Scene 1
(the forest, on the way to Brünnhilde's rock)

Wanderer (Wotan): Come to me, Wala! Wala, wake up! I'm calling to you to wake you up from your long sleep, to get you to come and see me! Wake up! Wake up! Come out from your hiding place! Come out of the darkness into the light! Erda! Erda! Eternal mother! Where are you? Please, wake up from your sleep, and come to me! You know all there is to know, and I need you here with me! Wake up, Wala! ["Wala" is another name Wagner uses for Erda.]

Erda: What is that noise? It woke me up, almost as if by some kind of magic. Who is it that was calling for me?

Wanderer: It was me! And you're right about the magic; you're pretty hard to wake up. I've traveled the entire length and breadth of the earth, looking for answers to my questions. There's no one in the world who knows more than you; the earth itself doesn't hold any secrets you don't already know about. You give life to everyone, you know more than anyone, and so, I've finally had to come to you to ask you what I need to know.

Erda: My sleep is a dream. To dream is to meditate, and to meditate is to know everything. But the Norns are awake all the time, even while I'm sleeping. They're responsible for making sure my plans are carried out on the earth. Why don't you talk to them?

Wanderer: They don't have any control over what they do! They can't cause anything to happen, or stop things from happening. I have a situation that's running out of control, and I need to find out how to stop it.

Erda: This is all very tiring. Once, I let my guard down, and Wotan took advantage of my momentary weakness. I had a child for him, but he commanded her to bring dead heroes from the battlefield to protect him. This child also knows the answers you want; why did you have to wake me up?

Wanderer: You mean Brünnhilde, the Valkyrie? She went against her father's will, and then rationalized it by thinking that she was only doing what he would've wanted to do himself! She was punished for it! Wotan put her to sleep on a huge rock, and he won't let her wake up until a man finds her and claims her for his wife. She's in no position to be able to help me.

Erda: You made me wake up to listen to this? What is going on? Brünnhilde was put to sleep while I was sleeping myself? So, even though Wotan defied everything he stood for, he thought it was OK to punish her for disobeying him? Wotan had everything planned perfectly, but then he got mad when all those plans actually happened? Wotan stood for truth and justice, but he punished the most truthful thing that had happened to him in a long time!? I'm going back to sleep now.

Wanderer: No! I won't let you go yet, and my magic is still working on you. You once impressed me with your knowledge of the future - no, you actually scared me with it, enough to make me give up the Ring. Now, I know you know everything, so tell me: I'm a God; how do I get myself out of the situation I'm in?

Erda: You're not a God! You should never have bothered me!

Wanderer: Maybe you don't know everything you think you do! Maybe your power is all used up, and I'm finally going to be your master! Do you know what my first commandment will be? I'll tell you, and then I'll let you go back to sleep. I've been fighting it all along. I used to think I had to work all these convoluted plans out in my head, to get the things I wanted to happen,… to happen. Not any more! I'll just go with what I already know is going to happen. I'm leaving the entire world to Siegfried. I've chosen him, even though he doesn't have a clue who I am. He's become the greatest of heroes without any help from me! He's got the Ring now, and I think his youthful passion, fearlessness, and downright naïveté is the only thing that can bring Alberich down! He'll get to Brünnhilde, and she'll be his wife. When she wakes up, she'll be the one who will eventually save the world. You can just go back to sleep now, and dream about my death! I don't care what happens to me now; Siegfried's in charge. Goodbye, Erda. You never gave me anything but fear and dread about my future. Just enjoy yourself, and go back to sleep!