"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.
"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."
"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."
"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."
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."