"Eldr nam at æsask

en jörð at skjalfa

ok hár logi

við himni gnæfa;

fár treystisk þar

fylkis rekka

eld at ríða

né yfir stíga."

Hogni spake:

"(What evil deed

has Sigurth) done,

That the hero's life

thou fain wouldst have?"

"Sigurðr Grana

sverði keyrði;

eldr sloknaði

fyrir öðlingi,

logi allr lægðisk

fyrir lofgjörnum,

bliku reiði

er Reginn átti

*********"

Gunnar spake:

"Sigurth oaths

to me hath sworn,

Oaths hath sworn,

and all hath broken;

He betrayed me there

where truest all

His oaths, methinks,

he ought to have kept."

Brynhildr kvað:

"Sigurðr vá at ormi,

en þat síðan mun

engum fyrnask,

meðan öld lifir;

en hlýri þinn

hvárki þorði

eld at ríða

né yfir stíga.

*********"

Hogni spake:

"Thy heart hath Brynhild

whetted to hate,

Evil to work

and harm to win,

She grudges the honor

that Guthrun has,

And that joy of herself

thou still dost have."

"Út gekk Sigurðr

andspjalli frá,

hollvinr lofða,

ok hnipnaði,

svá at ganga nam

gunnarfúsum

sundr of síður

serkr járnofinn.

*********"

"They cooked a wolf,

they cut up a snake,

They gave to Gotthorm

the greedy one's flesh,

Before the men,

to murder minded,

Laid their hands

on the hero bold."

Högni kvað:

"(hvat hefir Sigurðr

til) saka unnit,

er þú fræknan vill

fjörvi næma?"

"Slain was Sigurth

south of the Rhine;

From a limb a raven

called full loud:

Your blood shall redden

Atli's blade,

And your oaths shall bind

you both in chains."

Gunnar kvað:

"Mér hefir Sigurðr

selda eiða,

eiða selda,

alla logna;

þá vélti hann mik,

er hann vera skyldi

allra eiða

einn fulltrúi."

Without stood Guthrun,

Gjuki's daughter,

Hear now the speech

that first she spake:

"Where is Sigurth now,

the noble king,

That my kinsmen riding

before him come?"

Högni kvað:

"Þik hefir Brynhildr

böl at gerva

heiftar hvattan

harm at vinna;

fyrman hon Guðrúnu

góðra ráða,

en síðan þér

sín at njóta."

Only this

did Hogni answer:

"Sigurth we

with our swords have slain;

The gray horse mourns

by his master dead."

"Sumir ulf sviðu,

sumir orm sniðu,

sumir Gotþormi

af gera deildu;

áðr þeir mætti

meins of lystir

á horskum hal

hendr of leggja."

Then Brynhild spake,

the daughter of Buthli:

"Well shall ye joy

in weapons and lands;

Sigurth alone

of all had been lord,

If a little longer

his life had been."

"Soltinn varð Sigurðr

sunnan Rínar;

hrafn af meiði

hátt kallaði:

Ykkr mun Atli

eggjar rjóða,

munu vígskáum

of viða eiðar."

"Right were it not

that so he should rule

O'er Gjuki's wealth

and the race of the Goths;

Five are the sons

for ruling the folk,

And greedy of fight,

that he hath fathered."

Úti stóð Guðrún

Gjúka dóttir,

ok hon þat orða

alls fyrst of kvað:

"Hvar er nú Sigurðr,

seggja dróttinn,

er frændr mínir

fyrri ríða?"

Then Brynhild laughed

and the building echoed

Only once,

with all her heart;

"Long shall ye joy

in lands and men,

Now ye have slain

the hero noble.,"

Einn því Högni

andsvör veitti:

"Sundr höfum Sigurð

sverði höggvinn;

gnapir æ grár jór

yfir gram dauðum."

Then Guthrun spake,

the daughter of Gjuki:

"Much thou speakest

in evil speech;

Accursed be Gunnar,

Sigurth's killer,

Vengeance shall come

for his cruel heart."

