“ The Sigurd died, O'er his dead corpse thou sattest, Not heeding aught gladsome, Since Gunnar so willed it. "Great grief for Atli Gatst thou by Erp's murder, And the end of thine Eitil, But worse grief for thyself. Good to use sword For the slaying of others In such wise that its edge Shall not turn on ourselves!" Then well spake Sorli From a heart full of wisdom: "No words will I Make with my mother, Though both ye twain Need words belike— What askest thou, Gudrun, To let thee go greeting? "Weep for thy brethren, Weep for thy sweet sons, And thy nighest kinsfolk Laid by the fight-side! ”

“ Ne'er shalt thou, Gunnar, The gold have joy of; The dear-bought rings Shall drag thee to death, Whereon thou swarest Oath unto Sigurd. Ah, in the days by-gone Great mirth in the homefield When my Sigurd Set saddle on Grani, And they went their ways For the wooing of Brynhild! An ill day, an ill woman, And most ill hap!" Then spake Brynhild, Budli's daughter— "May the woman lack Both love and children, Who gained greeting For thee, O Gudrun! Who gave thee this morning Many words!" Then spake Gullrond, Giuki's daughter— "Hold peace of such words Thou hated of all folk! ”

“ To whomso they may avail, Unbewildered unspoilt; They are wholesome to have: Thrive thou with these then. When thou hast learnt their lore, Till the Gods end thy life-days. "Now shalt thou choose thee E'en as choice is bidden, Sharp steel's root and stem, Choose song or silence; See to each in thy heart, All hurt has been heeded."
Then answered Sigurd—
"Ne'er shall I flee, Though thou wottest me fey; Never was I born for blenching, Thy loved rede will I Hold aright in my heart Even as long as I may live." ”

“ The far-famed through the world— Ah, the fares drave me on, And the man war made holy, There must I slay!" SORLI SAID: "Unmeet we should do As the doings of wolves are, Raising wrong each 'gainst other As the dogs of the Norns, The greedy ones nourished In waste steads of the world. In strong wise have we fought, On Goths' corpses we stand, Beat down by our edges, E'en as ernes on the bough. Great fame our might winneth, Die we now, or to-morrow,— No man lives till eve Whom the fates doom at morning." At the hall's gable-end Fell Sorli to earth, But Hamdir lay low At the back of the houses. ”

“ Brynhild answers, "Ask such things only as are good for thee to know—matters meet for mighty dames. Good to love good things when all goes according to thy heart's desire!"
Gudrun says, "Early days for me to glory in that; but this word of thine looketh toward some foreseeing. What ill dost thou thrust at us? I did naught to grieve thee."
Brynhild answers, "For this shalt thou pay, in that thou hast got Sigurd to thee,—nowise can I see thee living in the bliss thereof, whereas thou hast him, and the wealth and the might of him." ”

“ Now am I as fain Of this fair meeting, As are the hungry Hawks of Odin, When they wot of the slaying Of the yet warm quarry, Or bright with dew See the day a-dawning. Ah, I will kiss My king laid lifeless, Ere thou castest by Thy blood-stained byrny. O Helgi, thy hair Is thick with death's rime, With the dew of the dead Is my love all dripping; Dead-cold are the hands Of the son of Hogni; How for thee, O my king, May I win healing? HELGI: Thou alone, Sigrun Of Sevafell, Hast so done that Helgi With grief's dew drippeth ”

“ These dreadful things Thrust her toward murder: —"Listen, Gunnar, For thou shalt lose My wide lands, Yea, me myself! Never love I my life, With thee for my lord— "I will fare back thither From whence I came, To my nighest kin And those that know me There shall I sit Sleeping my life away, Unless thou slayest Sigurd the Hun King, Making thy might more E'en than his might was! "Yea, let the son fare After the father, And no young wolf A long while nourish! For on earth man lieth Vengeance lighter, And peace shall be surer If the son live not." ”

