Guðrúnarkviða in forna

"A maid of maids

my mother bore me,

Bright in my bower,

my brothers I loved,

Till Gjuki dowered

me with gold,

Dowered with gold,

and to Sigurth gave me."

"So Sigurth rose

o'er Gjuki's sons

As the leek grows green

above the grass,

Or the stag o'er all

the beasts doth stand,

Or as glow-red gold

above silver gray."

"Till my brothers let me

no longer have

The best of heroes

my husband to be;

Sleep they could not,

or quarrels settle,

Till Sigurth they

at last had slain."

"From the Thing ran Grani

with thundering feet,

But thence did Sigurth

himself come never;

Covered with sweat

was the saddle-bearer,

Wont the warrior's

weight to bear."

"Weeping I sought

with Grani to speak,

With tear-wet cheeks

for the tale I asked;

The head of Grani

was bowed to the grass,

The steed knew well

his master was slain."

"Long I waited

and pondered well

Ere ever the king

for tidings I asked.

*********"

His head bowed Gunnar,

but Hogni told

The news full sore

of Sigurth slain:

"Hewed to death

at our hands he lies,

Gotthorm's slayer,

given to wolves."

"On the southern road

thou shalt Sigurth see,

Where hear thou canst

the ravens cry;

The eagles cry

as food they crave,

And about thy husband

wolves are howling."

"Why dost thou, Hogni,

such a horror

Let me hear,

all joyless left?

Ravens yet

thy heart shall rend

In a land that never

thou hast known."

Few the words

of Hogni were,

Bitter his heart

from heavy sorrow:

"Greater, Guthrun,

thy grief shall be

If the ravens so

my heart shall rend."

"From him who spake

I turned me soon,

In the woods to find

what the wolves had left;

Tears I had not,

nor wrung my bands,

Nor wailing went,

as other women,

(When by Sigurth

slain I sat)."

"Never so black

had seemed the night

As when in sorrow

by Sigurth I sat;

The wolves *********

*********

Best of all

methought 'twould be

If I my life

could only lose,

Or like to birch-wood

burned might be."

"From the mountain forth

five days I fared,

Till Hoalf's hall

so high I saw;"

"Seven half-years

with Thora I stayed,

Hokon's daughter,

in Denmark then.

With gold she broidered,

to bring me joy,

Southern halls

and Danish swans;"

"On the tapestry wove we

warrior's deeds,

And the hero's thanes

on our handiwork;

(Flashing shields

and fighters armed,

Sword-throng, helm-throng,

the host of the king)."

"Sigmund's ship

by the land was sailing,

Golden the figure-head,

gay the beaks;

On board we wovet

he warriors faring,

Sigar and Siggeir,

south to Fjon."

"Then Grimhild asked,

the Gothic queen,

Whether willingly would I *********

*********

Her needlework cast she

aside, and called

Her sons to ask,

with stern resolve,

Who amends to their sister

would make for her son,

Or the wife requite

for her husband killed."

"Ready was Gunnar

gold to give,

Amends for my hurt,

and Hogni too;

Then would she know

who now would go,

The horse to saddle,

the wagon to harness,

(The horse to ride,

the hawk to fly,

And shafts from bows

of yew to shoot)."

"(Valdar, king

of the Danes, was come,

With Jarizleif, Eymoth,

and Jarizskar).

In like princes

came they all,

The long-beard men,

with mantles red,

Short their mail-coats,

mighty their helms,

Swords at their belts,

and brown their hair."

"Each to give me

gifts was fain,

Gifts to give,

and goodly speech,

Comfort so

for my sorrows great

To bring they tried,

but I trusted them not."

"A draught did Grimhild

give me to drink,

Bitter and cold;

I forgot my cares;

For mingled therein

was magic earth,

Ice-cold sea,

and the blood of swine."

"In the cup were runes

of every kind,

Written and reddened,

I could not read them;

A heather-fish

from the Haddings' land,

An ear uncut,

and the entrails of beasts."

