shall ye forfeit each his life." 424 Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / "Lady, let us see Thy games so fraught with peril. / Before should yield to thee Gunther my master, / that well were something rare. He trows he yet is able / to win a maid so passing fair." 425 "Then shall ye try stone-putting / and follow up the cast, And the spear hurl with me. / Do ye naught here in haste. For well may ye pay forfeit / with honor eke and life: Bethink ye thus full calmly," / spake she whom Gunther would for wife. 426