“ And Swanhild shall she Send from the land, That may born of her, The may born of Sigurd. "Her shall bite The rede of Bikki, Whereas for no good Wins Jormunrek life; And so is clean perished All the kin of Sigurd, Yea, and more greeting, And more for Gudrun. "And now one prayer Yet pray I of thee— That last word of mine Here in the world— So broad on the field Be the burg of the dead That fair space may be left For us all to lie down, All those that died At Sigurd's death! ”

“ Fair fellow deem I The dark-winged raven, In war, to weapon-wielder. "The second good thing: When abroad thou goest For the long road well arrayed, Good if thou seest Two men standing, Fain of fame within the forecourt. "A third thing: Good hearing, The wolf a howling Abroad under ash boughs; Good hap shalt thou have Dealing with helm-staves, If thou seest these fare before thee. "No man in fight His face shall turn Against the moon's sister Low, late-shining, For he winneth battle Who best beholdeth Through the midmost sword-play, And the sloping ranks best shapeth. ”

“ Mind had the damsel Of the weary day Whenas the high lords Dealt out the heritage, And she sat her down, The sorrowful woman, To tell of the bale, And the heavy trouble. "Nourished was I In the hall of kings— Most folk were glad— 'Mid the council of great ones: In fair life lived I, And the wealth of my father For five winters only, While yet he had life. "Such were the last words That ever he spake, The king forewearied, Ere his ways he went; For he bade folk give me The gold red-gleaming, And give me in Southlands To the son of Grimhild. ”

“ As bare of things longed for As the willow of leaves When the bough-breaking wind The warm day endeth. "Few, sad, are ye left O kings of my folk! Yet alone living Last shreds of my kin! "Ah, naught are ye grown As that Gunnar of old days; Naught are your hearts As the heart of Hogni! Well would ye seek Vengeance to win If your hearts were in aught As the hearts of my brethren!" Then spake Hamdir The high-hearted: "Nought hadst thou to praise The doings of Hogni, When they woke up Sigurd From out of slumber, And in bed thou sat'st up 'Mid the banes-men's laughter. ”

“ Now a host of men Cast the high king alive Into a close Crept o'er within With most foul worms, Fulfilled of all venom, Ready grave to dig In his doughty heart. Wrathful-hearted he smote The harp with his hand, Gunnar laid there alone; And loud rang the strings.— In such wise ever Should hardy ring-scatterer Keep gold from all folk In the garth of his foeman. Then Atli would wend About his wide land, On his steed brazen shod, Back from the murder. Din there was in the garth, All thronged with the horses; High the weapon-song rose From men come from the heath. ”

“ Brawling and drink Have brought unto men Sorrow sore oft enow; Yea, bane unto some, And to some weary bale; Many are the griefs of mankind. For the seventh, I rede thee, If strife thou raisest With a man right high of heart, Better fight a-field Than burn in the fire Within thine hall fair to behold. The eighth rede that I give thee: Unto all ill look thou, And hold thine heart from all beguiling; Draw to thee no maiden, No man's wife bewray thou, Urge them not unto unmeet pleasure. This is the ninth counsel: That thou have heed of dead folk Whereso thou findest them a-field ”

“ Albeit I was a bondsman, yet was I never shackled. God wot thou hast found me free enow."
Fafnir answered, "In angry wise dost thou take my speech; but hearken, for that same gold which I have owned shall be thy bane too."
Quoth Sigurd, "Fain would we keep all our wealth til that day of days; yet shall each man die once for all."
Said Fafnir, "Few things wilt thou do after my counsel; but take heed that thou shalt be drowned if thou farest unwarily over the sea; so bide thou rather on the dry land, for the coming of the calm tide." ”

“ May the sword never bite That thou drawest from scabbard But and if round thine head In wrath it singeth! Then should meet price be paid For Helgi's slaying When a wolf thou wert Out in the wild-wood, Empty of good things Empty of gladness, With no meat for thy mouth But dead men's corpses! DAG: With mad words thou ravest, Thy wits are gone from thee, When thou for thy brother Such ill fate biddest; Odin alone Let all this bale loose, Casting the strife-runes 'Twixt friends and kindred. Rings of red gold Will thy brother give thee, And the stead of Vandil And the lands of Vigdale ”

