"Hvat er þér, Atli,

æ, Buðla sonr?

Er þér hryggt í hug?

Hví hlær þú æva?

Hitt mundi æðra

jörlum þykkja,

at við menn mæltir

ok mik sæir."

"What thy sorrow, Atli,

Buthli's son?

Is thy heart heavy-laden?

Why laughest thou never?

It would better befit

the warrior far

To speak with men,

and me to look on."

Atli kvað:

"Tregr mik þat, Guðrún

Gjúka dóttir,

mér í höllu

Herkja sagði,

at þit Þjóðrekr

und þaki svæfið

ok léttliga

líni verðið."

Atli spake:

"It troubles me, Guthrun,

Gjuki's daughter,

What Herkja here

in the hall hath told me,

That thou in the bed

with Thjothrek liest,

Beneath the linen

in lovers' guise."

Guðrún kvað:

"Þér mun ek alls þess

eiða vinna

at inum hvíta

helga steini,

at ek við Þjóðrek

þatki áttak,

er vörðr né verr

vinna knátti."

Guthrun spake:

"This shall I

with oaths now swear,

Swear by the sacred

stone so white,

That nought was there

with Thjothmar's son

That man or woman

may not know."

"Nema ek halsaða

herja stilli,

jöfur óneisinn,

einu sinni;

aðrar váru

okkrar spekjur,

er vit hörmug tvau

hnigum at rúnum."

"Nor ever once

did my arms embrace

The hero brave,

the leader of hosts;

In another manner

our meeting was,

When our sorrows we

in secret told."

"Hér kom Þjóðrekr

með þría tegu,

lifa þeir né einir

þriggja tega manna;

hnöggt þú mik at bræðrum

ok at brynjuðum,

hnöggt þú mik at öllum

höfuðniðjum."

"With thirty warriors

Thjothrek came,

Nor of all his men

doth one remain;

Thou hast murdered my brothers

and mail-clad men,

Thou hast murdered all

the men of my race."

"Sentu at Saxa,

Sunnmanna gram,

hann kann helga

hver vellanda."

"Summon Saxi,

the southrons' king,

For be the boiling

kettle can hallow."

"Sjau hundruð manna

í sal gengu,

áðr kvæn konungs

í ketil tæki."

"Seven hundred

there were in the hall,

Ere the queen her hand

in the kettle thrust."

Guðrún kvað:

"Kemr-a nú Gunnarr,

kallig-a ek Högna,

sékk-a ek síðan

svása bræðr;

sverði mundi Högni

slíks harms reka,

nú verð ek sjalf fyrir mik

synja lýta."

Guthrun spake:

"Gunnar comes not,

Hogni I greet not,

No longer I see

my brothers loved;

My sorrow would Hogni

avenge with the sword,

Now myself for my woes

I shall payment win."

"Brá hon til botns

björtum lófa

ok hon upp of tók

jarknasteina:

Sé nú, seggir,

sykn em ek orðin

heilagliga,

hvé sá hverr velli."

To the bottom she reached

with hand so bright,

And forth she brought

the flashing stones:

"Behold, ye warriors,

well am I cleared

Of sin by the kettle's

sacred boiling."

"Hló þá Atla

hugr í brjósti,

er hann heilar sá

hendr Guðrúnar:

Nú skal Herkja

til hvers ganga,

sú er Guðrúnu

grandi vændi."

Then Atli's heart

in happiness laughed,

When Guthrun's hand

unhurt he saw;

"Now Herkja shall come

the kettle to try,

She who grief

for Guthrun planned."

"Sá-at maðr armligt,

hverr er þat sá-at,

hvé þar á Herkju

hendr sviðnuðu;

leiddu þá mey

í mýri fúla.

Svá þá Guðrún

sinna harma."

"Ne'er saw man sight

more sad than this,

How burned were the hands

of Herkja then;

In a bog so foul

the maid they flung,

And so was Guthrun's

grief requited."