The Middle High German "Nibelungenlied," created around 1200, is one of the great works of world literature. As a heroic epic, it stands alongside works such as Homer's "Iliad," Virgil's "Aeneid," and the Old French "Song of Roland." Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Nibelungen material has become the foundation of a German national myth, whose impact is hard to overestimate. This edition contains the critically revised text of the St. Gall manuscript B from the 13th century, a verse-accurate translation, and an extensive commentary. For the first time since the editions of the 19th century, this edition offers not only the actual "Nibelungenlied" but also the so-called "Klage," a continuation in rhymed couplets that tells what happened after the catastrophe and addresses the question of guilt and innocence.