The Story of the Volsungs and Niblungs.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| Certain Songs from the Elder Edda which Deal with the Story of the Volsungs |
| | | The Lay Called the Short Lay of Sigurd |
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| SIGURD of yore, | |
| Sought the dwelling of Giuki, | |
| As he fared, the young Volsung, | |
| After fight won; | |
| Troth he took | 5 |
| From the two brethren; | |
| Oath swore they betwixt them, | |
| Those bold ones of deed. | |
| |
| A may they gave to him | |
| And wealth manifold, | 10 |
| Gudrun the young, | |
| Giuki’s daughter: | |
| They drank and gave doom | |
| Many days together, | |
| Sigurd the young, | 15 |
| And the sons of Giuki. | |
| |
| Until they wended | |
| For Brynhild’s wooing, | |
| Sigurd a-riding | |
| Amidst their rout; | 20 |
| The wise young Volsung | |
| Who knew of all ways— | |
| Ah! he had wed her, | |
| Had fate so willed it. | |
| |
| Southlander Sigurd | 25 |
| A naked sword, | |
| Bright, well grinded, | |
| Laid betwixt them; | |
| No kiss he won | |
| From the fair woman, | 30 |
| Nor in arms of his | |
| Did the Hun King hold her, | |
| Since he gat the young maid | |
| For the son of Giuki. | |
| |
| No lack in her life | 35 |
| She wotted of now, | |
| And at her death-day | |
| No dreadful thing | |
| For a shame indeed | |
| Or a shame in seeming; | 40 |
| But about and betwixt | |
| Went baleful fate. | |
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| Alone, abroad, | |
| She sat of an evening, | |
| Of full many things | 45 |
| She fell a-talking: | |
| “O for my Sigurd! | |
| I shall have death, | |
| Or my fair, my lovely, | |
| Laid in mine arms. | 50 |
| |
| “For the word once spoken, | |
| I sorrow sorely— | |
| His queen is Gudrun, | |
| I am wed to Gunnar; | |
| The dread Norns wrought for us | 55 |
| A long while of woe.” | |
| |
| Oft with heart deep | |
| In dreadful thoughts, | |
| O’er ice-fields and ice-hills | |
| She fared a-night time, | 60 |
| When he and Gudrun | |
| Were gone to their fair bed, | |
| And Sigurd wrapped | |
| The bed-gear round her. | |
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| “Ah! now the Hun King | 65 |
| His queen in arms holdeth, | |
| While love I go lacking, | |
| And all things longed for | |
| With no delight | |
| But in dreadful thought.” | 70 |
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| These dreadful things | |
| Thrust her toward murder: | |
| —“Listen, Gunnar, | |
| For thou shalt lose | |
| My wide lands, | 75 |
| Yea, me myself! | |
| Never love I my life, | |
| With thee for my lord— | |
| |
| “I will fare back thither | |
| From whence I came, | 80 |
| To my nighest kin | |
| And those that know me | |
| There shall I sit | |
| Sleeping my life away, | |
| Unless thou slayest | 85 |
| Sigurd the Hun King, | |
| Making thy might more | |
| E’en than his might was! | |
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| “Yea, let the son fare | |
| After the father, | 90 |
| And no young wolf | |
| A long while nourish! | |
| For on each man lieth | |
| Vengeance lighter, | |
| And peace shall be surer | 95 |
| If the son live not.” | |
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| Adrad was Gunnar, | |
| Heavy-hearted was he, | |
| And in doubtful mood | |
| Day-long he sat. | 100 |
| |
| For naught he wotted, | |
| Nor might see clearly | |
| What was the seemliest | |
| Of deeds to set hand to; | |
| What of all deeds | 105 |
| Was best to be done: | |
| For he minded the vows | |
| Sworn to the Volsung, | |
| And the sore wrong | |
| To be wrought against Sigurd. | 110 |
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| Wavered his mind | |
| A weary while, | |
| No wont it was | |
| Of those days worn by, | |
| That queens should flee | 115 |
| From the realms of their kings. | |
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| “Brynhild to me | |
| Is better than all, | |
| The child of Budli | |
| Is the best of women. | 120 |
| Yea, and my life | |
| Will I lay down, | |
| Ere I am twinned | |
| From that woman’s treasure.” | |
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| He bade call Hogni | 125 |
| To the place where he bided; | |
| With all the trust that might be, | |
| Trowed he in him. | |
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| “Wilt thou bewray Sigurd | |
| For his wealth’s sake? | 130 |
| Good it is to rule | |
| O’er the Rhine’s metal; | |
| And well content | |
| Great wealth to wield, | |
| Biding in peace | 135 |
