"And these my noble brothers, / how could they such thing see, That I of their own liegeman / e'er the wife should be? Thus will I beg thee, Brunhild, / as friend to friend doth owe, That thou, as well befits thee, / shalt further here such words forego." 823 "No whit will I give over," / spake the monarch's spouse. "Wherefore should I so many / a knight full valiant lose, Who to us in service / is bounden with thy man?" Kriemhild the fair lady / thereat sore to rage began. 824 "In sooth must thou forego it / that he should e'er to thee Aught of service offer. / More worthy e'en is he Than is my brother Gunther, / who is a royal lord. So shalt thou please to spare me / what I now from thee have heard. 825 "And to me is ever wonder, / since he thy liegeman is, And thou dost wield such power / over us twain as this, That he so long his tribute / to thee hath failed to pay. 'Twere well thy haughty humor / thou should'st no longer here display." 826 "Too lofty now thou soarest," / the queen did make reply. "Now will I see full gladly / if in such honor high This folk doth hold thy person / as mine own it doth." Of mood full sorely wrathful / were the royal ladies both. 827 Then spake the Lady Kriemhild: / "That straightway shall be seen. Since that thou my husband / dost thy liegeman ween, To-day shall all the followers / of both the monarchs know, If I 'fore wife of monarch / dare unto the minster go. 828 "That I free-born and noble / shalt thou this day behold, And that my royal husband, / as now to thee I've told, 'Fore thine doth stand in honor, / by me shall well be shown. Ere night shalt thou behold it, / how wife of him thou call'st thine own 829 To court shall lead good warriors / in the land of Burgundy. And ne'er a queen so lofty / as I myself shall be Was seen by e'er a mortal, / or yet a crown did wear." Then mickle was the anger / that rose betwixt the ladies there. 830 Then again spake Brunhild: / "Wilt thou not service own, So must thou with thy women / hold thyself alone Apart from all my following, / as we to minster go." Thereto gave answer Kriemhild: / "In truth the same I fain will do." 831 "Now dress ye fair, my maidens," / Kriemhild gave command. "Nor shall shame befall me / here within this land. An have ye fair apparel, / let now be seen by you. What she here hath boasted / may Brunhild have full cause to rue." 832 But little need to urge them: / soon were they richly clad In garments wrought full deftly, / lady and many a maid. Then went with her attendants / the spouse of the monarch high; And eke appeared fair Kriemhild, / her body decked full gorgeously, 833 With three and forty maidens, / whom to the Rhine led she, All clad in shining garments / wrought in Araby. So came unto the minster / the maidens fair and tall. Before the hall did tarry / for them the men of Siegfried all. 834