"Heyrða ek segja

í sögum fornum,

hvé mær of kom

til Mornalands;

engi mátti

fyr jörð ofan

Heiðreks dóttur

hjalpir vinna."

"I have heard it told

in olden tales

How a maiden came

to Morningland;

No one of all

on earth above

To Heithrek's daughter

help could give."

"Þat frá Oddrún

Atla systir,

at sú mær hafði

miklar sóttir;

brá hon af stalli

stjórnbitluðum

ok á svartan

söðul of lagði."

"This Oddrun learned,

the sister of Atli,

That sore the maiden's

sickness was;

The bit-bearer forth

from his stall she brought,

And the saddle laid

on the steed so black."

"Lét hon mar fara

moldveg sléttan,

unz at hári kom

höll standandi;

svipti hon söðli

af svöngum jó,

ok hon inn of gekk

endlangan sal,

ok hon þat orða

alls fyrst of kvað:"

"She let the horse go

o'er the level ground,

Till she reached the hall

that loftily rose,

(And in she went

from the end of the hall;)

From the weary steed

the saddle she took;

Hear now the speech

that first she spake:"

"Hvat er frægst

hér á foldu,

eða hvat er hlézt

Húnalands?"

Ambótt kvað:

"Hér liggr Borgný

of borin verkjum,

vina þín, Oddrún,

vittu, ef þú hjalpir."

"What news on earth,

*********

Or what has happened

in Hunland now?"

A serving-maid spake:

"Here Borgny lies

in bitter pain,

Thy friend, and, Oddrun,

thy help would find."

Oddrún kvað:

"Hverr hefir vísir

vamms of leitat?

Hví eru Borgnýjar

bráðar sóttir?"

Oddrun spake:

"Who worked this woe

for the woman thus,

Or why so sudden

is Borgny sick?"

Ambótt kvað:

"Vilmundr heitir

vinr haukstalda,

hann varði mey

varmri blæju

fimm vetr alla,

svá hon sinn föður leyndi."

The serving-maid spake:

"Vilmund is he,

the heroes' friend,

Who wrapped the woman

in bedclothes warm,

(For winters five,

yet her father knew not)."

"Þær hykk mæltu

þvígit fleira,

gekk mild fyr kné

meyju at sitja;

ríkt gól Oddrún,

rammt gól Oddrún,

bitra galdra

at Borgnýju."

"Then no more

they spake, methinks;

She went at the knees

of the woman to sit;

With magic Oddrun

and mightily Oddrun

Chanted for Borgny

potent charms."

"Knátti mær ok mögr

moldveg sporna,

börn þau in blíðu

við bana Högna;

þat nam at mæla

mær fjörsjúka,

svá at hon ekki kvað

orð it fyrra:"

"At last were born

a boy and girl,

Son and daughter

of Hogni's slayer;

Then speech the woman

so weak began,

Nor said she aught

ere this she spake:"

"Svá hjalpi þér

hollar véttir,

Frigg ok Freyja

ok fleiri goð,

sem þú feldir mér

fár af höndum."

"So may the holy

ones thee help,

Frigg and Freyja

and favoring gods,

As thou hast saved me

from sorrow now."

Oddrún kvað:

"Hnék-at ek af því

til hjalpar þér,

at þú værir þess

verð aldregi;

hét ek ok efndak,

er ek hinig mælta,

at ek hvívetna

hjalpa skyldak,

þá er öðlingar

arfi skiptu."

Oddrun spake:

"I came not hither

to help thee thus

Because thou ever

my aid didst earn;

I fulfilled the oath

that of old I swore,

That aid to all

I should ever bring,

(When they shared the wealth

the warriors had)."

Borgný kvað:

"Ær ertu, Oddrún,

ok örvita,

er þú mér af fári

flest orð of kvatt,

en ek fylgðak þér

á fjörgynju,

sem vit bræðrum tveim

of bornar værim."

Borgny spake:

"Wild art thou, Oddrun,

and witless now,

That so in hatred

to me thou speakest;

I followed thee

where thou didst fare,

As we had been born

of brothers twain."

Oddrún kvað:

"Man ek, hvat þú

mæltir enn um aftan,

þá er ek Gunnari

gerðak drekku;

slíks dæmi kvað-at-tu

síðan mundu

meyja verða

nema mér einni."

Oddrun spake:

"I remember the evil

one eve thou spakest,

When a draught I gave

to Gunnar then;

Thou didst say that never

such a deed

By maid was done

save by me alone."

"Þá nam at setjask

sorgmóð kona

at telja böl

af trega stórum:"

"Then the sorrowing woman

sat her down

To tell the grief

of her troubles great."

"Var ek upp alin

í jöfra sal,

— flestr fagnaði —

at fira ráði;

unða ek aldri

ok eign föður

fimm vetr eina,

svá at minn faðir lifði."

"Happy I grew

in the hero's hall

As the warriors wished,

and they loved me well;

Glad I was

of my father's gifts,

For winters five,

while my father lived."

"Þat nam at mæla

mál ið efsta

sjá móðr konungr,

áðr hann sylti:

mik bað hann gæða

gulli rauðu

ok suðr gefa

syni Grímhildar."

"These were the words

the weary king,

Ere he died,

spake last of all:

He bade me with red gold

dowered to be,

And to Grimhild's son

in the South be wedded."

"En hann Brynhildi

bað hjalm geta,

hana kvað hann óskmey

verða skyldu;

kvað-a hann ina æðri

alna mundu

mey í heimi,

nema mjötuðr spillti."

Oddrun spake:

"But Brynhild the helm

he bade to wear,

A wish-maid bright

he said she should be;

For a nobler maid

would never be born

On earth, he said,

if death should spare her."

