The Ring of the Niblungs (Rackham)/The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie/The Rhinegold/Act 3

by Richard Wagner

‍

THIRD SCENE

From various points in the distance ruddy lights gleam out. An increasing clamour, as of smiths at work, is heard on all sides. The clang of the anvils dies away. A vast subterranean chasm becomes visible which seems to open into narrow gorges on all sides. Alberich drags the screaming Mime out of a side cleft.

Alberich	Héhé! Héhé! Come here! Come here! Mischievous dwarf! Prettily pinched Promptly thou’lt be Hast thou not ready, Wrought to my wish, The dainty thing I desire!
Mime Howling.	Ohé! Ohé! Oh! Oh! Let me alone! It is forged; Heeding thy hest I laboured hard Till it was done! Take but thy nails from my ear!
Alberich	Then why this delay To show thy work?
Mime	I feared that something Might still be wanting.

Mime, howling. “Ohé! Ohé!
Oh! Oh!”
Page 38

Alberich	What is there to finish?
Mime Embarrassed.	Here—and there———
Alberieh	How here and there? Hand me the thing! [He tries to catch hold of his ear again, In his terror Mime drops a piece of metalwork which he has been clutching convulsively. Alberich picks it up hastily and examines it with care. Rogue, observe! See how all wrought is Well finished and feat, Done as desired! The simpleton wants Slyly to trick me And keep by cunning The wonderful work, Though all his skill Came alone from my craft, Thou art discovered, thief. [He puts the Tarnhelm on his head. The helmet fits the head; But will the spell prosper too? [Very softly. “Night and darkness, a Seen of none!” [He vanishes, and a pillar of cloud takes his place. Brother, canst see me?
Mime Looks rond in amaze.	Where art thou? I see no one.
Alberich Invisible.	Then feel me instead, Thou lazy scamp! Take that for thy thievish thoughts!
Mime Writhes under the	Ohé! Ohé! Oh! Oh! Oh!
lashes he receives, the sound of which is heard without the whip being seen.
Alberich Invisible and laughing.	Ha! ha! ha! Ha! ha! ha! I thank thee, blockhead; Thy work has stood the test. Hoho! Hoho! Nibelungs all Bow now to Alberich! For he is everywhere, Waiting and watching; Peace and rest Are past for ever; Ye must all serve him Though see him can none; Where he cannot be spied Look out for his coming ; None shall escape from his thraldom! [Harshly. Hoho! hoho! Hearken, he nears: The Nibelung’s lord f [The pillar of cloud disappears in the background. Alberich’s scolding voice is heard more and more faintly. Mime lies huddled up in pain. Wotan and Loge come dawn through a cleft in the rock.
Loge	Nibelheim here. Through pale mists gleaming, How bright yonder fiery sparks glimmer!
Mime	Oh! Oh! Oh!
Wotan	I hear loud groans. Who lies on the ground?

