Richard Wagner's Ring of the Niblung (eBook)

The First Norn[Fastening the rope again.]The night wanes,Dark grows my vision;I cannot findThe threads of the rope;The strands are twisted and loose.A horrible sightWildly vexes mine eyes:The RhinegoldThat black Alberich stole.Knowest thou more thereof?The Second Norn[With laborious haste winds the rope round the jagged rock at the mouth of the cave.]The rock's sharp edgeIs cutting the rope;The threads loosenTheir hold and grow slack;They droop tangled and frayed.From woe and wrathRises the Nibelung's ringA curse of revengeRuthlessly gnaws at the strands:--Canst thou the end foretell?The Third Norn[Hastily catching the rope which is thrown to her.]The rope is too short,Too loose it hangs;It must be stretched,Pulled straighter, beforeIts end can reach to the north![She pulls hard at the rope, which breaks.]It breaks!The Second NornIt breaks!The Third NornIt breaks![They take the pieces of broken rope and bind their bodies together with them.]The Three NornsSo ends wisdom eternal!The wise onesWill utter no more.Descend to Erda! Descend![They vanish. The dawn grows brighter; the firelight from the valley gradually fades. Sunrise; then broad daylight.]