Baldrs draumar (Vegtamskviða)
1. 1.
Senn váru æsir At once the Æsir
allir á þingi were all in counsel
ok ásynjur and the goddesses
allar á máli, all in parley,
ok um þat réðu and concerning this
ríkir tívar, the mighty gods considered,
hví væri Baldri why to Baldr were [come]
ballir draumar. baleful dreams.
2. 2.
Upp reis Óðinn, Up rose Óðinn,
alda gautr, father of generations,(1)
ok hann á Sleipni and on Sleipnir he has
söðul of lagði; laid a saddle;
reið hann niðr þaðan he rode down from there
niflheljar til; to Niflhel(2);
mætti hann hvelpi, a whelp came to meet him
þeim er ór helju kom. that came out of a cavern.(3)
3. 3.
Sá var blóðugr It was bloody
um brjóst framan in front on its chest
ok galdrs föður and the father of galdr(4)
gól of lengi; barked at lengthily;
fram reið Óðinn, on rode Óðinn,
foldvegr dunði; the earth-way rang;
hann kom at hávu he came to the tall
Heljar ranni. abode of Hel.
4. 4.
Þá reið Óðinn Then Óðinn rode
fyrir austan dyrr, to the eastern door,
þar er hann vissi where he knew [there was]
völu leiði; a vǫlva's burial place;
nam hann vittugri skilful in magic, he began
valgaldr kveða, to speak a galdr of the dead,
unz nauðig reis, until perforce she rose,
nás orð of kvað: the corpse spoke these words:
5. 5.
"Hvat er manna þat "What person is this,
mér ókunnra, unknown to me,
er mér hefir aukit who has added to
erfitt sinni? my weary way?
Var ek snivin snævi I have been snowed with snow
ok slegin regni and beaten with rain
ok drifin döggu, and drenched with dew,
dauð var ek lengi." I have been long dead."
Óðinn kvað: Óðinn said:
6. 6.
"Vegtamr ek heiti, "I am called Vegtamr(5),
sonr em ek Valtams; I am Valtam's son;
segðu mér ór helju, tell me [news] from Hel,
ek mun ór heimi: I will [tell you news] from the world:
Hveim eru bekkir For whom are the benches
baugum sánir, strewn with rings,
flet fagrlig the rooms beautifully
flóuð gulli?" flooded with gold?"
Völva kvað: The vǫlva said:
7. 7.
"Hér stendr Baldri "Here stands for Baldr
of brugginn mjöðr, the mead brewed,
skírar veigar, clear drinks,
liggr skjöldr yfir, a shield lies over;
en ásmegir but the Æsirmen
í ofvæni; [are] in suspense;(6)
nauðug(7) sagðak, by force I spoke,
nú mun ek þegja." now I will stop speaking."
Óðinn kvað: Óðinn said:
8. 8.
"Þegj-at-tu, völva, "Do not stop speaking, vǫlva,
þik vil ek fregna, I wish to ask you,
unz alkunna, until all-knowing;
vil ek enn vita: I wish to know further:
Hverr mun Baldri Who will be
at bana verða the bane of Baldr
ok Óðins son and Óðin's son
aldri ræna?" deprive of life?"
Völva kvað: The vǫlva said:
9. 9.
"Höðr berr hávan "Hǫðr bears the tall
hróðrbaðm þinig, fateful branch(8) thither,
hann mun Baldri he will be
at bana verða the bane of Baldr
ok Óðins son and Óðin's son
aldri ræna; deprive of life;
nauðug sagðak, by force I spoke,
nú mun ek þegja." now I will stop speaking."
Óðinn kvað: Óðinn said:
10. 10.
"Þegj-at-tu, völva, "Do not stop speaking, vǫlva,
þik vil ek fregna, I wish to ask you,
unz alkunna, until all-knowing;
vil ek enn vita: I wish to know further:
Hverr mun heift Heði Who will [the feud](9) on Hǫðr
hefnt of vinna vengeance wreak
eða Baldrs bana or Baldr's bane
á bál vega?" lay low on the pyre?
Völva kvað: The vǫlva said:
11. 11.
Rindr berr Vála Rindr bears Váli
í vestrsölum, in western halls,
sá mun Óðins sonr who will, one night old,
einnættr vega: fight(10) Óðin's son:
hönd of þvær hands he [will not] wash
né höfuð kembir, nor head comb,
áðr á bál of berr before he has borne to the pyre
Baldrs andskota; Baldr's foe;
nauðug sagðak, by force I spoke,
nú mun ek þegja." now I will stop speaking."
Óðinn kvað: Óðinn said:
12. 12.
"Þegj-at-tu, völva, "Do not stop speaking, vǫlva,
þik vil ek fregna, I wish to ask you,
unz alkunna, until all-knowing;
vil ek enn vita: I wish to know further:
Hverjar ro þær meyjar, Who are the maidens,
er at muni gráta who weep at will
ok á himin verpa and throw up to the heavens
halsa skautum?" their neck veils?"
Völva kvað: The vǫlva said:
13. 13.
"Ert-at-tu Vegtamr, "You are not Vegtamr,
sem ek hugða, as I thought;
heldr ertu Óðinn, rather
you are Óðinn,
aldinn gautr." old Gautr(11)."
Óðinn kvað: Óðinn said:
"Ert-at-tu völva "You are not a vǫlva
né vís kona, or a wisewoman,
heldr ertu þriggja rather you are three
þursa móðir." thurses' mother."
Völva kvað: The vǫlva said:
14. 14.
"Heim ríð þú, Óðinn, "Ride home, Óðinn,
ok ver hróðigr, and be proud,
svá komir(12) manna thus [no] persons more
meir aftr á vit, [will] come to see me after,
er lauss Loki ere Loki, loose
líðr ór böndum from his bonds, roves
ok ragna rök and [in] ragnarǫk
rjúfendr koma." the reavers come."
Notes
1. Gautr is a name of Óðinn. It is presumed to mean "father". Alda here is commonly emended to aldinn, a poetic word for "old", to match verse 13; since the manuscripts do not consistently use capital letters to indicate names, I have rendered that "old Gautr."
2. Lower Hel
3. or: out of Hel
4. kenning for Óðinn
5. Used to the Way, Ready for the Journey; Valtamr is Used to the Slaughter, Ready for the Slaughter.
6. This is the modern Icelandic meaning. Published translations range from "in despair" (Olive Bray) to "in merry mood" (Guðbrandur Vigfússon).
7. Presumably the same as nauðig in Verse 4.
8. Hróðr is usually "fame" or "praise" but in some prefixed usages, including here, the element instead seems to be derived from hrjóða, "destroy".
9. Heift, "feud", seems out of place and is often omitted or amended.
10. The same verb as in the previous verse, used in a different meaning; possibly a deliberate pun, since Hǫðr is also a son of Óðinn.
11. See note 1 on Verse 2, line 2.
12. One manuscript has komit, supplying the negative that the meaning requires, but most have komir.