| And blissful days.” | |
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| One thing alone Hogni | |
| Had for an answer: | |
| “Such doings for us | |
| Are naught seemly to do; | 140 |
| To rend with sword | |
| Oaths once sworn, | |
| Oaths once sworn, | |
| And troth once plighted. | |
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| “Nor know we on mould, | 145 |
| Men of happier days, | |
| The while we four | |
| Rule over the folk; | |
| While the bold in battle, | |
| The Hun King, bides living. | 150 |
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| “And no nobler kin | |
| Shall be known afield, | |
| If our five sons | |
| We long may foster; | |
| Yea, a goodly stem | 155 |
| Shall surely wax. | |
| —But I clearly see | |
| In what wise it standeth, | |
| Brynhild’s sore urging | |
| O’ermuch on thee beareth. | 160 |
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| “Guttorm shall we | |
| Get for the slaying, | |
| Our younger brother | |
| Bare of wisdom; | |
| For he was out of | 165 |
| All the oaths sworn, | |
| All the oaths sworn, | |
| And the plighted troth.” | |
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| Easy to rouse him | |
| Who of naught recketh! | 170 |
| —Deep stood the sword | |
| In the heart of Sigurd. | |
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| There, in the hall, | |
| Gat the high-hearted vengeance; | |
| For he cast his sword | 175 |
| At the reckless slayer: | |
| Out at Guttorm | |
| Flew Gram the mighty, | |
| The gleaming steel | |
| From Sigurd’s hand. | 180 |
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| Down fell the slayer | |
| Smitten asunder; | |
| The heavy head | |
| And the hands fell one way, | |
| But the feet and such like | 185 |
| Aback where they stood. | |
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| Gudrun was sleeping | |
| Soft in the bed, | |
| Empty of sorrow | |
| By the side of Sigurd: | 190 |
| When she awoke | |
| With all pleasure gone, | |
| Swimming in blood | |
| Of Frey’s beloved. | |
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| So sore her hands | 195 |
| She smote together, | |
| That the great-hearted | |
| Gat raised in bed; | |
| —“O Gudrun, weep not | |
| So woefully, | 200 |
| Sweet lovely bride, | |
| For thy brethren live for thee! | |
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| “A young child have I | |
| For heritor; | |
| Too young to win forth | 205 |
| From the house of his foes.— | |
| Black deeds and ill | |
| Have they been a-doing, | |
| Evil rede | |
| Have they wrought at last. | 210 |
| |
| “Late, late, rideth with them | |
| Unto the Thing, | |
| Such sister’s son, | |
| Though seven thou bear,— | |
| —But well I wot | 215 |
| Which way all goeth; | |
| Alone wrought Brynhild | |
| This bale against us. | |
| |
| “That maiden loved me | |
| Far before all men, | 220 |
| Yet wrong to Gunnar | |
| I never wrought; | |
| Brotherhood I heeded | |
| And all bounden oaths, | |
| That none should deem me | 225 |
| His queen’s darling.” | |
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| Weary sighed Gudrun, | |
| As the king gat ending, | |
| And so sore her hands | |
| She smote together, | 230 |
| That the cups arow | |
| Rang out therewith | |
| And the geese cried on high | |
| That were in the homefield. | |
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| Then laughed Brynhild | 235 |
| Budli’s daughter, | |
| Once, once only, | |
| From out her heart; | |
| When to her bed | |
| Was borne the sound | 240 |
| Of the sore greeting | |
| Of Giuki’s daughter. | |
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| Then, quoth Gunnar, | |
| The king, the hawk-bearer, | |
| “Whereas, thou laughest, | 245 |
| O hateful woman, | |
| Glad on thy bed, | |
| No good it betokeneth: | |
| Why lackest thou else | |
| Thy lovely hue? | 250 |
| Feeder of foul deeds, | |
| Fey do I deem thee, | |
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| “Well worthy art thou | |
| Before all women, | |
| That thine eyes should see | 255 |
| Atli slain of us; | |
| That thy brother’s wounds | |
| Thou shouldst see a-bleeding, | |
| That his bloody hurts | |
| Thine hands should bind.” | 260 |
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| “No man blameth thee, Gunnar, | |
| Thou hast fulfilled death’s measure | |
| But naught Atli feareth | |
| All thine ill will; | |
| Life shall he lay down | 265 |
| Later than ye, | |
| And still bear more might | |
| Aloft than thy might. | |
