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DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN (“The Ring of the Nibelungs”) by Richard Wagner Prelude: The Rhinegold Argument. (as given by Jameson) Scene I. The depths of the Rhine. Three Rhine-maidens guard the magical Rhine-gold which lies on the top of a rock. Alberich, a Nibelung, approaches and, fascinated by their beauty, clumsily and unsuccessfully makes love to each in turn. The sun rises and the Rhine-gold, touched by its rays, floods the waters with golden light. Alberich, astonished, is told by the maidens of the magic power of the gold and how a ring made of it confers unmeasured power on its possessor, if he forswears love. Alberich, enraged and disappointed in his wooing curses love and steals the gold. The scene changes to: Scene II. An open place from which across the Rhine the newly built castle, Walhall, is visible. Wotan and Fricka lie asleep. On waking, Wotan greets the castle, but Fricka reproachfully reminds him of the price to be paid to the Giants for building it, viz: the goddess Freia, the apples from whose garden confer eternal yo9uth on the gods, if eaten daily. Freia enters, pursued by Fasolt and Fafner: the giants, who demand her as the promised reward of their work. Wotan temporizes with them until the entrance of Loge, the fire god, who has engaged to save the goddess. Tempted by Loge’s account of the marvels of the Rhine-gold, the giants offer to take it in lieu of Freia, whom, however, they take away with them as a hostage until Wotan pays the gold. Wotan and Loge depart for Nibelheim. The scene changes to: Scene III. Nibelheim, the subterranean home of the Nibelungs. Wotan and Loge find Mime, Alberich’s brother, bewailing the fate of the Niblungs, groaning under the tyranny Alberich exercises through the power of the Ring. Alberich enters presently and is induced by Loge to exhibit the virtues of the “Tarnhelm”, a wishing cap, just made by Mime. He first transforms himself into a serpent, and then into a toad in which form he is seized by Wotan and, on returning to his own shape, bound and carried off. The scene changes to: Scene IV. An open place, as in Scene II. Alberich dragged in by Loge, is forced to deliver up the hoard of gold he has amassed, together with the Tarnhelm and the Ring. When then released from his bonds, he solemnly curses the Ring and all future possessors of it and departs. Fricka, Donner and Froh enter, followed soon by the Giants who bring Freia back. They refuse to release her until fully paid and claim the Ring as well as the hoard and the Tarnhelm. This Wotan refuses, but warned by Erda, the all-wise one, who rises from the earth, he at length gives it up. The giants quarrel over the possession of the Ring and Fafner kills his brother Fasolt with a stroke of his club and carries off the gold. Donner then calls the clouds together and, on the clearing away of the storm, a rainbow bridge is seen across the Rhine over which the gods pass to Walhall, as the plaints of the Rhine-maidens for the loss of the gold arise from the river far below. Commentaries derived from: (1) Gustav Kobbé, “How to Understand Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung” (1895) (2) Richard Aldrich, “A Guide to The Ring of the Nibelung” (1905) (3) William C. Ward, “A Study of the inner Significance of Richard Wagner’s Music-Drama” (1889; revised for reprint 1904) (4) Gertrude Hall Brownell, “The Wagnerian Romances” (1907) (5) Jessie L. Weston, The Legends of the Wagner Drama: Studies in Mythology (1896) (6) George Theodore Dippold, “Richard Wagner's Poem ... Explained” (1888) Ward’s Introduction (1904). The contest between light and darkness forms the subject of innumerable myths, varied according to the circumstances and character of the nations among which they were developed. But the great myths of antiquity may be rightly interpreted in relation to more than one plane of existence, and by no means solely, or even chiefly, in relation to the physical plane. The actual origin of mythology is lost to us in the distance of prehistoric time, but as far back as we are ble to trace it there seems little reason to doubt that it possessed a spiritual significance. Questionless, to our ancestors of the early myth-making ages the wondrous sights and sounds of the phenomenal world appealed with a force foreign to our own jaded minds. From an intense sensibility to the life and movement of nature they endowed the objects of their wonder with all the attributes of personal and sentient beings. The earth, the water, and the air were populated with hosts of living creatures who, to the qualities proper to the objects of which—or rather, of the life in which—they were personifications, added the passions and emotions of humanity. Yet perhaps at no period to which we can point was the resemblance between the external life of nature and the inner life of the soul of man wholly unrecognized, and the most ancient myths may be held to symbolize, on their different planes, both