Filled with portrayals of deception, love, murder, and revenge-yet defying traditional medieval epic conventions for representing character-the Nibelungenlied is the greatest and most unique epic in Middle High German. The Klage , its consistent companion text in the manuscript tradition, continues the story, detailing the devastating aftermath of the Burgundians' bloody slaughter. William Whobrey's new volume offers both-together for the first time in English-in a prose version informed by recent scholarship that brilliantly conveys to modern readers not only the sense but also the tenor of the originals.

"I believe this fluent, accurate, readable translation of Tristan and Isolde will become the standard English edition of Gottfried's literary masterpiece. Wisely choosing not to recreate the end rhyme of the original, Whobrey has created a text that stays true to the original Middle High German while rendering it into modern English prose. The inclusion of Ulrich von Turheim's Continuation is a great strength of this book. For the first time, English speakers will be able to read Gottfried's work in tandem with Ulrich's and explore -- via Whobrey's discussion of Ulrich's sources -- the rich Tristan literary tradition in the Middle Ages and the ways in which Gottfried's achievement resonated well after his death. The footnotes provide helpful cultural, historical, and interpretive information, and Whobrey's Introduction offers a nice overview of Gottfried's biography, a discussion of Gottfried's important literary excursus, his place within the literature and genres of his time, and the source material for his Tristan. Particularly useful is Whobrey's discussion of the intricate and masterful structure of Gottfried's text." -- Scott Pincikowski, Hood College