"Ár var, þats Guðrún

gerðisk at deyja,

er hon sat sorgfull

yfir Sigurði;

gerði-t hon hjúfra

né höndum slá,

né kveina um

sem konur aðrar."

"Then did Guthrun

think to die,

When she by Sigurth

sorrowing sat;

Tears she had not,

nor wrung her hands,

Nor ever wailed,

as other women."

"Gengu jarlar

alsnotrir fram,

þeir er harðs hugar

hana löttu;

þeygi Guðrún

gráta mátti,

svá var hon móðug,

mundi hon springa."

"Gunnar spake:

To her the warriors

wise there came,

Longing her heavy

woe to lighten;

Grieving could not

Guthrun weep,

So sad her heart,

it seemed, would break."

"Sátu ítrar

jarla brúðir,

gulli búnar,

fyr Guðrúnu;

hvar sagði þeira

sinn oftrega,

þann er bitrastan

of beðit hafði."

"Then the wives

of the warriors came,

Gold-adorned,

and Guthrun sought;

Each one then

of her own grief spoke,

The bitterest pain

she had ever borne."

Þá kvað Gjaflaug,

Gjúka systir:

"Mik veit ek á moldu

munarlausasta;

hefi ek fimm vera

forspell beðit,

tveggja dætra,

þriggja systra,

átta bræðra,

þó ek ein lifi."

Then spake Gjaflaug,

Gjuki's sister:

"Most joyless of all

on earth am I;

Husbands five

were from me taken,

(Two daughters then,

and sisters three,)

Brothers eight,

yet I have lived."

"Þeygi Guðrún

gráta mátti,

svá var hon móðug

at mög dauðan

ok harðhuguð

of hrör fylkis."

"Grieving could not

Guthrun weep,

Such grief she had

for her husband dead,

And so grim her heart

by the hero's body."

Þá kvað þat Herborg,

Húnalands dróttning:

"Hefi ek harðara

harm at segja;

mínir sjau synir

sunnan lands,

verr inn átti,

í val fellu."

Then Herborg spake,

the queen of the Huns:

"I have a greater

grief to tell;

My seven sons

in the southern land,

And my husband, fell

in fight all eight."

"Faðir ok móðir,

fjórir bræðr,

þau á vági

vindr of lék,

barði bára

við borðþili."

"Father and mother

and brothers four

Amid the waves

the wind once smote,

And the seas crashed through

the sides of the ship."

"Sjalf skylda ek göfga,

sjalf skylda ek götva,

sjalf skylda ek höndla

hrör þeira;

þat ek allt of beið

ein misseri,

svá at mér maðr engi

munar leitaði."

"The bodies all

with my own hands then

I decked for the grave,

and the dead I buried;

A half-year brought me

this to bear;

And no one came

to comfort me."

"Þá varð ek hafta

ok hernuma

sams misseris

síðan verða;

skylda ek skreyta

ok skúa binda

hersis kván

hverjan morgin."

"Then bound I was,

and taken in war,

A sorrow yet

in the same half-year;

They bade me deck

and bind the shoes

Of the wife of the monarch

every morn."

"Hon ægði mér

af afbrýði

ok hörðum mik

höggum keyrði;

fann ek húsguma

hvergi in betra,

en húsfreyju

hvergi verri."

"In jealous rage

her wrath she spake,

And beat me oft

with heavy blows;

Never a better

lord I knew,

And never a woman

worse I found."

"Þeygi Guðrún

gráta mátti,

svá var hon móðug

at mög dauðan

ok harðhuguð

of hrör fylkis."

"Grieving could not

Guthrun weep,

Such grief she had

for her husband dead,

And so grim her heart

by the hero's body."

Þá kvað þat Gullrönd

Gjúka dóttir:

"Fá kanntu, fóstra,

þótt þú fróð séir,

ungu vífi

andspjöll bera.

Varaði hon at hylja

um hrör fylkis."

Then spake Gollrond,

Gjuki's daughter:

"Thy wisdom finds not,

my foster-mother,

The way to comfort

the wife so young.

She bade them uncover

the warrior's corpse."

Svipti hon blæju

af Sigurði

ok vatt vengi

fyr vífs knéum:

"Líttu á ljúfan,

leggðu munn við grön,

sem þú halsaðir

heilan stilli."

The shroud she lifted

from Sigurth, laying

His well-loved head

on the knees of his wife:

"Look on thy loved one,

and lay thy lips

To his as if yet

the hero lived."

"Á leit Guðrún

einu sinni,

sá hon döglings skör

dreyra runna,

fránar sjónir

fylkis liðnar,

hugborg jöfurs

hjörvi skorna."

"Once alone did

Guthrun look;

His hair all clotted

with blood beheld,

The blinded eyes

that once shone bright,

The hero's breast

that the blade had pierced."

"Þá hné Guðrún

höll við bolstri,

haddr losnaði,

hlýr roðnaði,

en regns dropi

rann niðr of kné."

