"Nú eru komnar

til konungs húsa

framvísar tvær,

Fenja ok Menja;

þær ro at Fróða

Friðleifssonar

máttkar meyjar

at mani hafðar."

"Now are come to the king's house

two prescient damsels, Fenia and Menia;

they are with Frodi, Fridleif's son,

the powerful maidens, in thraldom held."

"Þær at lúðri

leiddar váru

ok grjóts gréa

gangs of beiddu;

hét hann hvárigri

hvíld né ynði,

áðr hann heyrði

hljóm ambátta."

"To the mill they both were led,

and the grey stone to set a going ordered;

he to both forbade rest and solace,

before he heard the maidens voice."

"Þær þyt þulu

þögnhorfinnar:

Leggjum lúðra,

léttum steinum.

Bað hann enn meyjar,

at þær mala skyldu."

"They made resound the clattering quern,

with their arms swung the light stones.

The maidens he commanded yet more to grind."

"Sungu ok slungu

snúðga-steini,

svá at Fróða man

flest sofnaði;

þá kvað þat Menja,

var til meldrs komin:"

"They sung and swung the whirling stone,

until Frodi's thralls nearly all slept.

Then said Menia, to the meal twas come"

"Auð mölum Fróða,

mölum alsælan,

mölum fjölð féar

á feginslúðri;

siti hann á auði,

sofi hann á dúni,

vaki hann at vilja,

þá er vel malit."

"Riches we grind for Frodi,

all happiness we grind, wealth in abundance,

in gladness mill.

On riches may he sit, on down may be sleep,

to joy may he wake:

then tis well ground!"

"Hér skyli engi

öðrum granda,

til böls búa

né til bana orka,

né höggva því

hvössu sverði,

þó at bana bróður

bundinn finni."

"Here shall not one another harm,

evil machinate, nor occasion death,

nor yet strike with the biting sword,

although a brother's slayer he find bound."

"En hann kvað ekki

orð it fyrra:

Sofið eigi meir

en of sal gaukar

eða lengr en svá

ljóð eitt kveðak."

He had not yet said one word before:

"Sleep ye not longer than the gowks round

the house, or than while one song I sing."

"Var-at-tu, Fróði,

fullspakr of þik,

málvinr manna,

er þú man keyptir;

kaustu at afli

ok at álitum,

en at ætterni

ekki spurðir."

"Thou wast not, Frodi for thyself over-wise,

or a friend of men, when thralls thou boughtest;

for strength thou chosest them, and for their looks,

but of their race didst not inquire."

"Harðr var Hrungnir

ok hans faðir,

þó var Þjazi

þeim öflgari;

Iði ok Aurnir,

okkrir niðjar,

bræðr bergrisa,

þeim erum bornar."

"Stout was Hrungnir, and his father,

yet was Thiassi stronger than they ;

Idi and Ornir our relations are,

brothers of the mountain-giants from whom we are born."

"Kæmi-a Grótti

ór gréa fjalli

né sá inn harði

hallr ór jörðu,

né mæli svá

mær bergrisa,

ef vissi vit

vætr til hennar."

"Grotti had not come from the grey fell,

nor yet the hard stone from the earth;

nor so had ground the giant maid,

if her race had aught of her known."

"Vér vetr níu

várum leikur

öflgar alnar

fyr jörð neðan;

stóðu meyjar

at meginverkum,

færðum sjalfar

setberg ór stað."

"Nine winters we playmates were,

strong and nurtured beneath the earth.

We maidens stood at mighty works;

ourselves we moved the fast rock from its place."

"Veltum grjóti

of garð risa,

svá at fold fyrir

fór skjalfandi;

svá slöngðum vit

snúðga-steini,

höfga-halli,

at halir tóku."

"We rolled the stone o'er the giants' house,

so that earth thereby shrank trembling;

so hurled we the whirling rock,

that men could take it."