the one and the other. Their physical interpretation—as of the sun dispelling the darkness of night, or awakening the earth from its wintry slumber—remain valid in its own field as a part of the truth, and as itself symbolic of a higher truth. For the contest of light and darkness on the physical plane is but the counterpart of a similar context on the mental and moral planes. Indeed, as an ancient philosopher has observed (Sallust, De Diis et Mundo, c: III.), what is the visible world itself but a myth, suggesting by sensible symbols the truths of that invisible world in which existence is not phenomenal, but real—the world of Mind and Soul? But, from many causes, it often happens that the mythological traditions of antiquity which have been handed down to us, have reached us in a form differing doubtless considerably from that in which they were primarily conceived. In the course of ages the original meaning of a myth would become lost; the names applied to the various personifications, and once expressive of their various attributes, would no longer convey their original sense to a people whose very language perhaps had changed, but would become regarded as proper names merely. Poets would take up the materials already, it may be, unavoidably altered in passing down from generation to generation, and would mould them anew according to their own fancy or inspiration. Moreover, names borrowed from the old myths would, particularly when their meaning was forgotten, be bestowed upon mortal men, and the fame of their deeds, when the lapse of time had drawn before them a veil of partial oblivion, would be reflected back upon the myths themselves. Thus, for example, in the Nibelungen Lied, the old German version of the legend which supplied Wagner with the materials for his Nibelung’s Ring, the original tradition has been so bedecked with stories of Mediæval chivalry and dim reminiscences of history, that, although it can still be partially discriminated, few of the pristine features remain. Wagner, therefore, for the materials of his poem, had recourse to the older and more primitive form of the story preserved in the Norse Eddas and the Volsunga Saga. It is believed, however, that the legend existed at a still earlier period in Germany, whence it was carried to the North, there to be adopted and secured when lost to its native land. But even here the root is not reached. The beginning of the immortal tale was doubtless shaped in that prehistoric age when our Aryan progenitors still dwelt in their Asiatic homes. When they separated and migrated the myth gradually assumed different forms with each branch of the race; and where the Greeks tell of the victory of Apollo over the Python, of Hercules over the Dragon of the Hesperides, and many other stories, all symbolizing in various aspects the triumph of Light over Darkness, the Teutonic races speak of Siegfried’s contest with the Serpent Fafner, or of Beowulf’s slaying of the Fire-Drake. But the investigation of ancient folk-lore is not our present object. Our task is to inquire into the manner in which Wagner has succeeded in connecting the old-time legend of his adoption with the life of our own day, its aspirations and beliefs; in re-animating it with a spiritual significance, true, not only for the past, but for the present and for all time to come—a significance, it may be, dimly adumbrated, it may be, in some of its principal features, clearly comprehended by the ancient seers who modeled in bygone ages the wondrous tale [note: it should be noticed that although Wagner has, in the main, followed the great outlines of the Norse legend, he has modified them wherever it seemed desirable, in order to express more clearly his thought; also that the drama is filled with significant details, often introduced or applied with a purpose entirely his own]. But this, at all events, is beyond our scope. It suffices us to know that by the genius of Richard Wagner, the inner meaning of the great Teutonic legend was for the first time brought home to the heart and made intelligible to the intellect of the nineteenth century. The true subject, then, of the Nibelung’s Ring is the gradual progress of the human soul, its contests, its victories and defeats, and its ultimate redemption by the power of Divine Love. We find the same idea underlying antecedent works of the author, although in the Ring more than elsewhere it is consistently developed into a history of Humanity from the earliest dawn of individual consciousness to the final attainment of a purely spiritual existence. In the Nibelung’s Ring, as I trust I shall be able to show, we have a poem of which the main purport is distinctly allegorical, and which is built upon a deep foundation of spiritual truth. Few artists have been so consistently faithful as Wagner to the principle which he himself proclaimed (in Religion and Art),—that “Art has fulfilled her true mission only when she has led to comprehension of the inner sense by ideal presentment of the allegorical form.”