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| “I shall tell thee, Gunnar, | |
| Though well the tale thou knowest, | 270 |
| In what early days | |
| Ye dealt abroad your wrong: | |
| Young was I then, | |
| Worn with no woe, | |
| Good wealth I had | 275 |
| In the house of my brother! | |
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| “No mind had I | |
| That a man should have me, | |
| Or ever ye Giukings, | |
| Rode into our garth; | 280 |
| There ye sat on your steeds | |
| Three kings of the people— | |
| —Ah! that that faring | |
| Had never befallen! | |
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| “Then spake Atli | 285 |
| To me apart, | |
| And said that no wealth | |
| He would give unto me, | |
| Neither gold nor lands | |
| If I would not be wedded; | 290 |
| Nay, and no part | |
| Of the wealth apportioned, | |
| Which in my first days | |
| He gave me duly; | |
| Which in my first days | 295 |
| He counted down. | |
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| “Wavered the mind | |
| Within me then, | |
| If to fight I should fall | |
| And the felling of folk, | 300 |
| Bold in byrny | |
| Because of my brother; | |
| A deed of fame | |
| Had that been to all folk, | |
| But to many a man | 305 |
| Sorrow of mind. | |
| |
| “So I let all sink | |
| Into peace at the last: | |
| More grew I minded | |
| For the mighty treasure, | 310 |
| The red-shining rings | |
| Of Sigmund’s son; | |
| For no man’s wealth else | |
| Would I take unto me. | |
| |
| “For myself had I given | 315 |
| To that great king | |
| Who sat amid gold | |
| On the back of Grani; | |
| Nought were his eyen | |
| Like to your eyen, | 320 |
| Nor in any wise | |
| Went his visage with yours; | |
| Though ye might deem you | |
| Due kings of men. | |
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| “One I loved, | 325 |
| One, and none other, | |
| The gold-decked may | |
| Had no doubtful mind; | |
| Thereof shall Atli | |
| Wot full surely, | 330 |
| When he getteth to know | |
| I am gone to the dead. | |
| |
| “Far be it from me, | |
| Feeble and wavering, | |
| Ever to love | 335 |
| Another’s love— | |
| —Yet shall my woe | |
| Be well avenged.” | |
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| Up rose Gunnar, | |
| The great men’s leader, | 340 |
| And cast his arms | |
| About the queen’s neck | |
| And all went nigh | |
| One after other, | |
| With their whole hearts | 345 |
| Her heart to turn. | |
| |
| But then all these | |
| From her neck she thrust, | |
| Of her long journey | |
| No man should let her. | 350 |
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| Then called he Hogni | |
| To have talk with him: | |
| “Let all folk go | |
| Forth into the hall, | |
| Thine with mine— | 355 |
| —O need sore and mighty!— | |
| To wot if we yet | |
| My wife’s parting may stay. | |
| Till with time’s wearing | |
| Some hindrance wax.” | 360 |
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| One answer Hogni | |
| Had for all; | |
| “Nay, let hard need | |
| Have rule thereover, | |
| And no man let her | 365 |
| Of her long journey! | |
| Never born again, | |
| May she come back thence. | |
| |
| “Luckless she came | |
| To the lap of her mother, | 370 |
| Born into the world | |
| For utter woe, | |
| To many a man | |
| For heart-whole mourning.” | |
| |
| Upraised he turned | 375 |
| From the talk and the trouble, | |
| To where the gem-field | |
| Dealt out goodly treasure; | |
| As she looked and beheld | |
| All the wealth that she had, | 380 |
| And the hungry bondmaids, | |
| And maids of the hall. | |
| |
| With no good in her heart | |
| She donned her gold byrny, | |
| Ere she thrust the sword-point | 385 |
| Through the midst of her body: | |
| On the bolster’s far side | |
| Sank she adown, | |
| And, smitten with sword, | |
| Still bethought her of redes. | 390 |
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| “Let all come forth | |
| Who are fain the red gold, | |
| Or things less worthy | |
| To win from my hands; | |
| To each one I give | 395 |
| A necklace gilt over, | |
| Wrought hangings and bed-gear | |
| And bright woven weed.” | |
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| All they kept silence, | |
| And thought what to speak, | 400 |
| Then all at once | |
| Answer gave: | |
| “Full enow are death-doomed | |
| Fain are we to live yet, | |
| Maids of the hall | 405 |
| All meet work winning.” | |
| |
| From her wise heart at last | |
| The linen-clad damsel, | |
| The one of few years | |
| Gave forth the word: | 410 |
