Völundarkviða

1. 1.

Meyjar flugu sunnan Maidens flew from the south

myrkvið í gögnum, through Myrkviðr(7),

Alvitr unga, otherworldly wights, young,(8)

örlög drýgja; to fulfil ørlǫg;

þær á sævarströnd on the bank of the lake they

settusk at hvílask alighted to rest,

drósir suðrænar, southern damsels,

dýrt lín spunnu. precious flax spun.

2. 2.

Ein nam þeira One of them took

Egil at verja, Egill to embrace,

fögr mær fira, fair maid of humankind,

faðmi ljósum; at her bright breast,

önnur var Svanhvít, the second was Swanwhite,

svanfjaðrar dró, drew her swan-feathers,(9)

en in þriðja and the third,

þeira systir their sister,

varði hvítan embraced the white

hals Völundar. neck of Vǫlundr.

3. 3.

Sátu síðan They then stayed

sjau vetr at þat, seven winters after that,

en inn átta but all the eighth

allan þráðu, yearned,

en inn níunda and (in) the ninth

nauðr of skilði; necessity parted them;

meyjar fýstusk the maidens hastened

á myrkvan við, to the dark wood,

Alvitr unga, otherworldly wights, young,

örlög drýgja. to fulfil ørlǫg.

4. 4.

Kom þar af veiði [He] came there from the hunt,

veðreygr skyti, the weather-eyed(10) shooter,

[Völundr, líðandi [Vǫlundr, travelling

um langan veg], a long way],(11)

Slagfiðr ok Egill, Slagfiðr and Egill,

sali fundu auða, the hut they found empty,

gengu út ok inn they went out and in

ok um sáusk; and looked around them;

austur skreið Egill eastward Egill set off

at Ölrúnu, after Ǫlrún,

en suðr Slagfiðr and southward Slagfiðr

at Svanhvítu. after Swanwhite.

5. 5.

En einn Völundr But Vǫlundr alone

sat í Ulfdölum, stayed in Úlfdalir,

hann sló gull rautt he beat red gold

við gim fastan, around the fixed gem,(12)

lukði hann alla he closed all

lind baugum vel; the lind-rings well;(13)

svá beið hann thus he waited

sinnar ljóssar for his shining

kvánar, ef hánum wife, if to him

koma gerði. she might come.

6. 6.

Þat spyrr Níðuðr, That Níðuðr learns,

Níára dróttinn, lord of the Níárar,

at einn Völundr that Vǫlundr alone

sat í Ulfdölum; remained in Úlfdalir;

nóttum fóru seggir, by night went men,

neglðar váru brynjur, nail-studded were their mailcoats,

skildir bliku þeira their shields winked

við inn skarða mána. under the waning moon.

7. 7.

Stigu ór söðlum They dismounted from their saddles

at salar gafli, at the hut's gable,

gengu inn þaðan went in from there

endlangan sal; the length of the hall;

sáu þeir á bast they saw there on bast

bauga dregna, rings strung,

sjau hundruð allra, seven hundred in all,

er sá seggr átti. which that man owned.

8. 8.

Og þeir af tóku And they took them off

ok þeir á létu, and they put them on,

fyr einn útan, all except one,

er þeir af létu. which they left off.

Kom þar af veiði [He] came there from the hunt,

veðreygr skyti, the weather-eyed shooter,

Völundr, líðandi Vǫlundr, travelling

um langan veg. a long way.

9. 8.

Gekk hann brúnni He went to roast

beru hold steikja, flesh of a brown she-bear,(14)

ár brann hrísi early(15) burned with brushwood

allþurr fura, the dried-out pine,

viðr inn vindþurri, the wind-dried wood,

fyr Völundi. in front of Vǫlundr.

10. 10.

Sat á berfjalli, He sat on a bearskin,

bauga talði, counted rings,

alfa ljóði, chief of elves,(16)

eins saknaði; one he missed;

hugði hann, at hefði He thought, that

Hlöðvés dóttir, Hlǫðvé's daughter had it,

Alvitr unga, young Alvitr,(17)

væri hon aftr komin. that she had come back.

11. 11.

Sat hann svá lengi, He sat for so long

at hann sofnaði, that he drowsed,

ok hann vaknaði and he awoke

viljalauss; will-less;(18)

vissi sér á höndum he felt on his hands

höfgar nauðir, heavy shackles(19),

en á fótum and on his feet

fjötur of spenntan. fetters fastened about.

