2101

Then spake the youthful Giselher: / " Full beauteous sister mine,
When to this land thou bad'st me / from far beside the Rhine,
I little deemed such trouble / did here upon me wait.
Whereby have I deserved / from the Huns such mortal hate?

2102

" To thee I ever faithful / was, nor wronged thee e'er.
In such faith confiding / did I hither fare,
That thou to me wert gracious, / O noble sister mine.
Show mercy now unto us, / we must to thee our lives resign. "

2103

" No mercy may I show you, / — unmerciful I'll be.
By Hagen, knight of Tronje, / was wrought such woe to me,
That ne'er is reconcilement / the while that I have life.
That must ye all atone for, " / — quoth the royal Etzel's wife.

2104

" Will ye but Hagen only / to me as hostage give,
Then will I not deny you / to let you longer live.
Born are ye of one mother / and brothers unto me,
So wish I that compounded / here with these warriors peace may be. "

2105

" God in heaven forfend it, " / Gernot straightway said;
" E'en though we were a thousand, / lay we all rather dead,
We who are thy kinsmen, / ere that warrior one
Here we gave for hostage. / Never may such thing be done. "

2106

" Die must we all, " quoth Giselher, / " for such is mortal's end.
Till then despite of any, / our knighthood we'll defend.
Would any test our mettle, / here may he trial make
For ne'er, when help he needed, / did I a faithful friend forsake. "

2107

Then spake the valiant Dankwart, / a knight that knew no fear;
" In sooth stands not unaided / my brother Hagen here.
Who here have peace denied us / may yet have cause to rue.
I would that this ye doubt not, / for verily I tell you true. "

2108

The queen to those around her: / " Ye gallant warriors, go
Now nigher to the stairway / and straight avenge my woe.
I'll ever make requital / therefor, as well I may.
For his haughty humor / will I Hagen full repay.

2109

" To pass without the portal / let not one at all,
For at its four corners / I'll bid ignite the hall.
So will I fullest vengeance / take for all my woe. "
Straightway the thanes of Etzel / ready stood her hest to do.

2110

Who still without were standing / were driven soon within
By sword and spear upon them, / that made a mighty din.
Yet naught might those good warriors / from their masters take,
By their faith would never / each the other's side forsake.

2111

To burn the hall commanded / Etzel's wife in ire,
And tortured they those warriors / there with flaming fire;
Full soon with wind upon it / the house in flames was seen
To any folk did never / sadder plight befall, I ween.

2112

Their cries within resounded: / " Alack for sorest need!
How mickle rather lay we / in storm of battle dead.
'Fore God 'tis cause for pity, / for here we all must die!
Now doth the queen upon us / vengeance wreak full grievously. "

2113

Among them spake another: / " Our lives we here must end.
What now avails the greeting / the king to us did send?
So sore this heat oppresseth / and parched with thirst my tongue,
My life from very anguish / I ween I must resign ere long. "

2114

Then quoth of Tronje Hagen: / " Ye noble knights and good,
Whoe'er by thirst is troubled, / here let him drink the blood.
Than wine more potent is it / where such high heat doth rage,
Nor may we at this season / find us a better beverage. "

2115

Where fallen knight was lying, / thither a warrior went.
Aside he laid his helmet, / to gaping wound he bent,
And soon was seen a-quaffing / therefrom the flowing blood.
To him though all unwonted, / yet seemed he there such drinking good.

2116

" Now God reward thee, Hagen, " / the weary warrior said,
" That I so well have drunken, / thus by the teaching led.
Better wine full seldom / hath been poured for me,
And live I yet a season / I'll ever faithful prove to thee. "

2117

When there did hear the others / how to him it seemed good,
Many more beheld ye / eke that drank the blood.
Each thereby new vigor / for his body won,
And eke for lover fallen / wept many a buxom dame anon.

2118

The flaming brands fell thickly / upon them in the hall,
With upraised shields they kept them / yet scatheless from their fall,
Though smoke and heat together / wrought them anguish sore.
Beset were heroes never, / I ween, by so great woe before.

2119

Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Stand nigh unto the wall,
Let not the brands all flaming / upon your helmets fall.
Into the blood beneath you / tread them with your feet.
In sooth in evil fashion / us doth our royal hostess greet. "

2120

In trials thus endured / ebbed the night away.
Still without the portal / did the keen Fiddler stay
And Hagen his good fellow, / o'er shield their bodies leant;
They deemed the men of Etzel / still on further mischief bent.