"Brynhildr í búri

borða rakði,

hafði hon lýði

ok lönd um sik;

jörð dúsaði

ok upphiminn,

þá er bani Fáfnis

borg of þátti."

"At her weaving Brynhild

sat in her bower,

Lands and folk

alike she had;

The earth and heaven

high resounded

When Fafnir's slayer

the city saw."

"Þá var víg vegit

völsku sverði

ok borg brotin,

sú er Brynhildr átti;

var-a langt af því

heldr válítit,

unz þær vélar

vissi allar."

"Then battle was fought

with the foreign swords,

And the city was broken

that Brynhild had;

Not long thereafter,

but all too soon,

Their evil wiles

full well she knew."

"Þess lét hon harðar

hefndir verða,

svá at vér öll höfum

ærnar raunir;

þat mun á hölða

hvert land fara,

er hon lét sveltask

at Sigurði."

"Woeful for this

her vengeance was,

As so we learned

to our sorrow all;

In every land

shall all men hear

How herself at Sigurth's

side she slew."

"En ek Gunnari

gatk at unna,

bauga deili,

sem Brynhildr skyldi."

"Love to Gunnar

then I gave,

To the breaker of rings,

as Brynhild might;"

"Buðu þeir árla

bauga rauða

ok bræðrum mínum

bætr ósmáar;

bað hann enn við mér

bú fimmtían,

hliðfarm Grana,

ef hann hafa vildi."

Oddrun spake:

"To Atli rings

so red they offered,

And mighty gifts

to my brother would give.

Fifteen dwellings

fain would he give

For me, and the burden

that Grani bore;"

"En Atli kvaðsk

eigi vilja

mund aldrigi

at megi Gjúka;

þeygi vit máttum

við munum vinna,

nema ek helt höfði

við hringbrota."

"But Atli said

he would never receive

Marriage gold

from Gjuki's son.

Yet could we not

our love o'ercome,

And my head I laid

on the hero's shoulder;"

"Mæltu margir

mínir niðjar,

kváðusk okkr hafa

orðit bæði;

en mik Atli kvað

eigi mundu

lýti ráða

né löst gera."

"Many there were

of kinsmen mine

Who said that together

us they had seen.

Atli said

that never I

Would evil plan,

or ill deed do;"

"En slíks skyli

synja aldri

maðr fyr annan,

þar er munúð deilir."

"But none may this

of another think,

Or surely speak,

when love is shared."

"Sendi Atli

áru sína

um myrkvan við

mín at freista;

ok þeir kómu þar,

er þeir koma né skyldu-t,

þá er breiddum vit

blæju eina."

"Soon his men

did Atli send,

In the murky wood

on me to spy;

Thither they came

where they should not come,

Where beneath one cover

close we lay."

"Buðum vit þegnum

bauga rauða,

at þeir eigi

til Atla segði,

en þeir hvatliga

heim skunduðu

ok óliga

Atla sögðu."

Oddrun spake:

"To the warriors ruddy

rings we offered,

That nought to Atli

e'er they should say;

But swiftly home

they hastened thence,

And eager all

to Atli told."

"En þeir Guðrúnu

görla leyndu því,

at hon heldr vita

halfu skyldi."

"But close from Guthrun

kept they hid

What first of all

she ought to have known.

*********

*********"

"Hlymr var at heyra

hófgullinna,

þá er í garð riðu

Gjúka arfar;

þeir ór Högna

hjarta skáru,

en i ormgarð

annan lögðu."

"Great was the clatter

of gilded hoofs

When Gjuki's sons

through the gateway rode;

The heart they hewed

from Hogni then,

And the other they cast

in the serpents' cave."

"Var ek enn farin

einu sinni

til Geirmundar

gerva drykkju;

nam horskr konungr

hörpu sveigja,

því at hann hugði mik

til hjalpar sér

kynríkr konungr,

of koma mundu."

"Alone was I gone

to Geirmund then,

The draught to mix

and ready to make;

The hero wise

on his harp then smote,

*********

For help from me

in his heart yet hoped

The high-born king,

might come to him."

"Nam ek at heyra

ór Hléseyju,

hvé þar af stríðum

strengir gullu;

bað ek ambáttir

búnar verða,

vilda ek fylkis

fjörvi bjarga."

"Sudden I heard

from Hlesey clear

How in sorrow the strings

of the harp resounded.

I bade the serving-maids

ready to be,

For I longed the hero's

life to save;"

"Létum fljóta

far sund yfir,

unz ek alla sák

Atla garða."

Oddrun spake:

"Across the sound

the boats we sailed,

Till we saw the whole

of Atli's home."

"Þá kom in arma

út skævandi

móðir Atla,

— hon skyli morna —,

ok Gunnari

gróf til hjarta,

svá at ek máttig-a-k

mærum bjarga."

"Then crawling the evil

woman came,

Atli's mother

may she ever rot!

And hard she bit

to Gunnar's heart,

So I could not help

the hero brave."

"Oft undrumk þat,

hví ek eftir mák,

linnvengis Bil,

lífi halda;

er ek ógnhvötum

unna þóttumk

sverða deili,

sem sjalfri mér."

"Oft have I wondered

how after this,

Serpents'-bed goddess!

I still might live,

For well I loved

the warrior brave,

The giver of swords,

as my very self."

"Sattu ok hlýddir,

meðan ek sagðak þér

mörg ill of sköp

mín ok þeira;

maðr hverr lifir

at munum sínum;

nú er of genginn

grátr Oddrúnar."

"Thou didst see and listen,

the while I said

The mighty grief

that was mine and theirs;

Each man lives

as his longing wills,

Oddrun's lament

is ended now."