Hamðismál

"Great the evils

once that grew,

With the dawning sad

of the sorrow of elves;

In early mom

awake for men

The evils that grief

to each shall bring."

"Not now, nor yet

of yesterday was it,

Long the time

that since hath lapsed,

So that little there is

that is half as old,

Since Guthrun, daughter

of Gjuki, whetted

Her sons so young

to Svanhild's vengeance."

"The sister ye had

was Svanhild called,

And her did Jormunrek

trample with horses,

White and black

on the battle-way,

Gray, road-wonted,

the steeds of the Goths."

"Little the kings

of the folk are ye like,

For now ye are living

alone of my race."

"Lonely am I

as the forest aspen,

Of kindred bare

as the fir of its boughs,

My joys are all lost

as the leaves of the tree

When the scather of twigs

from the warm day turns."

Then Hamther spake forth,

the high of heart:

"Small praise didst thou, Guthrun,

to Hogni's deed give

When they wakened thy Sigurth

from out of his sleep,

Thou didst sit on the bed

while his slayers laughed."

"Thy bed-covers white

with blood were red

From his wounds, and with gore

of thy husband were wet;

So Sigurth was slain,

by his corpse didst thou sit,

And of gladness didst think not:

twas Gunnar's doing."

"Thou wouldst strike at Atli

by the slaying of Erp

And the killing of Eitil;

thine own grief was worse;

So should each one wield

the wound-biting sword

That another it slays

but smites not himself."

Then did Sorli speak out,

for wise was he ever:

"With my mother I never

a quarrel will make;

Full little in speaking

methinks ye both lack;

What askest thou, Guthrun,

that will give thee no tears?"

"For thy brothers dost weep,

and thy boys so sweet,

Thy kinsmen in birth

on the battlefield slain;

Now, Guthrun, as; well

for us both shalt thou weep,

We sit doomed on our steeds,

and far hence shall we die."

Then the fame-glad one

on the steps she was

The slender-fingered,

spake with her son:

"Ye shall danger have

if counsel ye heed not;

By two heroes alone

shall two hundred of Goths

Be bound or be slain

in the lofty-walled burg."

"From the courtyard they fared,

and fury they breathed;

The youths swiftly went

o'er the mountain wet,

On their Hunnish steeds,

death's vengeance to have."

"On the way they found

the man so wise;

*********

What help from the weakling

brown may we have?"

So answered them

their half-brother then:

"So well may I

my kinsmen aid

As help one foot

from the other has."

"How may afoot

its fellow aid,

Or a flesh-grown hand

another help?"

"Then Erp spake forth,

his words were few,

As haughty he sat

on his horse's back:

To the timid tis ill

the way to tell.

A bastard they

the bold one called."

"From their sheaths they drew

their shining swords,

Their blades, to the giantess

joy to give;

By a third they lessened

the might that was theirs,

The fighter young

to earth they felled."

"Their cloaks they shook,

their swords they sheathed,

The high-born men

wrapped their mantles close."

"On their road they fared

and an ill way found,

And their sister's son

on a tree they saw,

On the wind-cold wolf-tree

west of the hall,

And cranes'-bait crawled;

none would care to linger."

"In the hall was din,

the men drank deep,

And the horses' hoofs

could no one hear,

Till the warrior hardy

sounded his horn"

Men came and the tale

to Jormunrek told

How warriors helmed

without they beheld:

"Take counsel wise,

for brave ones are come,

Of mighty men

thou the sister didst murder."

"Then Jormunrek laughed,

his hand laid on his beard,

His arms, for with wine

he was warlike, he called for;

He shook his brown locks,

on his white shield he looked,

And raised high the cup

of gold in his hand."

"Happy, methinks,

were I to behold

Hamther and Sorli

here in my hall;

The men would I bind

with strings of bows,

And Gjuki's heirs

on the gallows hang."

"In the hall was clamor,

the cups were shattered,

Men stood in blood

from the breasts of the Goths,"

Then did Hamther speak forth,

the haughty of heart:

"Thou soughtest, Jormunrek,

us to see,

Sons of one mother

seeking thy dwelling;

Thou seest thy hands,

thy feet thou beholdest,

Jormunrek, flung

in the fire so hot."

Then roared the king,

of the race of the gods,

Bold in his armor,

as roars a bear:

"Stone ye the men

that steel will bite not,

Sword nor spear,

the sons of Jonak."

Sorli spake:

"Ill didst win, brother,

when the bag thou didst open,

Oft from that bag

came baleful counsel;

Heart hast thou, Hamther,

if knowledge thou hadst!

A man without wisdom

is lacking in much."

Hamther spake:

"His head were now off

if Erp were living,

The brother so keen

whom we killed on our road,

The warrior noble,

twas the Norns that drove me

The hero to slay

who in fight should be holy."

"In fashion of wolves

it befits us not

Amongst ourselves to strive,

Like the hounds of the Norns,

that nourished were

In greed mid wastes so grim."

"We have greatly fought,

o'er the Goths do we stand

By our blades laid low,

like eagles on branches;

Great our fame though we die

today or tomorrow;

None outlives the night

when the Norris have spoken."

"Then Sorli beside

the gable sank,

And Hamther fell

at the back of the house."