"En vit síðan

á Svíþjóðu

framvísar tvær

í folk stigum,

beiddum björnu,

en brutum skjöldu,

gengum í gögnum

gráserkjat lið."

"But afterwards, in Sweden,

we prescient two among people went,

chased the bear, and shattered shields;

went against a grey-sarked horse."

"Steypðum stilli,

studdum annan,

veittum góðum

Gothormi lið;

var-a kyrrseta,

áðr Knúi felli."

"Aided one prince, another overthrew,

afforded the good Guthorm help.

Quiet I sat not ere we warriors felled."

"Fram heldum því

þau misseri,

at vit at köppum

kenndar várum;

þar sorðu vit

skörpum geirum

blóð ór benjum

ok brand ruðum."

"Thus we went on all those winters,

so that in conflicts we were known;

there we carved, with our sharp spears,

blood from wounds, and reddened brands."

"Nú erum komnar

til konungs húsa

miskunnlausar

ok at mani hafðar;

aurr etr iljar,

en ofan kulði,

drögum dolgs sjötul,

daprt er at Fróða."

"Now are we come to a king's house, unpitied both,

and in thraldom held; gravel gnaws our feet,

and above 'tis cold; a foe's host we draw.

Sad 'tis at Frodi's!"

"Hendr skulu hvílask,

hallr standa mun,

malit hefi ek fyr mik;

mitt of leiti;

nú mun-a höndum

hvíld vel gefa,

áðr fullmalit

Fróða þykki."

"Hands must rest, the stone shall stand still;

for me I have my portion ground.

To hands will not rest be given,

until Frodi thinks enough is ground."

"Hendr skulu höndla

harðar trjónur,

vápn valdreyrug,

vaki þú, Fróði,

vaki þú, Fróði,

ef þú hlýða vill

söngum okkrum

ok sögnum fornum."

"Hands shall hold falchions hard,

the weapon slaughter-gory.

Wake thou, Frodi! Wake thou, Frodi!

If thou wilt listen to our songs and sagas old."

"Eld sé ek brenna

fyr austan borg,

vígspjöll vaka,

þat mun viti kallaðr,

mun herr koma

hinig af bragði

ok brenna bæ

fyr buðlungi."

"Fire I see burning east of the burgh;

tidings of war are rife:

that should be a token;

a host will forthwith hither come,

and the town burn over the king."

"Mun-at þú halda

Hleiðrar stóli,

rauðum hringum

né regingrjóti;

tökum á möndli

mær, skarpara,

erum-a varmar

í valdreyra."

"Thou wilt not hold the throne of Lethra,

rings of red gold, or mighty mill-stone.

Let us ply the winch, girl! yet more rapidly:

are we not grown up in deadly slaughter?"

"Mól míns föður

mær rammliga,

því at hon feigð fira

fjölmargra sá;

stukku stórar

steðr frá lúðri

járni varðar,

mölum enn framar!"

"My father's daughter has stoutly ground,

because the fate of many men she saw.

Huge fragments spring from the mill-stone

into the Orneflord. Let us grind on!"

"Mölum enn framar!

Mun Yrsu sonr,

niðr Halfdanar,

hefna Fróða;

sá mun hennar

heitinn verða

burr ok bróðir,

vitum báðar þat."

"Let us grind on! Yrsa's son,

Halfdan's kinsman,

will avenge Frodi:

he will of her be called son and brother:

we both know that."

"Mólu meyjar,

megins kostuðu,

váru ungar

í jötunmóði;

skulfu skaptré,

skauzk lúðr ofan,

hraut inn höfgi

hallr sundr í tvau."

"The maidens ground,

their might applied;

the damsels were in Jotun-mood,

the axes trembled;

the stone fell from above,

the ponderous rock was in shivers split."

"En bergrisa

brúðr orð of kvað:

Malit höfum, Fróði,

sem munum hætta,

hafa fullstaðit

fljóð at meldri."

"But the mountain giants maiden said:

Frodi! we have ground; together we cease.

the maidens have stood at the grinding long."