Svipdagsmál: Grógaldr

Sonr kvað: The son said:

1. 1.

"Vaki þú, Gróa, "Wake up, Gróa,

vaki þú, góð kona, wake up, good woman,

vek ek þik dauðra dura, I wake you at the doors of the dead,

ef þú þat mant, maybe(1) you remember

at þú þinn mög bæðir that you told your child

til kumbldysjar koma." to come to the grave-cairn."

Gróa kvað: Gróa said:

2. 2.

"Hvat er nú annt "What's the matter now

mínum eingasyni, with my only son,

hverju ertu nú bölvi borinn, what is it that troubles you,

er þú þá móður kallar, that you call your mother,

er til moldar er komin who has turned to earth

ok ór ljóðheimum liðin?" and left the world of people?"

Sonr kvað: The son said:

3. 3.

"Ljótu leikborði "An ugly task

skaut fyr mik in lævísa kona, has pitched at me the crafty woman

sú er faðmaði minn föður; who has embraced my father;

þar bað hon mik koma, there she bade me go

er kvæmtki veit, where no one can get to,

móti Menglöðu." to meet Menglǫð.

Gróa kvað: Gróa said:

4. 4.

"Löng er för, "Long is the journey,

langir ro farvegar, long are the ways to travel,

langir ro manna munir, long are humans' longings,

ef þat verðr, maybe it will come to pass

at þú þinn vilja bíðr, that you achieve your wish,

ok skeikar þá Skuld at sköpum." and Skuld turn fate that way."(2)

Sonr kvað: The son said:

5. 5.

"Galdra þú mér gal, "Galdr me galdrs

þá er góðir eru, that are good,

bjarg þú, móðir, megi; mother, protect your child;

á vegum allr dead(3) on the way

hygg ek, at ek verða muna, I think I may be,

þykkjumk ek til ungr afi." it seems to me I am a young lad."(4)

Gróa kvað: Gróa said:

6. 6.

"Þann gel ek þér fyrstan, "The first one I galdr for you

- þann kveða fjölnýtan, - they call it very useful,

þann gól Rindr Rani, - Rindr galdred it for Ran(5) -

at þú of öxl skjótir, that you pitch off your shoulder

því er þér atalt þykkir; whatever seems hostile to you;

sjalfr leið þú sjalfan þik. may you yourself lead yourself.

7. 7.

Þann gel ek þér annan, The second one I galdr for you,

ef þú árna skalt if you must go

viljalauss á vegum, joyless along paths,

Urðar lokur Urð's locks(6)

haldi þér öllum megum, hold you on all sides

er þú á sinnum sér. that you see on the way.

8. 8.

Þann gel ek þér inn þriðja, The third one I galdr for you,

ef þér þjóðáar(7) if mighty rivers

falla at fjörlotum, fall threatening your life's end,(8)

Horn ok Ruðr Horn and Ruðr(9)

snúisk til heljar meðan, turn towards Hel meantime,(10)

en þverri æ fyr þér. and it be always dried before you.

9. 9.

Þann gel ek þér inn fjórða, The fourth one I galdr for you,

ef þik fjándr standa if enemies stand

görvir á galgvegi, in ambush for you on the gallows-

path(11),

hugr þeim hverfi may their minds change

til handa þér, to your side,

ok snúisk þeim til sátta sefi. and their hearts turn towards a truce.

10. 10.

Þann gel ek þér inn fimmta, The fifth one I galdr for you,

ef þér fjöturr verðr if fetters are

borinn at boglimum, placed on your limbs,

leysigaldr(12) læt ek a loosening galdr I cause,

þér fyr legg of kveðinn, spoken over your legs,

ok stökkr þá láss af limum, and the hindrance then lets go of your

limbs,

en af fótum fjöturr. and of your feet the fetters.

11. 11.

Þann gel ek þér inn sétta, The sixth one I galdr for you,

ef þú á sjó kemr if at sea you come upon

meira en menn viti, a greater [swell] than people know,

logn ok lögr may calm and the water(13)

gangi þér í lúðr saman together fall into your flour-bin(14)

ok léi þér æ friðdrjúgrar farar. and grant you ever faring full of peace.

12. 12.

Þann gel ek þér inn sjaunda, The seventh one I galdr for you,

ef þik sækja kemr if there comes to seek you

frost á fjalli háu, frost on a high mountain,

hræva kulði may the cold of death(15)

megi-t þínu holdi fara, not be able to destroy your flesh,

ok haldisk æ lík at liðum. and your body always keep its

limbs.(16)

13. 13.

