THE RING
OF THE NIBLUNG

THE RHINEGOLD: PRELUDE
THE VALKYRIE: FIRST DAY OF THE TRILOGY
SIEGFRIED: SECOND DAY OF THE TRILOGY
THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS:
THIRD DAY OF THE TRILOGY

THE RHINEGOLD & THE VALKYRIE

BY

RICHARD WAGNER

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

BY ARTHUR RACKHAM

TRANSLATED BY MARGARET ARMOUR

LONDON WILLIAM HEINEMANN

NEW YORK DOUBLEDAY PACE & Co

1910

CONTENTS
THE RHINEGOLD
FIRST SCENE
SECOND SCENE
THIRD SCENE
FOURTH SCENE
THE VALKYRIE
THE FIRST ACT
THE SECOND ACT
THE THIRD ACT

"Raging, Wotan
Rides to the rock!
Like a storm-wind he comes!"

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"Raging, Wotan
Rides to the rock!
.   .   .   .   .   .   .
Like a storm-wind he comes" (Frontispiece)

The frolic of the Rhine-Maidens plate 02

The Rhine-Maidens teasing Alberich plate 03

"Mock away! Mock!
The Niblung makes for your toy!" plate 04

"Seize the despoiler!
Rescue the gold!
Help us! Help us!
Woe! Woe!" plate 05

Freia, the fair one plate 06

"The Rhine's pure-gleaming children
Told me of their sorrow" plate 07

Fasolt suddenly seizes Freia and drags her to one side with Fafner plate 08

The Gods grow wan and aged at the loss of Freia plate 09

Mime, howling. "Ohé! Ohé!
Oh! Oh!" plate 10

Mime writhes under the lashes he receives plate 11

Alberich drives in a band of Niblungs laden with gold and silver treasure plate 12

"Ohé! Ohé!
Horrible dragon,
O swallow me not!
Spare the life of poor Loge! plate 13

"Hey! Come hither,
And stop me this cranny!" plate 14

"Erda bids thee beware" plate 15

Fafner kills Fasolt plate 16

"To my hammer's swing
Hitherward sweep
Vapours and fogs!
Hovering mists!
Donner, your lord, summons his hosts!" plate 17

"The Rhine's fair children,
Bewailing their lost gold, weep" plate 18

"This healing and honeyed