Scene 3
(Siegmund, alone)

Siegmund: My father promised me a sword; he said I'd find it when I needed it most. Now, here I am, in my enemy's house, with him wanting vengeance on me, and no weapons to protect myself with. His wife, though - she's so beautiful! I can't believe this feeling I have, almost like...fear. I'd really like to be with her, to hold her in my arms and take her away from that monster she belongs to. He was making fun of me! Wälse! Wälse! (The other name Siegmund uses for his father) Where is your sword? The strong sword that I can use to fight off my fear? Will it explode from inside of me, out of my own quivering heart? Wait a minute, what's that shining over there, off in the distance? What kind of light is coming out of the stump of that ash tree? It's so bright, it's almost blinding me! It must be laughing at me, too, looking all the way down into my heart and finding nothing good there. It could be that I've gone crazy about that girl, and it's got me seeing things. She brought a wonderful light into my dark life, but now she's gone, and I'm left alone again in my own little private night. It was good to feel that way again, though, like someone really cared about me. Boy! What a spell she put on me, if even that old ash tree could feel it, too! But now, the light's gone again, and I have my darkness back; still, a piece of her will always be there in my heart. I feel it. I know it.

Sieglinde: (entering) Psst! Are you asleep?

Siegmund: Who is it?

Sieglinde: It's me. Listen! I put something in Hunding's drink, and he's sound asleep. You should get away from here while you can!

Siegmund: I don't want to leave. I feel safe being here with you.

Sieglinde: I can show you a sword, but I don't know if it'll do you any good. It was intended for the greatest hero alive, and that's what you'd be, if you could only get it. Listen, I'll tell you it's story:

Hunding had invited over all the men in his family. He was going to marry a woman who had been stolen away from her family, taken without even being asked. Yes - it was me. I sat there, not knowing what I would ever be able to do about it. But then, a stranger came in, an old man in a dark coat. He had his hat pulled down over one eye, as if to cover it for some reason. But his other eye, the one the men could see, was so powerful and enchanting, they were all afraid of it. But I could see what was really there - sadness, comfort, love and tears, all mixed together. He looked at me like he understood, but then, in a flash, he stared the cowering men down with that eye, pulled out a mighty sword and held in his hands. He took the sword and stuck it all the way to the hilt into that tree trunk over there. He said that it would belong to whoever who could pull it out. All the men tried, but no one could do it. People started coming here in droves, one after the other, trying to get that man's sword out of the tree. There were some pretty strong men among the lot, and they pulled on it harder than I could have ever believed possible, but the sword wouldn't budge. Eventually, I came to know who it was who had come to see me when I had been so low; I also realized who it was that he meant that sword for. Whoever can get it out of the tree will be the one who can take me away from all this. If I could only find him, here and now, if he would only come to rescue me from my misery, then I could pay Hunding back for everything I've had to suffer through! All of my shame and dishonor would be taken away, just like that! I'd finally have my revenge; I'd have found my best friend, I'd hold onto him forever and love him as my hero.

Siegmund: My love, your hero is already in your arms. I will have that sword, and I'll have you as well. My heart tells me that you're the woman I was meant to marry. Everything I ever wanted, I see in you. And you have everything that I'm missing in myself! We've suffered a lot: You were shamed and disgraced, and I was outcast and miserable, but our sweet revenge will set our hearts free! Holding you in my arms makes me feel that Heaven itself is smiling and laughing in my heart.

(The door swings open)

Sieglinde: Who was that? Did someone leave?

Siegmund: No one left, but someone's come in, to be with you right here. Look out the window; the Spring is smiling on us! Our winter storms are long gone now, and the gentle Spring light is shining down all over. We've been given a miracle! The warm Spring breezes are smiling on our happiness! Do you hear the birds singing to us? Do you smell the beautiful fragrance from the flowers in the meadow? Spring has used its power and charm to send us warmth and protection from the bad times we've both been through. The Winter never stood a chance! And neither did my heart, even with all the pain it's seen; nothing could keep up my wall of loneliness and shame when I saw you. Spring has come into you, beautiful lady, and brought the love out of your heart that was always there. Now, we can both finally be happy, and laugh at what we were once afraid of! We've found what was inside us, and it's brought us together like a brother and sister. Whatever we were, we're not any more. No more struggle, no more shame! We've found each other at last, and now we can celebrate the springtime of our love!

