Page:The lay of the Nibelungs; (IA nibelungslay00hortrich).pdf/99

III.]

“If you and your two brethren were here, without defence,

And if he brought against you the army of a prince,

Methinks I could o’ermaster  yea, e’en such doughty one!

And force this haughty warrior to change his braggart tone.”

This saying stirred fierce anger in him of Netherland.

He spake: “Ne’er shalt thou measure against my like thine hand!

I am a mighty king’s son, and thou but a king’s knight:

Twelve such as thou art could not withstand me in the fight!”

Ortwein, the lord of Metz, then for swords called, lustily;

Of Hagen, lord of Tronjé, the sister's son was he;

That he had held his peace still seemed not to Gunther right.

But Gernot put his word in, the bold and ready knight.

He thus spake unto Ortwein: “Now let thine anger be!

Siegfried hath not yet done us aught evil that I see,

Our difference in goodwill we yet may end, I deem,

And thus may gain his friendship; ’twill better us beseem.”

Then spake the doughty Hagen: “Well do we to be wrath,

Both we, and all thy warriors, for hath he not come forth,

Here to the Rhine, to flout us? he might have let that be!

My own good lords had never done him such injury.”

To this made answer Siegfried, that mightiest of men,

“If what I now have spoken offend you, Sir Hagen,

You shall have eye-proof, shortly, how this my strong right hand

Shall do great deeds of prowess in this Burgundian land.”