First Norn: (fastening the rope again) (#15 vari: [with trills: is there any #97, #35 vari, or #42 influence?:) Night is waning; I see no more: (#97:) the strands of the rope (#15 vari:) I can find no longer; (#19?:) the threads have become entangled. (#19) (#19:) A desolate vision (:#19) (#37:) maddingly throws my mind into turmoil (:#37): - (#12:; #15:) Alberich once stole the Rhinegold (:#12; :#15): - (#19?:) do you know what became of him (:#19)? (#19)
Second Norn: (winding the rope with effortful haste round the jagged rock outside the chamber) (#19:; (#@: c or d?) = #3 vari:; #voc?: [perhaps #59a, b, or c, as in the Rhinedaughters’ lament for the stolen Rhinegold from the finale of R.4?]) The stone’s sharp edge is cutting the rope; the web of its strands is no longer stretched taut: the woven skein is raveled (:#19; :(#@: c or d?) = #3 vari; :#59 voc?). (#19/(#@: c or d?) = #3 vari?:) From need [“Noth”] and spite [“Neid”] the Nibelung’s ring stands proud (:#19/(#@: c or d?) = #3 vari): (#45a:) an avenging curse (:#45a) (#45b:) gnaws at the tangle of threads (:#45b): (throwing the rope to the Third Norn: #92?; #57) do you know what will come of that?
Third Norn: (hastily seizes the rope that has been thrown to her) The rope’s too slack! It doesn’t reach me: (#103 frag) if I’m to draw the end to the north, (#103 frag) tauter let it be stretched! (she pulls hard on the rope, which breaks.) (#51) It’s snapped!
Second Norn: It’s snapped!
First Norn: It’s snapped!
(They gather up the pieces of broken rope and bind themselves together with them.)
The Three Norns: (#54:; #37?:) An end to eternal wisdom (:#54; :#37?)! (#51:; #51voc?:) Wise women no longer tell the world their tidings.
Third Norn: (#97:) Descend!
Second Norn: (#97:) To our mother!
