"Hitt hefr mær ung

í Munarvági

við sólar setr

segg at hjörðu.

Hirðir kvað:

Hverr er einn saman

í ey kominn?

Gakk þú greiðliga

gistingar til!"

The Shepherd said:

"Who by himself hath come hither on isle?

Go thou straightway, get thee shelter!"

Hervör kvað:

"Muna-at ek ganga

gistingar til,

því at ek engi kann

eyjaskeggja;

segðu hraðliga,

áðr heðan líðir:

hvar eru Hjörvarði

haugar kenndir?"

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?"

Hirðir kvað:

"Spyj-at-tu at því;

spakr ertu eigi,

vinr víkinga,

ertu vanfarinn;

förum fráliga,

sem okkr fætr toga,

allt er úti

ámátt firum!"

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."

Hervör kvað:

"Men bjóðum þér

máls at gjöldum;

mun-a drengja vin

dælt at letja:

fær engi mér

svá fríðar hnossir,

fagra bauga,

at ek fara eigi."

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."

Hirðir kvað:

"Heimskr þykki mér,

sá er heðra ferr

maðr einn saman

myrkvar grímur;

hyrr er á sveimun,

haugar opnask,

brenn fold ok fen;

förum harðara."

"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."

Hervör kvað:

"Hirðum-at fælask

við fnösun slíka,

þótt um alla ey

eldar brenni;

látum okkr eigi

liðna rekka

skjótla skelfa,

skulum við talask."

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!"

"Var þá féhirðir

fljótr til skógar

mjök frá máli

meyjar þessar;

en harðsnúinn

hugr í brjósti

um sakar slíkar

svellr Hervöru."

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"

"Vaki þú, Angantýr,

vekr þik Hervör,

eingadóttir

ykkur Sváfu;

sel þú mér ór haugi

hvassan mæki,

þann er Svafrlama

slógu dvergar."

"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."

"Hervarðr, Hjörvarðr,

Hrani, Angantýr!

vek ek yðr alla

undir viðar rótum,

hjálmi ok með brynju,

hvössu sverði,

rönd ok með reiði,

roðnum geiri."

"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."

"Mjök eruð orðnir

Arngríms synir,

megir meinsamir,

at moldar auka,

er engi skal

sona Eyfuru

við mik mæla

í Munarvági."

"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."

"Hervarðr, Hjörvarðr,

Hrani, Angantýr!

Svá sé yðr öllum

innan rifja

sem þér í maura

mornið haugi,

nema sverð selið,

þar er sló Dvalinn;

samir-a draugum

dýrt vápn fela."

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."

Þá svarar Angantýr:

"Hervör dóttir,

hví kallar svá?

Full feiknstafa

ferr þú þér at illu!

Ær ertu orðin

ok örvita,

villhyggjandi,

vekr menn dauða."

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."

"Gróf-at mik faðir

né frændr aðrir;

þeir höfðu Tyrfing

tveir, er lifðu;

varð þó eigandi

einn um síðir."

"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."

Hervör kvað:

"Segðu einn satt mér,

svá láti áss þik

heilan í haugi,

sem þú hafir eigi

Tyrfing með þér;

trautt er þér at veita

arf, Angantýr,

eingabarni."

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 kvað:

"Hnigin er helgrind,

haugar opnask,

allr er í eldi

eybarmr at sjá;

atalt er úti

um at lítask;

skyntu, mær, ef þú mátt

til skipa þinna."

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!"

Hervör kvað:

"Brennið eigi svá

bál á nóttum,

at ek við elda

yðra hræðumk;

skelfr-at meyju

muntún hugar,

þótt hon draug sjái

i durum standa."

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 kvað:

"Segi ek þér, Hervör,

— hlýð þú til enn,

vísa dóttir, —

þat er verða mun:

sjá mun Tyrfingr,

ef þú trúa mættir,

ætt þinni, mær,

allri spilla."

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."

"Muntu son geta,

þann er síðan mun

Tyrfing bera

ok trúa magni;

þann munu Heiðrek

heita lýðar,

sá mun ríkstr alinn

und röðuls tjaldi."

"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."

Hervör kvað:

"Ek vígi svá

virða dauða,

at ér skuluð

allir liggja

dauðir með draugum

í dys fúnir;

sel mér, Angantýr,

út ór haugi

dverga smíði;

dugir-a þér at leyna."

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 kvað:

"Kveðk-at þik, mær ung,

mönnum líka,

er þú um hauga

hvarfar á nóttum

gröfnum geiri

ok með Gota málmi,

hjálmi ok með brynju

fyrir hallar dyrr."

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,"

Hervör kvað:

"Maðr þóttumk ek

mennskr til þessa,

áðr ek sali yðra

sækja réðak;

sel þú mér ór haugi,

þann er hatar brynjur,

hlífum hættan

Hjálmars bana."

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 kvað:

"Liggr mér und herðum

Hjálmars bani,

allr er hann útan

eldi sveipinn;

mey veit ek enga

moldar hvergi,

at þann hjör þori

í hendr nema."

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."

Hervör kvað:

"Ek mun hirða

ok í hendr nema

hvassan mæki,

ef ek hafa mættak;

uggi ek eigi

eld brennanda,

þegar loga lægir,

er ek lít yfir."

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 kvað:

"Heimsks ertu, Hervör,

hugar eigandi,

er þú at augum

í eld hrapar;

heldr vil ek selja þér

sverð ór haugi,

mær in unga,

mák-at ek þér synja."

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."

Hervör kvað:

"Vel gerðir þú,

víkinga niðr,

er þú seldir mér

sverð ór haugi;

betr þykkjumk nú,

bragningr, hafa

en ek Nóregi

næðak öllum."

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 kvað:

"Veizt eigi þú,

— vesöl ertu mála,

fláráð kona, —

hví þú fagna skalt;

sjá mun Tyrfingr,

ef þú trúa mættir,

ætt þinni, mær,

allri spilla."

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."

Hervör kvað:

"Ek mun ganga

til gjálfrmara;

nú er hilmis mær

í hugum góðum;

lítt ræki ek þat,

lofðunga niðr,

hvé synir mínir

síðan deila."

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 kvað:

"Þú skalt eiga

ok una lengi,

hafðu á hulðu

Hjálmars bana;

tak-at-tu á eggjum,

eitr er í báðum;

sá er manns mjötuðr

meini verri."

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."

"Far vel, dóttir,

fljótt gæfak þér

tolf manna fjör,

ef þú trúa mættir,

afl ok eljun,

allt it góða,

þat er synir Arngríms

at sik leifðu."

"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."

Hervör kvað:

"Búið ér allir,

— brott fýsir mik, —

heilir í haugi,

heðan vil ek skjótla;

helzt þóttumk nú

heima í millim,

er mik umhverfis

eldar brunnu."

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."