Völundr kvað: Vǫlundr said:

12. 12.

"Hverir ro jöfrar, "Who are the warriors

þeir er á lögðu who placed upon

besti bör síma [a bast rope wound](20)

ok mik bundu?" and bound me?"

13. 13.

Kallaði nú Níðuðr Now called out Níðuðr,

Níara dróttinn: lord of the Níárar:

"Hvar gaztu, Völundr, "Where did you get, Vǫlundr,

vísi alfa, leader of elves,

vára aura our wealth(21)

í Ulfdölum?" in Úlfdalir?"

Völundr kvað: Vǫlundr said:(22)

14. 14.

"Gull var þar eigi "There was not gold there

á Grana leiðu, on Grani's path,

fjarri hugða ek várt land I thought our land far

fjöllum Rínar; from the fells of the Rhine;

man ek, at vér meiri I think that we a greater

mæti áttum, hoard had

er vér heil hjú when we a family together

heima várum. at home were.

15. 15.

Hlaðguðr ok Hervör Hlaðguðr and Hervǫr

borin var Hlöðvé - she was born to Hlǫðvé -

kunn var Ölrún well-known was Ǫlrún,

Kíárs dóttir." Kjárr's daughter."

16. 16.

[Úti stóð kunnig [Outside stood the wise

kván Níðaðar], wife of Níðuðr],(23)

hon inn of gekk she walked in

endlangan sal, the length of the hall,

stóð á golfi, stood on the floor,

stillti röddu: controlled her voice:

"Er-a sá nú hýrr, "He is not now calm,(24)

er ór holti ferr." the one coming out of the woods."

18. 18.

"Skínn Níðaði "Shines on Níðuðr's

sverð á linda, belt the sword, (28)

þat er ek hvessta, the one I sharpened

sem ek hagast kunna as I knew most skilfully how,

ok ek herðak, and I tempered

sem mér hægst þótti; as seemed most effective to me;

sá er mér fránn mækir from me is that gleaming blade

æ fjarri borinn, borne far away for ever,

sékk-a ek þann Völundi I [will] not see it borne

til smiðju borinn. to Vǫlundr's smithy.

19. 19.

Nú berr Böðvildr Now Bǫðvildr wears

brúðar minnar my bride's

- bíðk-a ek þess bót, - - I will never undergo recompense for

this -

bauga rauða." red rings."

20. 20.

Sat hann, né hann svaf, ávallt He sat always, nor did he sleep,

ok hann sló hamri; and he beat with the hammer;

vél gerði hann heldr ingenious things he made rather

hvatt Níðaði. energetically for Níðuðr.(29)

Drifu ungir tveir To see the treasures(30)

á dýr séa hurried the two young

synir Níðaðar, sons of Níðuðr,

í Sævarstöð. on Sævarstǫð.

21. 21.

Kómu þeir til kistu, They came to a chest,

kröfðu lukla, demanded the keys,

opin var illúð evil intent was open(31)

er þeir í sáu; when they saw inside;

fjölð var þar menja, many necklets were there,

er þeim mögum sýndisk which to the boys seemed

at væri gull rautt to be red gold

ok görsimar. and jewels.

Völundr kvað: Vǫlundr said:

22. 22.

"Komið einir tveir, "You two come alone,

komið annars dags; come tomorrow;

ykkr læt ek þat gull I [will] make it that the gold

of gefit verða; is given to you;

segið-a meyjum do not tell the maids

né salþjóðum, or the hall servants,

manni engum, not anyone,

at it mik fyndið." that you seek me out."

23. 23.

Snemma kallaði Early one youth

seggr annan, called the other,

bróðir á bróður: brother to brother:

"Göngum baug séa!" "Let's go and see the rings!"

Kómu til kistu, They came to the chest,

kröfðu lukla, demanded the keys,

opin var illúð, evil intent was open

er þeir í litu. when they looked inside.

24. 24.

Sneið af höfuð He cut off the heads

húna þeira of those cubs(32)

ok und fen fjöturs and under the marsh of the fetters(33)

fætr of lagði; he laid their feet;

en þær skálar, but those bowls

er und skörum váru, that were under their hair,(34)

sveip hann útan silfri, he wrapped around with silver

seldi Níðaði. [and] gave to Níðuðr.