“ And that no better Might ever be born Into the world, If fate would not spoil it. "Brynhild in bower Sewed at her broidery, Folk she had And fair lands about her; Earth lay a-sleeping, Slept the heavens aloft When Fafnir's-bane The burg first saw. "Then was war waged With the Welsh-wrought sword And the burg all broken That Brynhild owned; Nor wore long space, E'en as well might be, Ere all those wiles Full well she knew. "Hard and dreadful Was the vengeance she drew down, So that all we Have woe enow. ”

“ Shall ye come to see me." "Sit thee down, Gunnar, A word must I say to thee Of the life's ruin Of thy lightsome bride— —Nor shall thy ship Swim soft and sweetly For all that I Lay life adown. "Sooner than ye might deem Shall ye make peace with Gudrun, For the wise woman Shall full in the young wife The hard memory Of her dead husband. "There is a may born Reared by her mother, Whiter and brighter Than is the bright day; She shall be Swanhild, She shall be Sunbeam. "Thou shalt give Gudrun Unto a great one, Noble, well-praised Of the world's folk ”

“ Then men went forth To Jormunrek To tell of the heeding Of men under helm: "Give ye good counsel! Great ones are come hither, For the wrong of men mighty Was the may to death trodden." "Loud Jormunrek laughed, And laid hand to his beard, Nor bade bring his byrny, But with the wine fighting, Shook his red locks, On his white shield sat staring, And in his hand Swung the gold cup on high. "Sweet sight for me Those twain to set eyes on, Sorli and Hamdir, Here in my hall! Then with bowstrings Would I bind them, And hang the good Giukings Aloft on the gallows!" ”

“ Gudrun answered full of wrath, "Thou wouldst be wise if thou shouldst hold thy peace rather than revile my husband: lo now, the talk of all men it is, that none has ever abode in this world like unto him in all matters soever; and little it beseems thee of all folk to mock him who was thy first beloved: and Fafnir he slew, yea, and he rode thy flaming fire, whereas thou didst deem that he was Gunnar the King, and by thy side he lay, and took from thine hand the ring Andvari's-loom;—here mayst thou well behold it!" ”

“ The hard acorn of thought From the high king they took, Laid it bleeding on trencher And bare it Gunnar. "Here have I the heart Of Hogni the hardy, Little like to the heart Of Hjalli the trembler. Howso little it quaketh Laid here on the dish, Yet far less it quaked In the breast of him laid. "So far mayst thou bide From men's eyen, O Atli, As from that treasure Thou shalt abide! "Behold in my heart Is hidden for ever That hoard of the Niblungs, Now Hogni is dead. Doubt threw me two ways While the twain of us lived, But all that is gone Now I live on alone. ”

“ Life shall he lay down Later than ye, And still bear more might Aloft than thy might. "I shall tell thee, Gunnar, Though well the tale thou knowest, In what early days Ye dealt abroad your wrong: Young was I then, Worn with no woe, Good wealth I had In the house of my brother! "No mind had I That a man should have me, Or ever ye Giukings, Rode into our garth; There ye sat on your steeds Three kings of the people— —Ah! That that faring Had never befallen! "Then spake Atli To me apart, And said that no wealth He would give unto me, Neither gold nor lands If I would not be wedded ”

“ Drink rich draughts therewith, Down the high benches send it! "Never callest thou now From henceforth to thy knee Fair Erp or fair Eiril, Bright-faced with the drink; Never seest thou them now Amidmost the seat, Scattering the gold, Or shafting of spears; Manes trimming duly, Or driving steeds forth!" Din arose from the benches, Dread song of men was there, Noise 'mid the fair hangings, As all Hun's children wept; All saving Gudrun, Who never gat greeting, For her brethren bear-hardy For her sweet sons and bright, The young ones, the simple Once gotten with Atli. ”

