[Sieglinde vividly describes the fire the Neidings set after they killed her mother and abducted her, and calls out to Siegmund for help.]
(She leaps up. violent thunder and lightning.) Siegmund! – Ha! (She stares around her in mounting fear: almost the entire stage is shrouded in black Stormclouds. Hunding’s horn-call can be heard close at hand.)
Hunding’s voice: (…) (#5?:) Woeful! Woeful (:#5?)! Stand firm and fight, or else the hounds will stop you!
[Siegmund shouts for Hunding to stand where he can find him, while Sieglinde in anxiety tries to see them in the roiling clouds.]
Hunding: This way, you wicked wooer: let Fricka fell you here!
Siegmund: (…) You think me weaponless, cowardly wretch! Though you threaten women, fight now yourself, lest Fricka should leave you in the lurch! (#77?:) For lo! From your house’s (#57) home-built trunk I fearlessly drew forth the sword (:#77?); its edge you now shall taste! (#57)
Sieglinde: (with the utmost force) Stop, you menfolk! Kill me first!
(She rushes towards the mountain ridge but a light, which breaks out on the left over the combatants, suddenly dazzles her, so that she staggers away to the side, as though blinded. Bruennhilde appears in the blaze of light, hovering over Siegmund and protecting him with her shield: #67)
Bruennhilde: (#77:) Strike him, Siegmund! trust in your sword (:#77)!
(Siegmund is on the point of dealing Hunding a fatal blow when a bright red glow breaks through the clouds on the right; in it can be seen Wotan, standing over Hunding and holding his spear diagonally at Siegmund: #77; #57)
Wotan: Get back from the spear! In splinters the sword!