Þann gel ek þér inn átta, The eighth one I galdr for you,

ef þik úti nemr if night overtakes you

nótt á niflvegi, outside on a dark path,

at því firr megi so that less may

þér til meins gera a dead Christian woman

kristin dauð kona. do harm to you.(17)

14. 14.

Þann gel ek þér inn níunda, The ninth one I galdr for you,

ef þú við inn naddgöfga if you with the beam-gifted(18)

orðum skiptir jötun, jǫtunn exchange words,

máls ok mannvits may speech and wisdom

sé þér á minni ok hjarta in memory and heart

gnóga of gefit. given to you enough.(19)

15. 15.

Far þú nú æva, Fare now never

þar er forað þykkir, where you think dangerous,

ok standi-t þér mein fyr munum; and may evil not keep you from your

desire;

á jarðföstum steini on an earth-fast stone

stóð ek innan dura, I stood inside doors

meðan ek þér galdra gól. while I galdred galdrs for you.

16. 16.

Móður orð Your mother's words

ber þú, mögr, heðan now carry, child, from here

ok lát þér í brjósti búa; and let them swell in your breast;

iðgnóga heill ever-sufficient(20) luck

skaltu of aldr hafa, you will have during your life

meðan þú mín orð of mant." while you remember my words."

Notes

1. Ef usually means "if", but in this poem the meaning sometimes requires "maybe, perchance".

2. This line is a bit hard to parse. Probably the intent is "if it is fated to be".

3. Verða allr - as explained by D. E. Martin Clarke in her partial edition, the basic meaning is "be complete"; compare "all in."

4. Afi means "grandfather"; its use for "boy" here may be derived from Skírnismál.

5. Restoring the manuscript reading; the editor, Guðni Jónsson, followed Guðbrandur Vigfússon's emendation to Rindi Rani, thinking of the name Hrani that Óðinn takes in Hrólfs saga kráka. Either Rindr here is a name for Óðinn, masculinised from Rind, on whom he fathered Váli, and Ran thus presumably refers to her rather than to Rán; or as suggested by Hugo Gering, Rindr is Rind and Ran thus refers to Váli (with an emendation to Vrindr and Vala suggested).

6. Loka means a lock, but a langloka is a kind of song or poem (one without verse breaks), so while Olive Bray rendered this as "the web of Weird", taking it as a reference to the norns' web, Guðbrandur Vigfússon in both Corpus Poeticum Borealis and the Icelandic dictionary took it as one word meaning a magic spell: he translates it "Guarding-charms". Clarke compares the varðlokkur in Þorfinns saga Karlsefnis.

7. amended from þjóðar, þjoðir.

8. Fjǫrlotum is a hapax legomenon, a word that occurs nowhere else.

9. These are taken to be river names, not mentioned elsewhere, or corrupted.

10. Often amended to heðan, "back" by analogy with verses in Grímnismál and Fáfnismál.

11. presumably a kenning for "intending your death"

12. Amended by Sophus Bugge in his edition. The manuscripts have leifnis elda, leifinz elða, and similar.

13. The usual phrase is lopt ok lǫgr, "air and sea", as in Skírnismál 6.

14. Metaphor: to go the way that benefits you. However, Bugge emended lúðr to lið, which would produce "together enter into a group; come together".

15. One manuscript has hvera kuldi, "cold of winter", which Guðbrandur Vigfússon followed.

16. Haldisk is Bugge's emendation; the manuscripts have haldit or and the line has been variously emended.

17. Last two lines reversed for clarity in English. Varying corrupt and unclear text in the last 3 lines. Guðbrandur Vigfússon changed kristin dauð kona to kveld-riðor, "evening-rider", i.e, witch.

18. The same word occurs in Vǫluspá in skamma 7, referring to Heimdallr; here the reference is presumably to Menglǫð's father. It has been thought to refer in both cases to sunbeams.

19. In these last two lines, the manuscripts' minnis / mimis is often amended to munn (mouth), following Bugge; gnóga is a hapax legomenon (the adjective gnógr occurs often, including in verse 16) and is sometimes also amended.

20. or "abundant": ið- is often an intensifier. However the manuscript reading is því nóga, which Bugge emended to æ gnóga, "ever enough".