"Much evil was brewed

within the beer,

Blossoms of trees,

and acorns burned,

Dew of the hearth,

and holy entrails,

The liver of swine,

all grief to allay."

"Then I forgot,

when the draught they gave me,

There in the hall,

my husband's slaying;

On their knees

the kings all three did kneel,

Ere she herself

to speak began:"

Grimhild spake:

"Guthrun, gold

to thee I give,

The wealth that once

thy father's was,

Rings to have,

and Hlothver's halls,

And the hangings all

that the monarch had."

Grimhild spake:

"Hunnish women,

skilled in weaving,

Who gold make fair

to give thee joy,

And the wealth of Buthli

thine shall be,

Gold-decked one,

as Atli's wife."

Guthrun spake:

"A husband now

I will not have,

Nor wife of Brynhild's

brother be;

It beseems me not

with Buthli's son

Happy to be,

and heirs to bear."

Grimhild spake:

"Seek not on men

to avenge thy sorrows,

Though the blame at first

with us hath been;

Happy shalt be

as if both still lived,

Sigurth and Sigmund,

if sons thou bearest."

Guthrun spake:

"Grimhild, I may not

gladness find,

Nor hold forth hopes

to heroes now,

Since once the raven

and ravening wolf

Sigurth's heart's-blood

hungrily lapped."

Grimhild spake:

"Noblest of birth

is the ruler now

I have found for thee,

and foremost of all;

Him shalt thou have

while life thou hast,

Or husbandless be

if him thou wilt choose not."

Guthrun spake:

"Seek not so eagerly

me to send

To be a bride

of yon baneful race;

On Gunnar first

his wrath shall fall,

And the heart will he tear

from Hogni's breast."

"Weeping Grimhild

heard the words

That fate full sore

for her sons foretold,

(And mighty woe

for them should work;)"

Grimhild spake:

"Lands I give thee,

with all that live there,

(Vinbjorg is thine,

and Valbjorg too,)

Have them forever,

but hear me, daughter."

Guthrun spake:

"So must I do

as the kings besought,

And against my will

for my kinsmen wed,

Ne'er with my husband

joy I had,

And my sons by my brothers'

fate were saved not."

"*********

I could not rest

till of life I had robbed

The warrior bold,

the maker of battles."

Guthrun spake:

"Soon on horseback

each hero was,

And the foreign women

in wagons faring;

A week through lands

so cold we went,

And a second week

the waves we smote,

(And a third through lands

that water lacked)."

"The warders now

on the lofty walls

Opened the gates,

and in we rode.

*********"

"Atli woke me,

for ever I seemed

Of bitterness full

for my brothers' death."

Atli spake:

"Now from sleep

the Norris have waked me

With visions of terror,

to thee will I tell them;

Methought thou, Guthrun,

Gjuki's daughter,

With poisoned blade

didst pierce my body."

Guthrun spake:

"Fire a dream

of steel shall follow

And willful pride

one of woman's wrath;

A baneful sore

I shall burn from thee,

And tend and heal thee,

though hated thou am"

Atli spake:

"Of plants I dreamed,

in the garden drooping,

That fain would I have

full high to grow;

Plucked by the roots,

and red with blood,

They brought them hither,

and bade me eat."

"I dreamed my hawks

from my hand had flown,

Eager for food,

to an evil house;

I dreamed their hearts

with honey I ate,

Soaked in blood,

and heavy my sorrow."

"Hounds I dreamed

from my hand I loosed,

Loud in hunger

and pain they howled;

Their flesh methought

was eagles' food,

And their bodies now

I needs must eat."

Guthrun spake:

"Men shall soon

of sacrifice speak,

And off the heads

of beasts shall hew

Die they shall

ere day has dawned,

A few nights hence,

and the folk shall have them."

Atli spake:

"On my bed I sank,

nor slumber sought,

Weary with woe,

full well I remember.

*********"