Sieglinde: You are the Spring I waited for through that long winter. I was so afraid when I first saw you. I mean, I had only seen strangers before. No one I knew, and certainly no one I could recognize, or call my friend. It was as if I'd never known how to really know someone. But I knew you. I knew when I saw you that you'd be mine, and that I'd have you. Everything I had hidden inside me came out all at once, as if it had just been waiting for the right time. I knew it was right, and was it ever! In all my deep, dark loneliness, I found the only friend I ever needed!

Siegmund: Oh God, you're so beautiful!

Sieglinde: Let me come close to you, and look at your wonderful face. Your eyes shine with a strength and magical light I can't resist!

Siegmund: It's you who shines in the Spring moonlight. Your hair frames your head like an angel. I know exactly what it was I saw in you, and now I can't take my eyes away from it!

Sieglinde: Your forehead is so powerful and strong! It makes me weak just to look at it! But, you know, it reminds me of something kind of strange: Today is the first time I've ever seen you, but I could swear we've met before.

Siegmund: I feel the same way. When I used to think about what love and passion were, I saw you in my dreams.

Sieglinde: No, I mean really. I've seen the reflection of my face in the stream, and now I'm looking at it again, in yours. Don't you think we look a lot alike?

Siegmund: You look like the wonderful feelings I kept hidden to myself.

Sieglinde: Wait, let me listen to your voice. I'm sure I heard it when I was young. No, it was just a few days ago, when I heard my own voice echoing through the forest.

Siegmund: That would be a wonderful sound to hear!

Sieglinde: That light I see in your eyes…. I've seen it before; it's the same as the time that old man - my father - came to me when I was so upset about marrying Hunding. I recognized him instantly, and I even wanted to call him by his name. By the way, your name isn't really "Sadness" or "Pain", is it?

Siegmund: Not since you love me. Now, I feel like the happiest man alive!

Sieglinde: But you said you've never known any peace.

Siegmund: Not until now. Call me whatever you want, and I'll take it as my name!

Sieglinde: But didn't you give your father the name "Wolf"?

Siegmund: He was only a "wolf" to his enemies. But to his friends, he was as strong and proud as you are; the people who loved him called him "Wälse".

Sieglinde: If Wälse was your father, then you're a Wälsung! That means he put that sword in the ash-tree for you! It also means I can call you by the only name I really love: "Siegmund". [victor]

Siegmund: Then "Siegmund" is my name, and from now on, I'll be "Siegmund". I swear to you by this mighty sword. Wälse promised me that I'd find it when I needed it most, and now, here it is! The only need I have now is for your love. I need it more than I ever needed anything else. Your love is what I'll take with me for inspiration everywhere I go. I'll need this sword by my side as well, to deal with anything that might harm you. I'll call it "Nothung" [needful] because of how I came to find it. Nothung! Nothung! Wonderful sword! Come out of your scabbard, and show me how sharp you are! (almost effortlessly pulls the sword from the tree and shows it to Sieglinde) My new wife, look at me! This beautiful sword will be my wedding present to you, along with the freedom my love's given you from your evil husband. Follow me away from here; we'll go far away, into the joyous house of the Spring that brought us together. You'll always have Nothung for protection, even if I die overwhelmed with my love for you!

Sieglinde: Siegmund, look at me. Don't you see? I'm Sieglinde, your own sister. I've been waiting for you all my life, and now you have me! You've found your sister, your sword, and your wife all in the same day!

Siegmund: Then you'll be my wife and sister all in one! There couldn't be a better way to let the line of Wälsungs continue forever!