His crown to him he tendered / and rule o'er wide domain Whereof he all was master. / Where'er did reach his reign Or men were subject to him / bestowed his hand such care That evil-doers trembled / before the spouse of Kriemhild fair. 715 In such high honor truly / he lived, as ye shall hear, And judged as lofty monarch / unto the tenth year, What time his fairest lady / to him a son did bear. Thereat the monarch's kinsmen / filled with mickle joyance were. 716 They soon the same did christen / and gave to him a name, Gunther, as hight his uncle, / nor cause was that for shame: Grew he but like his kinsmen / then happy might he be. As well he did deserve it, / him fostered they right carefully. 717 In the selfsame season / did Lady Siegelind die, When was full power wielded / by Ute's daughter high, As meet so lofty lady / should homage wide receive. That death her thus had taken / did many a worthy kinsman grieve. 718 Now by the Rhine yonder, / as we likewise hear, Unto mighty Gunther / eke a son did bear Brunhild his fair lady / in the land of Burgundy. In honor to the hero / Siegfried named eke was he. 719 The child they also fostered / with what tender care! Gunther the noble monarch / anon did masters rare Find who should instruct him / a worthy man to grow. Alas! by sad misfortune / to friends was dealt how fell a blow! 720 At all times the story / far abroad was told, How that in right worthy / way the warriors bold Lived there in Siegmund's country / as noble knights should do. Likewise did royal Gunther / eke amid his kinsmen true. 721 Land of the Nibelungen / Siegfried as well did own, --Amid his lofty kindred / a mightier ne'er was known-- And Schilbung's knights did serve him, / with all that theirs had been. That great was thus his power / did fill with joy the knight full keen. 722 Hoard of all the greatest / that hero ever won, Save who erstwhile did wield it, / now the knight did own, The which before a mountain / he seized against despite, And for whose sake he further / slew full many a gallant knight. 723 Naught more his heart could wish for; / yet had his might been less, Rightly must all people / of the high knight confess, One was he of the worthiest / that e'er bestrode a steed. Feared was his mickle prowess, / and, sooth to say, thereof was need. TWELFTH ADVENTURE How Gunther bade Siegfried to the Feast 724 Now all time bethought her / royal Gunther's wife: "How now doth Lady Kriemhild / lead so haughty life? In sooth her husband Siegfried / doth homage to us owe, But now full long unto us / little service he doth show." 725 That in her heart in secret / eke she pondered o'er. That they were strangers to her / did grieve her heart full sore, And so seldom sign of service / came from Siegfried's land. How it thus was fallen, / that she fain would understand. 726