Then in mighty indignation Gunther the hero cried

Then in mighty indignation Gunther the hero cried: "Would ye suffer this deadly hatred even now to be laid aside In peace with the homeless warriors, for us and for you it were well. For no guilt of ours is the anger of Etzel the King so fell." The King to the guests gave answer: "Not yet made equal they are, Your sufferings and Etzel's—the bitter travail of war, The scathe and the deadly insult that ye have loaded on me— For these no man of you living cometh forth into liberty!"

To the King made answer Gernot the stalwart and valorous: "At the least may God incline thee to do one grace unto us: Slay us indeed, the homeless; but let us forth unto you From this prison into the open: for your honour this should ye do. Whatsoever then may betide us, be it quickly over and done. Ye have hosts of men unwounded: if they dare one and all set on, They shall give to the battle-weary death and a soon-won rest. How long shall we knights linger thus grievously distressed?"

Now the warriors of King Etzel would lightly have done them the grace That the heroes forth of the feast-hall should come to the open space. But so soon as Kriemhild heard it, in anguish of wrath she cried Against it; and unto the homeless was this last boon denied. "Nay, noble knights," she pleaded, "the thing ye incline unto Ye never will grant, if ye hearken to faithful counsel and true, To let these murder-lusters set foot forth of the hall! If ye do it, many your kinsmen in the pit of death shall fall. If only three were living, my brethren, Uta's sons, And to free air of heaven came forth those mighty ones, To cool their scalding harness, ye were lost!—not lightly I warn; For verily braver heroes on earth were never born."

Spake Giselher the young Prince: "O fairest sister mine, In an evil hour did I trust thee, at whose word I passed over Rhine

A bidden guest to thy country—nay rather to this sore strait! What have I done to the Hunfolk to earn me this evil fate? Unto thee have I kept troth ever; never I wronged thee in aught. Unto Etzel's palace riding I came with this one thought That to me thou wert loving-hearted, O sister cherished of me. Now show unto us thy mercy: ah, surely so it must be!"

"I show unto you no mercy: no mercy to me was shown! Unto me hath Hagen of Troneg foul wrong and ruthless done, And for this is there no atonement, so long as I yet have life; And for this must ye all pay forfeit!" So spake King Etzel's wife. "Yet—yet if Hagen only for hostage to me ye give, Not utterly will I deny you, I will haply let you live, Forasmuch as ye be my brethren; sons of my mother ye are: So will I commune of pardon with these my men of war."

"Now God in Heaven forbid it!" Gernot indignantly cried. "Though yet we numbered a thousand, we would all die side by side— We who are yet thy kinsmen!—ere one man of us all Shall be rendered up for a hostage: that shame shall never befall." "So then we must needs all perish," did the young Prince Giselher say; "Yet none shall hinder our dying like knights in our war-array. If any be fain to fight us, ready here we stand. No friend I forsake, betraying the troth of my right hand!" Then spake the valiant Dankwart; in the word was his true heart shown: "Verily Hagen my brother standeth not here alone. We asked of them peace: their denial thereof shall work them woe! Yea, by my troth, to their sorrow they yet shall find it so."

Then spake that Daughter of Princes: "O heroes valiant and strong Go forward unto the stairway, and avenge us of our wrong; And to you will I aye be beholden, even as is meet and right, And the insolent outrage of Hagen will I to the full requite.

Let none of all their warriors tarry without the door; And I will cause yon feast-hall to be fired at its corners four: So shall I have meet vengeance for all mine anguish of heart!" Swiftly the warriors of Etzel set them to play their part. Them that without were standing they drave back through the door With swords and with hail of javelins: loud rang the battle-roar. Yet in all that stress the princes and liegemen were sundered not: From loyal faith to each other never they swerved one jot.

Then the wife of Etzel commanded to set the hall aflame. Now on the heroes the torment of a fiery furnace came. The house was enwrapped in the leaping flames by a great wind blown. Never, I ween, such anguish by a leaguered host was known! Within were there voices crying: "Woe's me for this horror of pain! Better that dead we were lying in the storm of battle slain! God upon us have mercy!—how utterly are we lost! Grimly the Queen is wreaking her vengeance on all this host!" Cried a voice yet again through the hot reek: "Here must we meet our doom! Unto such a festal high-tide did the false King bid us come? Thirst in this flaming furnace so sore tormenteth me, That fainteth my life and faileth in this mine agony!"

Then shouted Hagen of Troneg: "O noble knights and good, Whoso by thirst is tormented, here let him drink of the blood. In heat thus fiercely scorching better than wine it is: In this our strait moreover may we find none better than this." Then a certain knight which heard him went unto one of the dead; He bowed him down to the death-gash, he loosed the helm from his head; He drank of the blood fresh-flowing, and deep and long he quaffed Of a cup theretofore untasted, and sweet to his lips was the draught. "God guerdon thee, Lord Hagen," the weary warrior cried, "For this good drink I have gotten, who took thy counsel for guide! Never hath cupbearer poured me more soul-refreshing wine. So long as I live am I bounden to thee for this rede of thine."

Now when his fellows heard it, that counsel seemed them good, And behold, there was many another that likewise drank of the blood: Therefrom in the frames of the warriors was strength and life renewed; By many a wife on the morrow in the death of her lord was it rued.

From the roof great fragments flaming fell heavily all round; But their heads with the shields they warded, and dashed the brands to the ground. The rolling smoke and the scorching tormented them full sore: Never, I ween, unto heroes befell such pain before. Then again spake Hagen of Troneg: "Stand ye close to the wall: Suffer ye not the firebrands on your helmet-bands to fall, But beneath your feet do ye trample and quench in blood the flame. Unto an evil high-tide at Kriemhild's bidding we came!"

Amid such tribulation the night drew on to an end. And ever the valiant minstrel kept guard with Hagen his friend, Before the palace-portal on his shield-rim resting a hand, Aye watching against new onslaughts from the men of Etzel's land. (C) Much it advantaged the heroes that the hall was vaulted o'er: By reason thereof, in the morning there lived so many the more. Albeit on them at the windows more hotly the flame-tongues played, Unflinching did they withstand them as valour and honour bade.

Then spake the viol-minstrel: "Now go we into the hall. These Huns shall deem peradventure that their enemies one and all Be dead through the fiery torment wherewith we have been beset; But I ween there be some that in grapple of fight shall close with them yet." Then of the Princes Burgundian the youngest, Giselher, spake: "Lo now, a cold wind riseth: the day shall, I trow, soon break. May God in Heaven vouchsafe us that a happier day may dawn! To an ill high-tide by the bidding of my sister were we drawn!" Spake after a space another: "Now I discern the day. Then, seeing nought else remaineth, and for us there is but one way, E'en make you ready, my masters, as needeth to be done. At the least will we die with honour, seeing escape is none."