“ Howso big be the sea-hills, Howso blue beneath, Hail from the main then comest thou home. "Word-runes learn well If thou wilt that no man Pay back grief for the grief thou gavest; Wind thou these, Weave thou these, Cast thou these all about thee, At the Thing, Where folk throng, Unto the full doom faring. "Of ale-runes know the wisdom If thou wilt that another's wife Should not bewray thine heart that trusteth: Cut them on the mead-horn, On the back of each hand, And nick an N upon thy nail. ”

“ Then laughed Brynhild— Loud rang the whole house— One laugh only From out her heart: "Long shall your bliss be Of lands and people, Whereas the famed lord You have felled to the earth!" Then spake Gudrun, Giuki's daughter; "Much thou speakest, Many things fearful, All grame be on Gunnar The bane of Sigurd! From a heart full of hate Shall come heavy vengeance." Forth sped the even Enow there was drunken, Full enow was there Of all soft speech; And all men got sleep When to bed they were gotten; Gunnar only lay waking Long after all men. ”

“ This morning fell In Fetter-grove The king well deemed The best in the wide world, Yea, he who stood On the necks of the strong." SIGRUN: All oaths once sworn Shall bite thee sore, The oaths that to Helgi Once thou swarest At the bright white Water of Lightening, (3) And at the cold rock That the sea runneth over. May the ship sweep not on That should sweep at its swiftest, Though the wind desired Behind thee driveth! May the horse never run That should run at his most might When from thy foe's face Thou hast most need to flee! ”

“ Yea, and thou Gudrun, May'st greet for us twain Sitting fey on our steeds Doomed in far lands to die." From the garth forth they went With hearts full of fury, Sorli and Hamdir, The sons of Gudrun, And they met on the way The wise in all wiles: "And thou little Erp, What helping from thee?" He of alien womb Spake out in such wise: "Good help for my kin, Such as foot gives to foot, Or flesh-covered hand Gives unto hand!" "What helping for foot That help that foot giveth, Or for flesh-covered hand The helping of hand?" ”

“ As high above all lords Did Helgi beat him As the ash-tree's glory From the thorn ariseth, Or as the fawn With the dew-fell sprinkled Is far above All other wild things, As his horns go gleaming 'Gainst the very heavens.
A barrow was raised above Helgi, but when he came in Valhall, then Odin bade him be lord of all things there, even as he; so Helgi sang—
HELGI: Now shalt thou, Hunding For the help of each man Get ready the foot-bath, And kindle the fire; The hounds shalt thou bind And give heed to the horses, Give wash to the swine Ere to sleep thou goest. ”

“ Or may dead warriors Wend their ways homeward? THE DEAD: No vain things' beguiling Is that thou beholdest, Nor the ruin of all things; Though thou lookest upon us, Though we smite with spurs Our horses' sides; Rather dead warriors May wend their ways homeward.
Then went the bondmaid home, and told Sigrun, and sang—
BONDMAID: Go out, Sigrun From Sevafell, If thou listest to look on The lord of thy people! For the mound is uncovered Thither is Helgi come, And his wounds are bleeding, But the king thee biddeth To come and stay That stream of sorrow. ”

“ Then Gunnar turned head And spake unto Hogni: "What rede from thee, high one, Since such things we hear? No gold know I On Gnitaheath, That we for our parts Have not portion as great. "Seven halls we have Fulfilled of swords, And hilts of gold Each sword there has; My horse is the best, My blade is the keenest; Fair my bow o'er the bench is, Gleams my byrny with gold; Brightest helm, brightest shield, From Kiar's dwelling ere brought— Better all things I have Than all things of the Huns." ”

“ Gunnar answered in such wise that few might hear him, "Many a vile word hast thou spoken, and an evil-hearted woman art thou, whereas thou revilest a woman far better than thou; never would she curse her life as thou dost; nay, nor has she tormented dead folk, or murdered any; but lives her life well praised of all."
Brynhild answered, "Never have I dwelt with evil things privily, or done loathsome deeds;—yet most fain I am to slay thee." ”