"How could it be my fortune," / Gunther the king outspoke, "What my sire long ruled over / in honor for his folk, Now to lose so basely / through any vaunter's might? In sooth 'twere nobly showing / that we too merit name of knight!" 113 "Nowise will I give over," / was the keen reply. "If peace through thine own valor / thy land cannot enjoy, To me shall all be subject: / if heritage of mine Through thy arm's might thou winnest, / of right shall all hence-forth be thine. 114 "Thy land and all that mine is, / at stake shall equal lie. Whiche'er of us be victor / when now our strength we try, To him shall all be subject, / the folk and eke the land." But Hagen spake against it, / and Gernot too was quick at hand. 115 "Such purpose have we never," / Gernot then said, "For lands to combat ever, / that any warrior dead Should lie in bloody battle. / We've mighty lands and strong; Of right they call us master, / and better they to none belong." 116 There stood full grim and moody / Gernot's friends around, And there as well amongst them / was Ortwein to be found. He spake: "This mild peace-making / doth grieve me sore at heart, For by the doughty Siegfried / attacked all undeserved thou art. 117 "If thou and thy two brothers / yourselves to help had naught, And if a mighty army / he too had hither brought, I trow I'd soon be able / to make this man so keen His manner now so haughty / of need replace by meeker mien." 118 Thereat did rage full sorely / the hero of Netherland: "Never shall be measured / 'gainst me in fight thy hand. I am a mighty monarch, / thou a king's serving-knight; Of such as thou a dozen / dare not withstand me in the fight." 119 For swords then called in anger / of Metz Sir Ortwein: Son of Hagen's sister / he was, of Tronje's line. That Hagen so long was silent / did grieve the king to see. Gernot made peace between them: / a gallant knight and keen was he. 120 Spake he thus to Ortwein: / "Curb now thy wrathful tongue, For here the noble Siegfried / hath done us no such wrong; We yet can end the quarrel / in peace,--such is my rede-- And live with him in friendship; / that were for us a worthier deed." 121 Then spake the mighty Hagen: / "Sad things do I forebode For all thy train of warriors, / that this knight ever rode Unto the Rhine thus armed. / 'Twere best he stayed at home; For from my masters never / to him such wrong as this had come." 122 But outspake Siegfried proudly, / whose heart was ne'er dismayed: "An't please thee not, Sir Hagen, / what I now have said, This arm shall give example / whereby thou plain shall see How stern anon its power / here in Burgundy will be." 123 "Yet that myself will hinder," / said then Gernot. All his men forbade he / henceforth to say aught With such unbridled spirit / to stir the stranger's ire. Then Siegfried eke was mindful / of one most stately maid and fair. 124