Notes on Forman’s Translation “In the alliterative verse of the original. The only version approved by the author, and the first translation of the work into any language.” (from the title page) —A Note from Richard Wagner: “For their love and zeal I give my warmest thanks, and am very glad if you use this beautiful work of the Wagner Society and my special friend Mr. Forman.” “I do not wonder at the cordiality of commendation bestowed by the master on such a version of his great work.” —Algernon Charles Swinburne “Mr. Alfred Forman has successfully accomplished a task which might rebut the boldest of translators.” —John Payne “Mr. Forman's translation is a marvellous tour deforce.” —Richard Garnett “The extraordinary difficulty of the task may be imagined when it is said that not merely is the English version fitted to the music, the rhythm and metre being closely adhered to, but that even the alliterative verse has been preserved in the translation.” —Academy “In Mr. Forman's work we are borne into an ideal sphere. We wonder at the wealth of pregnant words; we are entranced by the unity of style and feeling; and under his guidance we traverse the new world of poetry which Wagner himself has revealed to us. —Daily Chronicle “Mr. Alfred Forman's admirable translation of the gigantic tetralogy "Der Ring des Nibelungen," is entitled to rank as a valuable contribution to the dramatic literature of the day.” —Evening News “Wagner is to be greatly congratulated on having found an interpreter who has recognized in "Der Ring des Nibelungen" a tragic poem of the first importance, and who has rendered it into English in such a manner as to convey the same impression.” —Court Circular “The philological import of Mr. Forman's work is as great as its poetic charm. We rise from perusal of the transcription with the consciousness that we have passed through the same world and received the same impressions as during our reading of the original.” —Musical Standard “None but a genuine enthusiast would have dreamed of undertaking so herculean a work as this translation. ... It can be honestly recommended as giving an excellent idea both of the spirit and form of the work.” —Musical Times A Note on Jameson’s Translation (by Mark D. Lew) Frederick Jameson's translation of the Ring is sometimes criticized as an inferior product. Nevertheless, I have chosen to use it here, for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, of the four Ring translations which can reasonably be considered to be standard, Jameson's is the only one not protected by copyright, and thus the only one readily available for this project. Of other, non-standard translations which are in the public domain, I have found none that are an improvement over Jameson. I would not go so far as to say that Jameson's is the best Ring translation there is. (The three other standard translations — Salter/Mann, which accompanies most CDs; Andrew Porter's singing translation for ENO; and Stewart Spencer's new translation with its detailed annotations — are all excellent.) I would say, however, that Jameson's work is underrated, and much of the criticism is undeserved. The common complaint is that it is outdated and incomprehensible; yet the old-fashioned style which Jameson adopts is in conscious imitation of Wagner's equally old-fashioned German. Most of the criticism against Jameson's text — that it sounds artificial and is hard to understand — could just as easily be (and indeed is) leveled against Wagner's original text in German. In fact, of all the translations, Jameson's comes closest to preserving Wagner's tone. The more recent translators may have improved the libretto by making it more readable, but in the process they have, as Spencer acknowledges, to a certain extent misrepresented the authentic obscurity of Wagner's original. Jameson's English is no more incomprehensible than Shakespeare's, and few readers of Shakespeare insist that his writing be modernized. The old-fashioned grammar, with its unusual word order and littered with "hath"s and "dost"s, is awkward at first, but there is a logic to it, and after a few pages one grows accustomed to it (or, as one of Jameson's characters might say, it becomes "wonted"). For the handful of archaic words which Jameson uses (uses repeatedly, in many cases), a short glossary has been provided on the final page of each libretto. DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN Prelude: The Rhinegold Alfred Forman (1877) Frederick Jameson (1900) Commentaries SCENE I: At the Bottom of the Rhine (Greenish twilight—lighter upwards, darker downwards. The upper part is filled with waves of moving water that stream restlessly from right to left. Toward the bottom the water is dissolved into a gradually finer and finer wet mist, so that the space of a man’s height from the ground seems to be quite free from water, which flows like a train of clouds over the dark depth. Everywhere rugged ridges of rock rise from the bottom, and form the boundary of the scene. The whole floor is broken into a wilderness of jagged masses, so that it is nowhere perfectly level, and indicates in every direction deeper passages stretching into thickest