LOGE
By theft!
What a thief stole
Steal thou from the thief;
How better could object be won?
But with baleful arms
Battles Alberich.
Wary, wise
Must be thy scheming,
If the thief thou wouldst confound,
[With warmth.
And restore the ruddy
And golden toy,
The Rhinegold, to the maidens.
For this they pray and implore.
WOTAN
The river-maidens?
What profit were mine?
FRICKA
Of that billow-born brood
Bring me no tidings,
For they have wooed
To my woe
Full many a man to their caves.
[Wotan stands silent, struggling with himself. The other Gods gaze at him in mute suspense. Fafner, meanwhile, has been consulting aside with Fasolt.
FAFNER [To Fasolt
Worth far more than Freia
Were the glittering gold.
Eternal youth, too, were his
Who could use the charm in its quest.
[Fasolt's gestures indicate that he is being convinced against his will. Fafner and Fasolt approach Wotan again.
FAFNER
Hear, Wotan,
Our word while we wait;
Freia we will restore you,
And will take
Paltrier payment:
The Niblung's red-gleaming gold
Will guerdon us giants rude.
WOTAN
Ye must be mad!
With what I possess not
How can I, shameless ones, pay you?
FAFNER
Hard labour
Went to those walls;
How easy
With fraud-aided force
(What our malice never achieved)
The Niblung to break and bind!
Fasolt suddenly seizes Freia and drags her to one side with Fafner
WOTAN [More quickly.
Why should I make
War on the Niblung?—
Fight, your foe to confound?
Insolent
And greedily grasping
Dolts you grow through my debt!
FASOLT
[Suddenly seizes Freia and drags her to one side with Fafner.
Maiden, come!
We claim thee ours!
As pledge thou shalt be held
Till the ransom is paid.
FREIA [Screaming.
Woe's me! Woe's me! Woe!
FAFNER
From your midst
We bear her forth!
Till evening—mark it well!—
As a pledge she is ours.
We will return then.
But when we come,
If the Rhinegold be not ready,
The Rhinegold bright and red—
FASOLT
The respite is ended,
Freia is forfeit
And bides among us for aye!
FREIA
Sister! Brothers!
Save me! Help!
[The giants hasten off, dragging Freia with them.
FROH
Up! Follow fast!
DONNER
Fall now the heavens!
[They look inquiringly at Wotan.
FREIA [In the distance.
Save me! Help!
LOGE [Looking after the giants.
Downward over stock and stone
Striding they go;
Through the ford across the Rhine
Wade now the robbers.
Sad at heart
Hangs Freia,
Thrown rudely over rough shoulders!
Heia! hei!
The louts, how they lumber along!
Through the Rhine valley they reel.
Not till Riesenheim's march
Is reached will they rest!
[He turns to the Gods.
How darkly Wotan doth dream!
What ails the high, happy Gods?
[A pale mist, gradually increasing in density, fills the stage. Seen through it the Gods look more and more wan and aged. All stand in dismay and apprehension regarding Wotan, whose eyes are fixed broodingly on the ground.
LOGE
Does a mist mock me?
Tricks me a dream?
Dismayed and wan,
How swiftly ye fade!
Lo! the bloom forsakes your cheeks,
And quenched is the light of your eyes!
Courage, Froh!
Day's but begun!
From thy hand, Donner,
The hammer is falling!
And why frets Fricka?
Sees she with sorrow
That Wotan's hair, growing grey,
Has made him gloomy and old?
FRICKA
Woe's me! Woe's me!
What does it mean?
The Gods grow wan and aged at the loss of Freia.
DONNER
My