"Þá kvað þat Brynhildr

Buðla dóttir:

Vel skuluð njóta

vápna ok landa;

einn mundi Sigurðr

öllu ráða,

ef hann lengr litlu

lífi heldi."

"Early came evening,

and ale was drunk,

And among them long

and loud they talked.;

They slumbered all

when their beds they sought,

But Gunnar alone

was long awake."

"Væri-a þat sæmt,

at hann svá réði

Gjúka arfi

ok Gota mengi,

er hann fimm sonu

at folkræði,

gunnarfúsa,

getna hafði."

"His feet were tossing,

he talked to himself,

And the slayer of hosts

began to heed

What the twain from the tree

had told him then,

The raven and eagle,

as home they rode."

"Hló þá Brynhildr

— bær allr dunði —

einu sinni

af öllum hug:

Lengi skuluð njóta

landa ok þegna,

er þér fræknan gram

falla létuð."

"Brynhild awoke,

the daughter of Buthli,

The warrior's daughter,

ere dawn of day:

Love me or hate me,

the harm is done,

And my grief cries out,

or else I die."

"Þá kvað þat Guðrún

Gjúka dóttir:

Mjök mælir þú

miklar firnar;

gramir hafi Gunnar,

götvað Sigurðar;

heiftgjarns hugar

hefnt skal verða."

"Silent were all

who heard her speak,

And nought of the heart

of the queen they knew,

Who wept such tears

the thing to tell

That laughing once

of the men she had won."

"Fram var kvelda,

fjölð var drukkit,

þá var hvívetna

vilmál talið,

sofnuðu allir,

er i sæing kómu,

einn vakði Gunnarr

öllum lengr."

Brynhild spake:

"Gunnar, I dreamed

a dream full grim:

In the hall were corpses;

cold was my bed;

And, ruler, thou

didst joyless ride,

With fetters bound

in the foemen's throng."

"Fót nam-at hræra,

fjölð nam-at spjalla,

hitt herglötuðr

hyggja téði,

hvat þeir í bölvi

báðir sögðu

hrafn ey ok örn,

er þeir heim riðu."

"*********

*********

Utterly now your

Niflung race

All shall die;

your oaths ye have broken."

"Vaknaði Brynhildr

Buðla dóttir,

dís skjöldunga,

fyr dag litlu:

Hvetið mik eða letið mik

— harmr er unninn —

sorg at segja

eða svá láta."

"Thou hast, Gunnar,

the deed forgot,

When blood in your footprints

both ye mingled;

All to him

hast repaid with ill

Who fain had made thee

the foremost of kings."

"Þögðu allir

við því orði,

fár kunni þeim

fljóða látum,

er hon grátandi

gerðisk at segja

þat er hlæjandi

hölða beiddi:"

"Well did he prove,

when proud he rode

To win me then

thy wife to be,

How true the host-slayer

ever had held

The oaths he had made

with the monarch young."

"Hugða ek mér, Gunnarr,

grimmt í svefni,

svalt allt í sal,

ætta sæing kalda;

enn þú, gramr, riðir

glaums andvani,

fjötri fatlaðr,

í fjánda lið;

svá mun öll yður

ætt Niflunga

afli gengin,

eruð eiðrofa."

"The wound-staff then,

all wound with gold,

The hero let

between us lie;

With fire the edge

was forged full keen,

And with drops of venom

the blade was damp."

"Mant-at-tu, Gunnarr,

til görva þat,

er þit blóði í spor

báðir rennduð;

nú hefir þú hánum þat allt

illu launat,

er hann fremstan þik

finna vildi."

"Þá reyndi þat,

er riðit hafði

móðigr á vit

mín at biðja,

hvé herglötuðr

hafði fyrri

eiðum haldit

við inn unga gram."

"Benvönd of lét,

brugðinn gulli,

margdýrr konungr

á meðal okkar;

eldi váru eggjar

útan görvar,

en eitrdropum

innan fáðar."