Spake Giselher the young Prince: "O fairest sister mine, In an evil hour did I trust thee, at whose word I passed over Rhine {P. 288} 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. {P. 289} 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.