25. 25.

En ór augum And from the eyes

jarknasteina jewels(35)

sendi hann kunnigri he sent to the wise

konu Níðaðar, wife of Níðuðr,

en ór tönnum and from the teeth

tveggja þeira of the two of them

sló hann brjóstkringlur he hammered out circular brooches(36)

sendi Böðvildi. [and] sent to Bǫðvildr.

26. 26.

Þá nam Böðvildr Then Bǫðvildr started

baugi at hrósa to praise the ring

-- -- -- ---

[bar hann Völundi], [she brought it to Vǫlundr],(37)

er brotit hafði: which she had broken:

"Þorig-a ek at segja "I don't dare tell

nema þér einum." but you alone."

Völundr kvað: Vǫlundr said:

27. 27.

"Ek bæti svá "I will mend in such a way

brest á gulli the break in the gold

at feðr þínum that to your father

fegri þykkir it will seem more beautiful

ok mæðr þinni and to your mother

miklu betri much better

ok sjalfri þér and to you yourself

at sama hófi." that it is of the same rightness."

28. 28.

Bar hann hana bjóri, He overcame her with beer,

því at hann betr kunni because he was cleverer,

svá at hon í sessi so that in the seat she

of sofnaði. fell asleep.

"Nú hef ek hefnt "Now I have avenged

harma minna my wrongs,

allra nema einna all but one,(38)

íviðgjarna." of eager malice(39)."

29. 29.

"Vel ek," kvað Völundr, "A trick I [have](40) ", said Vǫlundr,

"verða ek á fitjum "let me on those flippers be(41)

þeim er mik Níðaðar that Níðuðr's

námu rekkar." fighters took from me."

Hlæjandi Völundr Laughing, Vǫlundr

hófsk at lofti, rose into the air;

grátandi Böðvildr weeping, Bǫðvildr

gekk ór eyju, walked off the island,(42)

tregði för friðils sorrowing for her lover

ok föður reiði. and her father's wrath.

30. 30.

Úti stendr kunnig Outside stood the wise

kván Níðaðar, wife of Níðuðr,

ok hon inn of gekk and she walked in

endlangan sal, the length of the hall,

- en hann á salgarð - and in the hall garth he

settisk at hvílask -: set down to rest -(43)

"Vakir þú, Níðuðr "Are you awake, Níðuðr,

Níara dróttinn?" lord of the Níárar?"

Níðuðr kvað: Níðuðr said:

31. 31.

"Vaki ek ávallt "I am always awake,

viljalauss, will-less,(44)

sofna ek minnst I sleep least(45)

síz mína sonu dauða; since the deaths of my sons;(46)

kell mik í höfuð, it is freezing in my head,

köld eru mér ráð þín, to me your advice is cold,

vilnumk ek þess nú, for my part I want this now:

at ek við Völund dæma. to have words with Vǫlundr.

32. 32.

"Seg þú mér þat, Völundr, "Tell me, Vǫlundr,

vísi alfa, leader of elves,

af heilum hvat varð what became of my hale

húnum mínum." bear-cubs."

Völundr kvað: Vǫlundr said:

33. 33

"Eiða skaltu mér áðr "First you must swear to me

alla vinna, all the oaths,

at skips borði by ship's board

ok at skjaldar rönd, and by shield's round,

at mars bægi by horse's withers

ok at mækis egg, and by sword's edge,

at þú kvelj-at that you will not torment

kván Völundar Vǫlund's wife,

né brúði minni or of my bride

at bana verðir, become the slayer,

þótt vér kván eigim, even in the case where we have a wife

þá er ér kunnið, who is known to you,

eða jóð eigim or have offspring

innan hallar. within [your] halls.

34. 34.

"Gakk þú til smiðju, "Go to the smithy,

þeirar er þú gerðir, that which you built,

þar fiðr þú belgi there you [will] find bellows

blóði stokkna; sprinkled with blood;

sneið ek af höfuð I cut off the heads

húna þinna, of your bear-cubs,

ok und fen fjöturs and under the marsh of the fetters

fætr of lagðak. I laid their feet.(47)

35. 35.

"En þær skálar, "But those bowls

er und skörum váru, that were under their hair,

sveip ek útan silfri, I wrapped around with silver

selda ek Níðaði; [and] I gave to Níðuðr;

en ór augum and from the eyes

jarknasteina jewels(48)

senda ek kunnigri I sent to the wise

kván Níðaðar. wife of Níðuðr.