Mime writhes under the lashes he receives
Page 40

Loge Bends over Mime.	Why all this whimpering noise?
Mime	Ohé! Ohé! Oh! Oh!
Loge	Hei, Mime! Merry dwarf! Who beats and bullies thee so?
Mime	Leave me in peace, pray,
Loge	So much is certain, And more still, Hark! Help I promise thee, Mime! [He raises him with difficulty.
Mime	What help for me? To do his bidding My brother can force me, For I am bound as his slave.
Loge	But, Mime, how has he Thus made thee his thrall?
Mime	By evil arts Fashioned Alberich A yellow ring, From the Rhinegold forged, At whose mighty magic Trembling we marvel; This spell puts in his power The Nibelung hosts of night. Happy we smiths Moulded and hammered, Making our women Trinkets to wear—— Exquisite Nibelung toys—— And lightly laughed at our toil.
	The rogue now compels us To creep into caverns, For him alone To labour unthanked. Through the golden ring His greed can divine Where untouched treasure In hidden gorge gleams. We still must keep spying, Peering and delving: Must melt the booty, Which, molten, we forge Without pause or peace, To heap up higher his hoard.
Loge	Just now, then, an idler Roused him to wrath?
Mime	Poor Mime, ah! My lot was the hardest. I had to work, Forging a helmet, With strict instructions How to contrive it; And well I marked The wondrous might Bestowed by the helm That from steel I wrought. Hence I had gladly Held it as mine, And, by its virtue Risen at last in revolt: Perchance, yes, perchance The master himself I had mastered, And, he in my power, had wrested, The ring from him and used it
	That he might serve me, the free man, [Harshly. As now I must serve him, a slave!
Loge	And wherefore, wise one, Sped not the plan?
Mime	Ah! though the helm I fashioned, The magic that lurks therein I foolishly failed to divine. He who set the task And seized the fruits—— From him I have learnt, Alas! but too late! All the helmet’s cunning craft. From my sight he vanished, But, viciously lashing, Swung his arm through unseen. [Howling and sobbing. This, fool that I am, Was all my thanks! [He rubs his back. Wotan and Loge laugh.
Loge To Wotan.	Confess, our task Will call for skill.
Wotan	Yet the foe will yield, Use thou but fraud.
Mime Observes the Gods more attentively.	Who are you, ye strangers That ask all these questions?
Loge	Friends to thee, Who from their straits Will free all the Nibelung folk.
Mime Shrinking back in	Hark! Have a care! Alberich comes!
fear when he hears Alberich returning.[He runs to and fro in terror
Wotan	We’ll wait for him here. [He sits down calmly on a stone. Alberich, who has taken the Tarnhelm from his head and hung it on his girdle, is brandishing his scourge and driving before him a band of Nibelungs fro m the gorges below. These are laden with gold and silver treasure, which, urged on by Alberich, they pile up so as to form a large heap.
Alberich	Hither! Thither! Héhé! Hoho! Lazy herd! Haste and heap Higher the hoard. Up with thee there! On with thee here! Indolent dolts, Down with the treasure! Need ye my urging? Here with it all! [He suddenly perceives Wotan and Loge. Hey! Who are they That thus intrude? Mime I Come here! Rascally rogue! Gossiping art With the pilgriming pair? Off, thou idler! Back to thy bellows and beating! [Lashing Mime , he chases him into the crowd of Nibelungs. Hey! to your labour! Get ye all hence now! Swing ye down swift! From the virgin gorges Get me the gold! This whip will follow,

Alberich drives in a band of Nibelungs laden with gold
and silver treasure
See p. 44

