Atlakviða in groenlenzka

"Atli sent

of old to Gunnar

A keen-witted rider,

Knefröth did men call him;

To Gjuki's home came he

and to Gunnar's dwelling,

With benches round the hearth,

and to the beer so sweet."

"Then the followers, hiding

their falseness, all drank

Their wine in the war-hall,

of the Huns' wrath wary;

And Knefröth spake loudly,

his words were crafty,

The hero from the south,

on the high bench sitting:"

"Now Atli has sent me

his errand to ride,

On my bit-champing steed

through Myrkwood the secret,

To bid You, Gunnar,

to his benches to come,

With helms round the hearth,

and Atli's home seek."

"Shields shall ye choose there,

and shafts made of ash-wood,

Gold-adorned helmets,

and slaves out of Hunland,

Silver-gilt saddle-cloths,

shirts of bright scarlet,

With lances and spears too,

and bit-champing steeds."

"The field shall be given you

of wide Gnitaheith,

With loud-ringing lances,

and stems gold-o'er-laid,

Treasures full huge,

and the home of Danp,

And the mighty forest

that Myrkwood is called."

His head turned Gunnar,

and to Hogni he said:

"What thy counsel, young hero,

when such things we hear?

No gold do I know

on Gnitaheith lying

So fair that other

its equal we have not."

"We have seven halls,

each of swords is full,

(And all of gold

is the hilt of each;)

My steed is the swiftest,

my sword is sharpest,

My bows adorn benches,

my byrnies are golden,

My helm is the brightest

that came from Kjar's hall,

(Mine own is better

than all the Huns' treasure.)"

Hogni spake:

"What seeks she to say,

that she sends us a ring,

Woven with a wolf's hair?

methinks it gives warning;

In the red ring a hair

of the heath-dweller found I,

Wolf-like shall our road be

if we ride on this journey."

"Not eager were his comrades,

nor the men of his kin,

The wise nor the wary,

nor the warriors bold.

But Gunnar spake forth

as befitted a king,

Noble in the beer-hall,

and bitter his scorn:"

"Stand forth now, Fjornir!

and hither on the floor

The beakers all golden

shalt thou bring to the warriors.

*********

*********"

"The wolves then shall rule

the wealth of the Niflungs,

Wolves aged and grey-hued,

if Gunnar is lost,

And black-coated bears

with rending teeth bite,

And make glad the dogs,

if Gunnar returns not."

"A following gallant

fared forth with the ruler,

Yet they wept as their home

with the hero they left;

And the little heir

of Hogni called loudly:

Go safe now, ye wise ones,

wherever ye will!"

"Then let the bold heroes

their bit-champing horses

On the mountains gallop,

and through Myrkwood the secret;

All Hunland was shaken

where the hard-souled ones rode,

On the whip-fearers fared they

through fields that were green."

"Then they saw Atli's halls,

and his watch-towers high,

On the walls so lofty

stood the warriors of Buthli;

The hall of the southrons

with seats was surrounded,

With targets bound

and shields full bright."

"Mid weapons and lances

did Atli his wine

In the war-hall drink,

without were his watchmen,

For Gunnar they waited,

if forth he should go,

With their ringing spears

they would fight with the ruler."

This their sister saw,

as soon as her brothers

Had entered the hall,

little ale had she drunk:

"Betrayed art thou, Gunnar!

what guard hast thou, hero,

'Gainst the plots of the Huns?

from the hall flee swiftly!

Brother, twere far better

to have come in byrnie,

With thy household helmed,

to see Atli's home,

And to sit in the saddle

all day neath the sun,

(That the sword-norns might weep

for the death-pale warriors,

And the Hunnish shield-maids

might shun not the sword,)

And send Atli himself

to the den of the snakes;

(Now the den of the snakes

for thee is destined."

Gunnar spake:

*********

"Too late is it, sister,

to summon the Niflungs,

Long is it to come

to the throng of our comrades,

The heroes gallant,

from the hills of the Rhine."

"Then Gunnar they seized,

and they set him in chains,

The Burgundians' king,

and fast they bound him."

"Hogni slew seven

with sword so keen,

And an eighth he flung

in the fire hot;

A hero should fight

with his foemen thus,

As Hogni strove

in Gunnar's behalf."

"*********

*********

The leader they asked

if his life he fain

With gold would buy,

the king of the Goths."

Gunnar spake:

"First the heart of Hogni

shall ye lay in my hands,

All bloody from the breast

of the bold one cut

With ke-en-biting sword,

from the son of the king."