36. 36.

En úr tönnum And from the teeth

tveggja þeira of the two of them

sló ek brjóstkringlur, I hammered out circular brooches(49)

senda ek Böðvildi; [and] I sent to Bǫðvildr;

nú gengr Böðvildr now Bǫðvildr goes

barni aukin, great with child,

eingadóttir the only daughter

ykkur beggja." of you both."

Níðuðr kvað: Níðuðr said:

37. 37.

"Mæltir-a þú þat mál, "You never spoke(50) that speech

er mik meir tregi, that would grieve me more,

né ek þik vilja, Völundr, nor that I wish you, Vǫlundr,

verr of níta; worse to deny;(51)

er-at svá maðr hár, there is no one so tall

at þik af hesti taki, that he could grab you from horseback,

né svá öflugr, or so strong

at þik neðan skjóti, that he could shoot you down,

þar er þú skollir where you hang

við ský uppi." up against the clouds."

38. 38.

Hlæjandi Völundr Laughing, Vǫlundr

hófsk at lofti, rose into the sky,

en ókátr Níðuðr and Níðuðr, un-merry,

sat þá eftir. still sat below.

Níðuðr kvað: Níðuðr kvað:

39. 39

"Upp rístu, Þakkráðr, "Rise up, Þakkráðr,

þræll minn inn bezti, my best thrall,

bið þú Böðvildi, ask Bǫðvildr,

meyna bráhvítu, maid white of brow,

ganga fagrvarið to go bright-garbed

við föður ræða. to talk with her father.

40. 40.

Er þat satt, Böðvildr, "Is it true, Bǫðvildr,

er sögðu mér: what they told me:

Sátuð it Völundr Did you and Vǫlundr sit

saman í holmi?" together on the island?"

Böðvildr kvað: Bǫðvildr said:

41. 41.

"Satt er þat, Níðuðr, "It is true, Níðuðr,

er sagði þér: what he told you:

Sátum vit Völundr Vǫlundr and I sat

saman í holmi together on the island,

eina ögurstund, a passing moment,(52)

æva skyldi; it never should have [been];

ek vætr hánum I completely did not know

vinna kunnak, how to prevent him,

ek vætr hánum I completely could not

vinna máttak." prevent him."

Notes

1. or skiing

2. Wolf Valleys; the lake name means Wolf Sea.

3. For this name or epithet, see Note 8: it appears to mean "otherworldly being". Dronke has -vítr throughout.

4. Valland: the land of "Welsh", or foreigners; usually meaning France. Kjárr has also been interpreted as Kíarr; Hjalmar Falk plausibly suggested it means "Caesar", so this would be "Caesar of Gaul", which is Ursula Dronke's translation.

5. Skáli can also mean a hall.

6. i.e, years

7. Myrkwood

8. Emending (here and in Verse 3) the syntactically problematic unga to ungar, as both Guðbrandur Vigfússon and Dronke do, and following the conventional interpretation of alvitr as alvítr, from Anglo-Saxon ælwiht, seen in "Béowulf"; however, I have left the "i" short in the text.

9. Scholars either see two lines as having been omitted here, or emend var Svanhvít to um Slagfinn, "around Slagfinn."

10. Veðreygr is a hapax legomenon (uniquely occurring word) in Old Norse, but in Modern Icelandic it can refer to someone savvy about the weather, someone whose eyes are smarting from the wind, or a wary, nervous horse (compare "Keep a weather eye out" in English).

11. The editor has supplied these two lines from Verse 8, where the first two lines are repeated. Dronke argues that Vǫlundr was purposely left out here, to occur on his own in order to underline the contrast between his brothers' actions and his.

12. Gim is a loanword from A-S, and the manuscript's fástan is unclear; as Dronke says, it presumably refers to a jewel fixed in place for incorporation in the ring, with a stray accent.

13. Manuscript lind bauga; with Dronke and others, I read lindbauga, referring to rings meant to be strung on a (linen) string.

14. Rearranged for clarity in English; metrically flawed lines: the editor has added "hann" in the first line, while Dronke adds "biart" (bright) at the start of the second line.

15. Again the text appears to be defective: the manuscript has hár (high) and ár usually means "of yore", not "quickly" as the emenders wish it to mean here.