darkness. In the middle of the scene, round a ridge which, with its slender point, reaches up into the thicker and lighter water, one of the Rhine-Daughters swims in graceful movement.) WOGLINDE. Weia! Waga! Waver, thou water! Crowd to the cradle! Wagalaweia! Wallala weiala weia! WELLGUNDE’S (voice from above). Watchest thou, Woglind’, alone? WOGLINDE. Till Wellgund’ is with me below. WELLGUNDE (dives down from the flood to the ridge). Is wakeful thy watch? (she tries to catch Woglinde.) WOGLINDE (swims out of her reach). Safe from thee so. (They incite & seek playfully to catch each other) FLOSSHILDE’S (voice from above). Heiala weia! Wisdomless sisters! WELLGUNDE. Flosshilde, swim! Woglinde flies; help me her flowing to hinder! FLOSSHILDE (dives down & swims between them as they play). The sleeping gold slightly you guard; Better beset the slumberer’s bed, Or grief will bring us your game! FIRST SCENE: At the Bottom of the Rhine Greenish twilight, lighter above, darker below. The upper part of the scene is filled with moving water, which restlessly streams from right to left. Towards the bottom the waters resolve themselves into a fine mist, so that the space, to a man’s height from the stage, seems free from the water which floats like a train of clouds over gloomy depths. Every-where are steep points of rock jutting up from the depths and enclosing the whole stage; all the ground is broken up into a wild confusion of jagged pieces, so that there is no level place, while on all sides darkness indicates other deeper fissures. One of the RHINE-DAUGHTERS circles with graceful swimming motions round the central rock. Woglinde. Weia! Waga! Wandering waters, swing ye our cradle! wagala weia! Walala, weiala weia! Wellgunde’s (voice from above). Woglinde, watchest alone? Woglinde. If Wellgunde came we were two. Wellgunde (dives down to the rock). How safe is they watch? Woglinde (eludes her by swimming). Safe from thy wiles! (they playfully chase one another.) Flosshilde’s (voice from above). Heiaha weia! Heedless, wild watchers! Wellgunde. Flosshilde, swim! Woglinde flies: help me to hinder her flying! Flosshilde (dives down between them). The sleeping gold badly ye guard! Better beset the slumberer’s bed, Or both will pay for your sport! 1. The Motive of the Rhine (The Primeval Element) In “The Rhinegold” we meet with supernatural beings of German mythology—the Rhine-daughters Woglinde, Wellgunde and Flosshilde, whose duty it is to guard the precious Rhinegold; Wotan, the chief of the Gods, his spouse Fricka; Loge, the God of Fire (the diplomat of Walhalla); Freia, the Goddess of Youth and Beauty; her brothers Donner and Froh; Erda, the all-wise woman; the giants Fafner and Fasolt; Alberich and Mime of the race of Nibelungs, cunning, treacherous gnomes who dwell in Nibelheim in the bowels of the earth. The first scene is laid on the Rhine, where the Rhine-daughters guard the Rhinegold. The work opens with a wonderfully descriptive prelude, which depicts with marvelous art (marvelous because so simple), the transition from the quietude of the water-depths to the wavy life of the Rhinedaughters. The double basses intone E flat. Only this note is heard during four bars. Then three contra bassoons add a B flat. The chord, thus formed, sounds until the 136th bar. With the sixteenth bar there flows over this seemingly immovable triad, as the current of a river flows over its immovable bed, the MOTIVE OF THE RHINE. A horn intones this Motive. Then one horn after another takes it up until its wave-like tones are heard on the eight horns. On the flowing accompaniment of the cellos the Motive is carried to the woodwind. It rises higher and higher, the other strings successively joining in the accompaniment which now flows on in gentle undulations until the Motive is heard on the high notes of the woodwind, while the violins have joined in the accompaniment. When the theme thus seems to have stirred the waters from their depth to their surface the curtain rises. (1) The prelude to “The Rhine Gold” is purely descriptive music, and is without significance apart from the scene to which it introduces us. In heightening the effect of that scene, however, and in preparing the listener’s mood, it is wonderfully effective. The scene is the lowest depths of the Rhine; a greenish light penetrates but dimly from above. There is the motion of the waters; but before it is seen, it is felt and heard in the music. As the curtain parts, we see the three Rhine Maidens joyously swimming, and as they swim, singing. (2)
Page 4 and 5: (With merry cries they swim away fr
Page 6 and 7: Be Flosshild’ floated to heaven!
Page 8 and 9: (By degrees the waves change into c
Page 10 and 11: My trusty brother! Tells the blockh
Page 12 and 13: at last who had warred on love; for
Page 14 and 15: Greets she so faintly the grayness
Page 16 and 17: MIME. LOGE. MIME. LOGE. MIME. But,
Page 18 and 19: have fall'n to my might, shall your
Page 20 and 21: Wretched and ravening rogues! (To h
Page 22 and 23: FRICKA (hurrying anxiously to Wotan
Page 24 and 25: Keep not what is cursed! Soon is se
Page 26: What sense is inside it? The name t

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