	Delve ye not fast! That labour ye shirk not Mime be surety, Or surely the lash Of my whip will find him; That where no one would guess I watch and I wander, None knows it better than he. Loitering still? Lingering there? [He pulls the ring from his finger, kisses it and stretches it out in menace. Fear ye and tremble, O fallen host, And obey The ring’s dread lord! [Howling and shrieking, the Nibelungs, among them Mime, scatter, and creep down into the clests in all dirictions.
Alberich	What seek ye here?
Looks long and distrustfully at Wotan and Loge.
Wotan	From Nibelheim’s gloomy realm Strange tidings have travelled up, Tales of wonders Worked here by Alberich; And, greedy of marvels, Hither came we as guests.
Alberich	By envy urged, Hither ye hie. Such doughty guests I do not mistake.
Loge	Since I am known, Ignorant elf, Say then, with growling
	Whom dost thou greet? In caverns cold Where once thou didst crouch, Who gave thee light And fire for thy comfort, Had Loge not smiled on thee? Or what hadst thou fashioned Had not I heated thy forge? I am thy kinsman And once was kind: Lukewarm, methinks, are thy thanks!
Alberich	On light-born elves Laughs now Loge, The crafty rogue: Art thou, false one, their friend As my friend thou wert once, Haha! I laugh! No harm from such need I fear.
Loge	No cause then for thy distrust.
Alberich	I can trust thy falsehood, Not thy good faith! [Taking up a defiant altitude. Yet I dare you all unflinching.
Loge	’Tis thy might That makes thee so bold; Grimly great Groweth thy power.
Alberich	Seest thou the hoard Yonder heaped High by my host?
Loge	A richer one never was seen.
Alberich	A wretched pile Is this to-day, though. Boldly mounting, ’Twill be bigger henceforward.
Wotan	But what is gained by the hoard In joyless Nibelheim, Where wealth finds nothing to buy?
Alberich	Treasure to gather And treasure to garner—— Thereto Nibelheim serves. But with the hoard In the caverns upheaped Wonders all wonder surpassing Will I perform And win the whole world and its fairness.
Wotan	But, my friend, how compass that goal?
Alberich	Ye who live above and breathe The balmy, sweet airs, Love and laugh: A hand of gold Ere long, O ye Gods, will have gripped you! As I forswore love, even so No one alive But shall forswear it; By golden songs wooed, For gold alone will his greed be. On hills of delight Your home is, where gladness Softly lulls; The dark elves Ye despise, O deathless carousers! Beware! Beware!
	For first your men Shall bow to my might; Then your women fair Who my wooing spurned The dwarf will force to his will, Though frowned on by love. [Laughing savagely. Ha! ha! ha! ha! Mark ye my word? Beware! Beware of the hosts of the night, When rise shall the Nibelung hoard From silent depths to the day!
Wotan Furiously.	Avaunt, impious fool!
Alberich	What says he?
Loge Stepping between them.	Cease from thy folly! [To Alberich. Who would gaze not in wonder, Beholding Alberich’s work? If only thy skill can achieve Everything hope has promised, Almighty I needs must acclaim thee! For moon and stars And the sun in his glory, Forced to do thee obeisance, Even they must bow down. But what would seem of most moment Is that they who serve thee, The Nibelung hosts, Bow and bear no hate. When thy hand held forth a ring Thy folk were stricken with fear. But in thy sleep A thief might slip up
	And steal slyly the ring. Say, how wouldst thou save thyself then?
Alberich	Most shrewd to himself seems Loge; Others always Figure as fools. If I had to ask for Advice or aid On bitter terms, How happy the thief would be! This helmet that hides I schemed for myself, And chose for its smith Mime, finest of forgers. I am now able Swift to assume Any form that I fancy, Through the helm. No one sees me, Search as he will; Though everywhere hidden, I always am there. So, fearing nothing, Even from thee I am safe, Most kind, careful of friends!
Loge	I have met Full many a marvel, But one so wondrous Have never known. Achievement so matchless Scarce can I credit. Were this possible, truly Thy might indeed were eternal.
Alberich	Dost thou believe I lie, as would Loge?
Loge	Till it is proved I must suspect thy word.
Alberich	Puffed up with wisdom, The fool will explode soon: Of envy then die! Decide to what I shall change; In that form I shall stand.
Loge	Nay, choose for thyself, But strike me dumb with amaze.
Alberich Puts the Tarnhelm on his head.	“Dragon dread, Wreathe thou and wriggle!” [He immediately disappears. An enormous serpent writhes on the floor in his place. It rears and threatens Wotan and Loge with its open jaws.
Loge Pretends to be terrified.	Ohé!
Alberich Laughing.	Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
Loge	Ohé! Ohé! Horrible dragon, O swallow me not! Spare the life of poor Loge!
Wotan	Good, Alberich! Well done, rascal! How swiftly grew The dwarf to the dragon immense! [The dragon disappears and, in its stead, Alberich is again seen in his own shape.
Alberich	He he! Ye scoffers, Are ye convinced?

 “Ohé! Ohé!
 Horrible dragon,
 O swallow me not!
Spare the life of poor Loge!”
See p. 50

Loge In a trembling voice.	My trembling tells thee how truly. A giant snake Thou wert in a trice. Having beheld, I must credit the wonder. Couldest thou turn To something quite tiny As well as bigger? Methinks that way were best For slyly slipping from foes; That, though, I fear were too hard!
Alberich	For thee, yes; Thou art so dull! How small shall I be?
Loge	The most cramped of crannies must hold thee That hides the timorous toad.
Alberich	Nothing simpler! Look at me now! [He puts the Tarnhelm on his head again. “Crooked toad, Creep and crawl there!” [He vanishes. The Gods see a toad on the rocks creeping towards them.
Loge To Wotan.	Quick and catch it! Capture the toad! [Wotan sets his foot on the toad. Loge makes a dash at its head and holds the Tarnhelm in his hand.
Alberich Is suddenly seen	Ohé! I’m caught! My curse upon them!
in his own shape writhing under Wotan’s foot.
Loge	Hold him fast Till he is bound. [Loge binds his hands and feet with a rope. Now swiftly up! Then he is ours. [Both seize hold of the prisoner, who struggles violently, and drag him towards the shaft by which they descended. They disappear mounting upwards.