"Then Guthrun bent,

on her pillow bowed,

Her hair was loosened,

her cheek was hot,

And the tears like raindrops

downward ran."

"Þá grét Guðrún

Gjúka dóttir,

svá at tár flugu

tresk í gögnum

ok gullu við

gæss í túni,

mærir fuglar,

er mær átti."

"Then Guthrun, daughter

of Gjuki, wept,

And through her tresses

flowed the tears;

And from the court

came the cry of geese,

The birds so fair

of the hero's bride."

Þá kvað þat Gullrönd

Gjúka dóttir:

"Ykkrar vissa ek

ástir mestar

manna allra

fyr mold ofan;

unðir þá hvárki

úti né inni,

systir mín

nema hjá Sigurði."

Then Gollrond spake,

the daughter of Gjuki:

"Never a greater

love I knew

Than yours among

all men on earth;

Nowhere wast happy,

at home or abroad,

Sister mine,

with Sigurth away."

Guðrún kvað:

"Svá var minn Sigurðr

hjá sonum Gjúka

sem væri geirlaukr

ór grasi vaxinn

eða væri bjartr steinn

á band dreginn,

jarknasteinn

yfir öðlingum."

Guthrun spake:

"So was my Sigurth

o'er Gjuki's sons

As the spear-leek grown

above the grass,

Or the jewel bright

borne on the band,

The precious stone

that princes wear."

"Ek þótta ok

þjóðans rekkum

hverri hæri

Herjans dísi;

nú em ek svá lítil

sem lauf séi

oft í jölstrum

at jöfur dauðan."

"To the leader of men

I loftier seemed

And higher than all

of Herjan's maids;

As little now

as the leaf I am

On the willow hanging;

my hero is dead."

"Sakna ek í sessi

ok í sæingu

míns málvinar,

valda megir Gjúka;

valda megir Gjúka

mínu bölvi

ok systur sinnar

sárum gráti."

"In his seat, in his bed,

I see no more

My heart's true friend;

the fault is theirs,

The sons of Gjuki,

for all my grief,

That so their sister

sorely weeps."

"Svá ér of lýða

landi eyðið

sem ér of unnuð

eiða svarða;

mun-a þú, Gunnarr,

gulls of njóta;

þeir munu þér baugar

at bana verða,

er þú Sigurði

svarðir eiða."

"So shall your land

its people lose

As ye have kept

your oaths of yore;

Gunnar, no joy

the gold shall give thee,

(The rings shall soon

thy slayers be,)

Who swarest oaths

with Sigurth once."

"Oft var í túni

teiti meiri,

þá er minn Sigurðr

söðlaði Grana

ok þeir Brynhildar

biðja fóru,

armar véttar,

illu heilli."

"In the court was greater

gladness then

The day my Sigurth

Grani saddled,

And went forth Brynhild's

hand to win,

That woman ill,

in an evil hour."

Þá kvað þat Brynhildr

Buðla dóttir:

"Vön sé sú véttr

vers ok barna,

er þik, Guðrún,

gráts of beiddi

ok þér í morgun

málrúnar gaf."

Guthrun spake:

Then Brynhild spake,

the daughter of Buthli:

"May the witch now husband

and children want

Who, Guthrun, loosed

thy tears at last,

And with magic today

hath made thee speak."

Þá kvað þat Gullrönd

Gjúka dóttir:

"Þegi þú, þjóðleið,

þeira orða;

urðr öðlinga

hefir þú æ verit;

rekr þik alda hver

illrar skepnu,

sorg sára

sjau konunga

ok vinspell

vífa mest."

Then Gollrond, daughter

of Gjuki, spake:

"Speak not such words,

thou hated woman;

Bane of the noble

thou e'er hast been,

(Borne thou art

on an evil wave,

Sorrow hast brought

to seven kings,)

And many a woman

hast loveless made."

"Þá kvað þat Brynhildr

Buðla dóttir:

Veldr einn Atli

öllu bölvi

of borinn Buðla

bróðir minn."

Then Brynhild, daughter

of Buthli, spake:

"Atli is guilty

of all the sorrow,

(Son of Buthli

and brother of mine)"

"Þá er vit í höll

húnskrar þjóðar

eld á jöfri

ormbeðs litum,

þess hefi ek gangs

goldit síðan,

þeirar sýnar,

sáumk ey."

"When we saw in the hall

of the Hunnish race

The flame of the snake's bed

flash round the hero;

(For the journey since

full sore have I paid,

And ever I seek

the sight to forget.)"

"Stóð hon und stoð,

strengði hon efli;

brann Brynhildi

Buðla dóttur

eldr ór augum,

eitri fnæsti,

er hon sár of leit

á Sigurði."

"By the pillars she stood,

and gathered her strength,

From the eyes of Brynhild,

Buthli's daughter,

Fire there burned,

and venom she breathed,

When the wounds she saw

on Sigurth then."