| “I will that none driven | |
| By hand or by word, | |
| For our sake should lose | |
| Well-loved life. | |
| |
| “Thou on the bones of you | 415 |
| Surely shall burn, | |
| Less dear treasure | |
| At your departing | |
| Nor with Menia’s Meal 1 | |
| Shall ye come to see me.” | 420 |
| |
| “Sit thee down, Gunnar, | |
| A word must I say to thee | |
| Of the life’s ruin | |
| Of thy lightsome bride— | |
| —Nor shall thy ship | 425 |
| Swim soft and sweetly | |
| For all that I | |
| Lay life adown. | |
| |
| “Sooner than ye might deem | |
| Shall ye make peace with Gudrun, | 430 |
| For the wise woman | |
| Shall lull in the young wife | |
| The hard memory | |
| Of her dead husband. | |
| |
| “There is a may born | 435 |
| Reared by her mother, | |
| Whiter and brighter | |
| Than is the bright day; | |
| She shall be Swanhild, | |
| She shall be Sunbeam. | 440 |
| |
| “Thou shalt give Gudrun | |
| Unto a great one, | |
| Noble, well-praised | |
| Of the world’s folk; | |
| Not with her goodwill, | 445 |
| Or love shalt thou give her; | |
| Yet will Atli | |
| Come to win her, | |
| My very brother, | |
| Born of Budli. | 450 |
| |
| —“Ah! many a memory | |
| Of how ye dealt with me, | |
| How sorely, how evilly | |
| Ye ever beguiled me, | |
| How all pleasure left me | 455 |
| The while my life lasted!— | |
| |
| “Fain wilt thou be | |
| Oddrun to win, | |
| But thy good liking | |
| Shall Atli let; | 460 |
| But in secret wise | |
| Shall ye win together, | |
| And she shall love thee | |
| As I had loved thee, | |
| If in such wise | 465 |
| Fate had willed it. | |
| |
| “But with all ill | |
| Shall Atli sting thee, | |
| Into the strait worm-close | |
| Shall he cast thee. | 470 |
| |
| “But no long space | |
| Shall slip away | |
| Ere Atli too | |
| All life shall lose. | |
| Yea, all his weal | 475 |
| With the life of his sons, | |
| For a dreadful bed | |
| Dights Gudrun for him, | |
| From a heart sore laden, | |
| With the sword’s sharp edge. | 480 |
| |
| “More seemly for Gudrun, | |
| Your very sister, | |
| In death to wend after | |
| Her love first wed; | |
| Had but good rede | 485 |
| To her been given, | |
| Or if her heart | |
| Had been like to my heart. | |
| |
| —“Faint my speech groweth— | |
| But for our sake | 490 |
| Ne’er shall she lose | |
| Her life beloved; | |
| The sea shall have her, | |
| High billows bear her | |
| Forth unto Jonakr’s | 495 |
| Fair land of his fathers. | |
| |
| “There shall she bear sons, | |
| Stays of a heritage, | |
| Stays of a heritage, | |
| Jonakr’s sons; | 500 |
| And Swanhild shall she | |
| Send from the land, | |
| That may born of her, | |
| The may born of Sigurd. | |
| |
| “Her shall bite | 505 |
| The rede of Bikki, | |
| Whereas for no good | |
| Wins Jormunrek life; | |
| And so is clean perished | |
| All the kin of Sigurd, | 510 |
| Yea, and more greeting, | |
| And more for Gudrun. | |
| |
| “And now one prayer | |
| Yet pray I of thee— | |
| The last word of mine | 515 |
| 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, | 520 |
| All those that died | |
| At Sigurd’s death! | |
| |
| “Hang round that burg | |
| Fair hangings and shields, | |
| Web by Gauls woven, | 525 |
| And folk of the Gauls: | |
| There burn the Hun King | |
| Lying beside me. | |
| |
| “But on the other side | |
| Burn by the Hun King | 530 |
| Those who served me | |
| Strewn with treasure; | |
| Two at the head, | |
| And two at the feet, | |
| Two hounds therewith, | 535 |
| And two hawks moreover: | |
| Then is all dealt | |
| With even dealing. | |
| |
| “Lay there amidst us | |
| The ring-dight metal, | 540 |
| The sharp-edged steel, | |
| That so lay erst; | |
| When we both together | |
| Into one bed went, | |
| And were called by the name | 545 |
| Of man and wife. | |
| |
| “Never, then, belike | |
| Shall clash behind him | |
| Valhall’s bright door | |
| With rings bedight: | 550 |
| And if my fellowship | |
| Followeth after, | |
| In no wretched wise | |
| Then shall we wend. | |
| |
| “For him shall follow | 555 |
| My five bondmaids, | |
| My eight bondsmen, | |
| No borel folk: | |
| Yea, and my fosterer, | |
| And my father’s dower | 560 |
| That Budli of old days | |
| Gave to his dear child. | |
| |
| “Much have I spoken, | |
| More would I speak, | |
| If the sword would give me | 565 |
| Space for speech; | |
| But my words are waning, | |
| My wounds are swelling— | |
| Naught but truth have I told— | |
| —And now make I ending.” | 570 |
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