16. That Vǫlundr is of the Alfar is also stated in Verse 15. As Dronke notes, ljóði is a hapax legomenon, but resembles two usages in Anglo-Saxon: léoda, "countryman, member of a people", in which case it would be derived from the relatively rare ON word ljóðr for a people; and léod, "leader, prince". She points out that the Alfar are not otherwise described as a "nation" but rather as a "kin" or race, and renders it "prince"; Guðbrandur Vigfússon similarly used "king" here.

17. To fit with Verses 1 and 3, this would be better in lowercase, "young otherworldly one".

18. i.e.: bereft of choice. There is a second implied meaning, "joyless".

19. Literally "oppressions", "sufferings", or "necessities" as in Verse 3. The use of the abstract word in the plural to mean "chains" occurs elsewhere in ON and also in A-S.

20. The manuscript has besti byr síma; no good emendation/interpretation has been suggested.

21. Literally "money", which took the form of rings.

22. Many editors move this to the middle of the verse, to make the first half part of Níðuðr's challenge.

23. These two lines are inserted based on Verse 30, as is traditional. It is generally thought that something has gone missing at this point.

24. Dronke points out that the connotations of hýrr are tameness and benevolence.

25. Sævarstǫð: "Landing place at the water"; I have changed "in" to "on" since it is an island, following English usage. Sævarstaðr in the following prose is "Settlement at the water".

26. The editor has omitted this. Things are wrong with the following stanza, but it is Vǫlundr's.

27. Commonly -fótum is construed as -bótum, as suggested by Sophus Bugge, producing a reading "hollows of his knees."

28. There is no word to alliterate with skínn; Dronke inserts skyggt, "polished," before sverð.

29. There are multiple ambiguities in these two lines. Vél can be both "clever things" and "trickery" - Guðbrandur Vigfússon in fact renders it "a snare." Heldr, "rather," can either modify the adverb hvatt or mean "rather than sleeping"; hvatt can be simply "quickly" or "boldly, vigorously."

30. I have reversed this and the next line for clarity in English. There may be a pun on "animals" suggesting they claim to be hunting.

31. Multiple ambiguities in opin (the chest is open; motives are openly revealed) and illúð (the boys' greed; Vǫlundr's desire for revenge; the treasures as a manifestation of his plan).

32. The German edition of the Elder Edda by Sijmons and Gering suggests he did so by bringing down the lid of the chest on their necks, but this is not in the text.

33. Fen fjǫturs occurs again in Verse 34 but is either a scribal error or a technical term we have lost; presumably it refers to the water from tempering steel softening the ground.

34. i.e, their skulls

35. A rare word in ON, only found here and in two places in "Guðrúnarkviða", presumably from A-S eorcnanstán, a word for "jewel" found in Christian texts.

36. Hapax legomenon.

37. Something has been lost in a copying error.

38. Dronke suggests amending this to allra né einna, "all, not one".

39. There are competing suggestions for how to amend the Codex Regius' iviþ giarira, the second word of which makes no sense; some refer to people being "eager for malice", others to the harms themselves.

40. I adopt Dronke's emendation, reading vél, a trick, and understanding á, have, as having been omitted, because the adverb vél, well, and the nominative ek, I, is syntactically highly peculiar.

41. Fitjar is used for the webbed feet of an aquatic bird or the flippers of a seal; verða is also problematic - it could alternatively be "I will not be", but as Dronke points out, this poet otherwise always has an additional ek in that construction.

42. A tidal island, it appears.

43. With Dronke I imagine the "garth" where Vǫlundr lands as either a courtyard or a garden; the traditional translation is "on the wall". In Verse 37 he is hovering.

44. i.e, against my will - but see Verse 11 and note. The text has been amended here: Codex Regius has "vilia ek laus" for this line.

45. i.e, not at all

46. Literally: "since my dead sons".

47. See Verse 24 and note.

48. See Verse 25 and note.

49. See Verse 25 note.

50. Probably to be understood as "You could never speak", given the subjunctive in the next line.

51. Dronke adopts Magnus Olsen's emendation of níta to nióta, which would mean "worse to prosper from"; this is attractive as a reversal of the conventional njóta betr, "enjoy better things, prosper well".

52. The compound ǫgurstund is otherwise unattested, but the first part appears to be a pun on "slack tide, the turning of the tide" and on "heavy, grievous".