"*********

They cut out the heart

from the breast of Hjalli,

On a platter they bore it,

and brought it to Gunnar."

Then Gunnar spake forth,

the lord of the folk:

"Here have I the heart

of Hjalli the craven,

Unlike to the heart

of Hogni the valiant,

For it trembles still

as it stands on the platter;

Twice more did it tremble

in the breast of the man."

"Then Hogni laughed

when they cut out the heart

Of the living helm-hammerer;

tears he had not.

*********

On a platter they bore it,

and brought it to Gunnar."

Then Gunnar spake forth,

the spear of the Niflungs:

"Here have I the heart

of Hogni the valiant,

Unlike to the heart

of Hjalli the craven,

Little it trembles

as it lies on the platter,

Still less did it tremble

when it lay in his breast."

"So distant, Atli,

from all men's eyes,

Shalt thou be as thou

********* from the gold.

*********

*********

To no one save me

is the secret known

Of the Niflungs' hoard,

now Hogni is dead;"

"Of old there were two,

while we twain were alive,

Now is none but I,

for I only am living.

The swift Rhine shall hold

the strife-gold of heroes,

That once was the gods,

the wealth of the Niflungs,

In the depths of the waters

the death-rings shall glitter,

And not shine on the hands

of the Hunnish men."

Atli spake:

"Ye shall bring the wagon,

for now is he bound."

*********

"On the long-maned Glaum

rode Atli the great,

About him were warriors

*********

But Guthrun, akin

to the gods of slaughter,

Yielded not to her tears

in the hall of tumult."

Guthrun spake:

"It shall go with thee, Atli,

as with Gunnar thou heldest

The oaths ofttimes sworn,

and of old made firm,

By the sun in the south,

by Sigtyr's mountain,

By the horse of the rest-bed,

and the ring of Ull.

Then the champer of bits

drew the chieftain great,

The gold-guarder, down

to the place of death.

*********"

"By the warriors' host

was the living hero

Cast in the den

where crawling about

Within were serpents,

but soon did Gunnar

With his hand in wrath

on the harp-strings smite;

The strings resounded,

so shall a hero,

A ring-breaker, gold

from his enemies guard."

"Then Atli rode

on his earth-treading steed,

Seeking his home,

from the slaughter-place;

There was clatter of hoofs

of the steeds in the court,

And the clashing of arms

as they came from the field."

Out then came Guthrun

to meeting with Atli,

With a golden beaker

as gift to the monarch:

"Thou mayst eat now, chieftain,

within thy dwelling,

Blithely with Guthrun

young beasts fresh slaughtered."

"The wine-heavy ale-cups

of Atli resounded,

When there in the hall

the Hunnish youths clamored,

And the warriors bearded,

the brave ones, entered."

"Then in came the shining one,

*********

*********

and drink she bore them;

Unwilling and bitter

brought she food to the warrior,

Till in scorn to the white-faced

Atli did she speak:"

"Thou giver of swords,

of thy sons the hearts

All heavy with blood

in honey thou hast eaten;

Thou shalt stomach, thou hero,

the flesh of the slain,

To eat at thy feast,

and to send to thy followers."

"Thou shalt never call

to thy knees again

Erp or Eitil,

when merry with ale;

Thou shalt never see

in their seats again

The sharers of gold

their lances shaping,

(Clipping the manes

or minding their steeds.)"

"There was clamor on the benches,

and the cry of men,

The clashing of weapons,

and weeping of the Huns,

Save for Guthrun only,

she wept not ever

For her bear-fierce brothers,

or the boys so dear,

So young and so unhappy,

whom with Atli she had."

"Gold did she scatter,

the swan-white one,

And rings of red gold

to the followers gave she;

The fate she let grow,

and the shining wealth go,

Nor spared she the treasure

of the temple itself."

"Unwise then was Atli,

he had drunk to wildness,

No weapon did he have,

and of Guthrun bewared not;

Oft their play was better

when both in gladness

Each other embraced

among princes all."

"With her sword she gave blood

for the bed to drink,

With her death-dealing hand,

and the hounds she loosed,

The thralls she awakened,

and a firebrand threw

In the door of the hall;

so vengeance she had."

"To the flames she gave all

who yet were within,

And from Myrkheim had come

from the murder of Gunnar;

The timbers old fell,

the temple was in flames,

The dwelling of the Buthlungs,

and the shield-maids burned,

They were slain in the house,

in the hot flames they sank."

"Now the tale is all told,

nor in later time

Will a woman in byrnie

avenge so her brothers;

The fair one to three

of the kings of the folk

Brought the doom of death

ere herself she died."