Brynhild's Hell-Ride
Eftir dauða Brynhildar váru gör bál tvau, annat Sigurði, ok brann þat fyrr, enn Brynhildr var á öðru brennd, ok var hon í reið þeiri, er guðvefjum var tjölduð. Svá er sagt, at Brynhildr ók með reiðinni á helveg ok fór um tún, þar er gýgr nökkur bjó. Gýgrin kvað:
After the death of Brynhild there were made two bale-fires, the one for Sigurth, and that burned first, and on the other was Brynhild burned, and she was on a wagon which was covered with a rich cloth. Thus it is told, that Brynhild went in the wagon on Hel-way, and passed by a house where dwelt a certain giantess. The giantess spake:
"Skaltu í gögnum
ganga eigi
grjóti studda
garða mína,
betr semði þér
borða at rekja
heldr en vitja
vers annarrar."
"Thou shalt not further
forward fare,
My dwelling ribbed
with rocks across;
More seemly it were
at thy weaving to stay,
Than another's husband
here to follow."
"Hvat skaltu vitja
af Vallandi,
hvarfúst höfuð,
húsa minna?
Þú hefir, Vár gulls,
ef þik vita lystir,
mild af höndum
manns blóð þvegit."
"What wouldst thou have
from Valland here,
Fickle of heart,
in this my house?
Gold-goddess, now,
if thou wouldst know,
Heroes' blood
from thy hands hast washed."
Brynhildr kvað:
"Bregðu eigi mér,
brúðr ór steini,
þótt ek værak
í víkingu;
ek mun okkur
æðri þykkja,
hvars menn eðli
okkart kunna."
Brynhild spake:
"Chide me not, woman
from rocky walls,
Though to battle once
I was wont to go;
Better than thou
I shall seem to be,
When men us two
shall truly know."
Gýgrin kvað:
"Þú vart, Brynhildr
Buðla dóttir,
heilli verstu
í heim borin;
þú hefir Gjúka
of glatat börnum
ok búi þeira
brugðit góðu."
The giantess spake:
"Thou wast, Brynhild,
Buthli's daughter,
For the worst of evils
born in the world;
To death thou hast given
Gjuki's children,
And laid their lofty
house full low."
Brynhildr kvað:
"Ek mun segja þér
svinn ór reiðu
vitlaussi mjök,
ef þik vita lystir,
hvé gerðu mik
Gjúka arfar
ástalausa
ok eiðrofa."
Brynhild spake:
"Truth from the wagon
here I tell thee,
Witless one,
if know thou wilt
How the heirs of Gjuki
gave me to be
joyless ever,
a breaker of oaths."
"Hétu mik allir
í Hlymdölum
Hildi undir hjalmi
hverr er kunni."
Brynhild spake:
"Hild the helmed
in Hlymdalir
They named me of old,
all they who knew me.
*********
*********"
"Annar hét Agnarr,
Auðu bróðir,
er véttr engi
vildi týja."
"The monarch bold
the swan-robes bore
Of the sisters eight
beneath an oak;
Twelve winters I was,
if know thou wilt,
When oaths I yielded
the king so young."
"Lét hami vára
hugfullr konungr
átta systra
undir eik borit;
var ek vetra tolf,
ef þik vita lystir,
er ek ungum gram
eiða seldak."
"Next I let
the leader of Goths,
Hjalmgunnar the old,
go down to hell,
And victory brought
to Autha's brother;
For this was Othin's
anger mighty."
"Þá lét ek gamlan
á Goðþjóðu
Hjalmgunnar næst
heljar ganga;
gaf ek ungum sigr
Auðu bróður;
þar varð mér Óðinn
ofreiðr of þat."
"He beset me with shields
in Skatalund,
Red and white,
their rims o'erlapped;
He bade that my sleep
should broken be
By him who fear
had nowhere found."
"Lauk hann mik skjöldum
í Skatalundi
rauðum ok hvítum,
randir snurtu;
þann bað hann slíta
svefni mínum,
er hvergi lands
hræðask kynni."
"He let round my hall,
that southward looked,
The branches' foe
high-leaping burn;
Across it he bade
the hero come
Who brought me the gold
that Fafnir guarded."
"Lét hann um sal minn
sunnanverðan
hávan brenna
her alls viðar;
þar bað hann einn þegn
yfir at ríða,
þanns mér færði gull,
þats und Fáfni lá."
Brynhild spake:
"On Grani rode
the giver of gold,
Where my foster-father
ruled his folk;
Best of all
he seemed to be,
The prince of the Danes,
when the people met."
"Reið góðr Grana
gullmiðlandi,
þars fóstri minn
fletjum stýrði;
einn þótti hann þar
öllum betri
víkingr Dana
í verðungu."
"Happy we slept,
one bed we had,
As he my brother
born had been;
Eight were the nights
when neither there
Loving hand
on the other laid."
"Sváfu við ok unðum
í sæing einni,
sem hann minn bróðir
of borinn væri;
hvárki knátti
hönd yfir annat
átta nóttum
okkart leggja."
"Yet Guthrun reproached me,
Gjuki's daughter,
That I in Sigurth's
arms had slept;
Then did I hear
what I would were hid,
That they had betrayed me
in taking a mate."
"Því brá mér Guðrún
Gjúka dóttir,
at ek Sigurði
svæfak á armi,
þar varð ek þess vís,
er ek vildig-a-k,
at þau véltu mik
í verfangi."
"Ever with grief
and all too long
Are men and women
born in the world;
But yet we shall live
our lives together,
Sigurth and I.
Sink down, Giantess!"
"Munu við ofstríð
alls til lengi
konur ok karlar
kvikvir fæðask;
við skulum okkrum
aldri slíta
Sigurðr saman.
Sökkstu, gýgjar kyn."
Translation by Henry Adams Bellows.