Hervararkviða

The Shepherd said:

"Who by himself hath come hither on isle?

Go thou straightway, get thee shelter!"

Hervor said:

"I care not go and get me shelter:

not any one know I of the island’s men.

Ere hence thou hiest, in haste tell me:

where are the howes for Hiorvarth named?"

The Shepherd said:

"Ask not of such, if sage thou art,

friend-of-vikings: thou ’rt on ferly ways;

let us fare hence so fast as feet will carry!

Without now is it awful for men."

Hervor said:

"This trinket’s thine if thou tell me this:

t were hard to hold back the heroes-friend.”

The Shepherd said:

“Thou canst not give such golden trinkets,

such fair-shining rings, that I fare with thee."

"Tis folly, in faith, to fare thither

for a man alone in this murky dark:

is fire abroad, the barrows open,

burn field and fen: let us flee in haste."

Hervor said:

"I scorn to dread a din like this,

though fires do burn all about the isle!

Let not men who are dead unman us, Shepherd,

with fear so swiftly, but say thou on!"

The Shepherd said:

"To the forest fast fled then the Shepherd,

nor more cared he to the maiden to speak;

but hardier Hervor’s her heart then swelled

in derring-do, disdainfully"

"Awake, Angantýr! Wakes thee Hervor,

thy only bairn, born to Sváva;

the bitter brand from thy belt gird thou,

which swinking dwarfs for Sváfrlami wrought."

"Hervarth, Hiorvarth, Hrani, Angantýr!

I awake you all, ye wights neath mold

with helmets and byrnies and bitter swords,

with gory spears and all gear of war."

"Have Arngrím’s sons, the evil men’s,

their corpses become to clay and mold,

seeing that none of the sons

of Eyfura with me will speak in Munar Bay."

Hervor said:

"May all of you feel within your ribs

as though in ant-hill your ill bones rotted,

but the sword ye fetch me forged by Dvalin:

it befits not ghosts to guard prized arms."

Angantýr said:

"Hervor, daughter, why doest call me

with cold curses? They will cost thee dear!

Bereft of reason and raving art thou,

that with wildered thought thou wak’st the dead."

"Neither father me buried nor fellow kinsmen:

(thy brothers’ banesmen this barrow raised.)

The twain who lived did Tyrfing win

now one of the victors wields it at last."

Hervor said:

"Thou say’st not sooth! May so the gods

leave thee whole in howe as thou hast not

Tyrfing with thee: unwilling art

to give thy daughter her dearest wish."

Angantýr said:

"Is Hel’s gate lifted, the howes do ope,

the edge of the isle is all afire

awful is it to be without:

to thy ships hie thee in haste, oh maiden!"

Hervor said:

"Such nightly blaze ye cannot build

that of their fires afraid I grow:

will Hervor’s heart not be horror-struck,

e’en though a ghost in grave-door stood."

Angantýr said:

"I tell thee, Hervor heed my warning!

what will happen, thou heroes daughter!

I say but sooth: will this sword become

the slayer of all thy sib and kin."

"Thou lt have a son who hereafter

will wield Tyrfing and trust his strength;

Heithrek will he be hight of men,

and mightiest grow of men under heaven."

Hervor said:

"Thus shall I deal with you dead men’s bones

that in your graves ye get no rest:

out of howe hand me the hater-of-byrnies,

the dwarfs handiwork: t will not do to hide it!"

Angantýr said:

"Hardly human I hold thee, maiden,

about barrows who hoverest at night,

with graven spear and Gothic iron,

with helmet and byrnie, the hall’s gate before,"

Hervor said:

"Howbeit, human was I held

to be ere hither I hied me,

your hall to seek: hand me,

Angantýr, out of the howe

the sword wherewith thou slewest Hiálmar!"

Angantýr said:

"Under my shoulders hidden lies Hiálmar’s bane,

about its blade blazes fire:

in this wide world know I no woman born

who would dare to wield the dreaded sword."

Hervor said:

"Would I hold in hand if have it I might

the bitter brand, and in battle wield it,

Not a whit fear I the fire blazing:

it swiftly sinks as I seek it with eye."

Angantýr said:

"Witless art thou, and of wanton mind,

like a fool to fling thee into fire blazing!

Out of howe, rather, shall I hand the sword,

hardy maiden, nor withhold it from thee."

Hervor said:

"Well then doest thou, warriors-offspring,

out of the howe to hand Tyrfing which liefer to me,

thou lord-of-battle,

than now to have all Norroway."

Angantýr said:

"Thou little knowest, luckless woman,

what ill thou ’st wrought with reckless speech:

I say but sooth: will this sword become

the slayer of all thy sib and kin."

Hervor said:

"To my ships on shore now shall I hie me:

is the hero’s daughter happy in mind.

Little reck I, ruler of men,

whether my sons will slay each other."

Angantýr said:

"Thou lt have it through life and long joy in it;

but keep thou hidden Hiálmar’s-slayer,

nor touch its edges: on the twain is poison.

Is that bitter brand baneful to all."

"Farewell, daughter! I would fain give thee

the thews of twelve men if thou ldst but heed me

their lives and strength, the stored-up wealth

which Arngrím’s sons left after them."

Hervor said:

"Shall I hie me hence. Happily may ye

I long to be gone live in your howe.

But lately I lingered twixt life and death,

when all about me blazed the fires."