Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods. The Ring of the Niblung, part 2. Рихард Вагнер

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      A serpent's tail

      Sweeping he swings;

      Were that about thee wound

      And folded close,

      Thy limbs would be broken like glass.

      That his swinging tail may not touch me,

      Warily then I must watch.

      But answer me this:

      Has the brute a heart?

      A pitiless, cruel heart.

      It lies, however,

      Where all hearts lie,

      Brute and human alike?

      Of course! There, boy,

      The dragon's lies too.

      At last thou beginnest to fear?

      Nothung into

      His heart I will thrust!

      Is that what is meant by fearing?

      Hey, old dotard!

      Canst thou teach me

      Nothing but this

      With all thy craft,

      Linger no longer by me:

      No fear is here to be learnt.

      Wait awhile yet!

      What I have told thee

      Seems to thee empty sound;

      When thou hast heard

      And seen him thyself,

      Thy senses will swoon, overwhelmed!

      When thine eyes grow dim,

      And when the ground rocks,

      When in thy breast

      Thy heart beats loud,

      Thou wilt remember who brought thee,

      And think of me and my love.

      Thy love is not wanted!

      Hast thou not heard?

      Out of my sight with thee;

      Let me alone!

      Begin again talking of love,

      And on the instant I go!

      The horrible winking,

      The nods and blinking—

      When shall I see

      The last of them,

      And rid be at length of the fool?

      Well, I will off,

      And rest there by the spring.

      Thou must stay here,

      And as the sun scales the sky

      Watch for the foe:

      From his cave

      He lumbers this way,

      Winds and twists

      Past this spot,

      To water at the fountain.

      Liest thou by the spring,

      Unchecked thither the brute shall go;

      He shall swallow thee

      Down with the water,

      Ere with my sword

      To the heart I stab him!

      So heed well what I say:

      Rest not beside the spring.

      Seek somewhere else

      A far-off spot,

      And nevermore return.

      Thou wilt not refuse

      Cooling refreshment

      When the fierce fight is over?

      Call on me too

      Shouldst thou need counsel,

      Or if felled on a sudden by fear.

      Fafner and Siegfried—

      Siegfried and Fafner—

      Might each the other but slay!