6. Winning-runes learn, | if thou longest to win,
And the runes on thy sword-hilt write;
Some on the furrow, | and some on the flat,
And twice shalt thou call on Tyr.
7. Ale-runes learn, | that with lies the wife
Of another betray not thy trust;
On the horn thou shalt write, | and the backs of thy hands,
And Need shalt mark on thy nails.
Thou shalt bless the draught, | and danger escape,
And cast a leek in the cup;
(For so I know | thou never shalt see
Thy mead with evil mixed.)
8. Birth-runes learn, | if help thou wilt lend,
The babe from the mother to bring;
On thy palms shalt write them, | and round thy joints,
And ask the fates to aid.
9. Wave-runes learn, | if well thou wouldst shelter
The sail-steeds out on the sea;
On the stem shalt thou write, | and the steering blade,
And burn them into the oars;
Though high be the breakers, | and black the waves,
Thou shalt safe the harbor seek.
10. Branch-runes learn, | if a healer wouldst be,
And cure for wounds wouldst work;
On the bark shalt thou write, | and on trees that be
With boughs to the eastward bent.
[6. Stanzas 6-12 give a list of runes which probably had no original connection with the Brynhild-Sigurth story. Tyr:
the sword-god (cf. Hymiskvitha, 4 and note); "tyr" is also the name of a rune which became "T."
7. Regius gives only lines 1-6; lines 7-8 are added from Volsungasaga. Lies, etc.: a guest on his arrival received a
draught of ale from the hands of his host's wife, and it was to prevent this draught from bewitching him that the runes
were recommended. Need: the word "nauth," meaning "need," is also the name of the rune which became "N." Leek: leeks were
long supposed to have the power of counteracting poison or witchcraft.
9. Sail-steeds: ships.
10. Branch-runes: runes cut in the bark of trees. Such runes were believed to transfer sickness from the invalid to the tree.
Some editors, however, have changed "limrunar" ("branch runes") to "lifrunar" ("life-runes").]
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6. Sigrúnar skaltu kunna, ef ţú vilt sigr hafa,
ok rísta á hjalti hjörs, sumar á véttrimum,
sumar á valböstum, ok nefna tysvar Tý.
7. Ölrúnar skaltu kunna, ef ţú vill annars kvćn
véli-t ţik í tryggđ, ef ţú trúir;
á horni skal ţćr rísta ok á handar baki
ok merkja á nagli Nauđ.
8. Full skal signa ok viđ fári sjá
ok verpa lauki í lög;
ţá ek ţat veit, at ţér verđr aldri
meinblandinn mjöđr.
9. Bjargrúnar skaltu kunna, ef ţú bjarga vilt
ok leysa kind frá konum;
á lófum ţćr skal rísta ok of liđu spenna
ok biđja ţá dísir duga.
10. Brimrúnar skaltu rísta, ef ţú vilt borgit hafa
á sundi seglmörum;
á stafni skal rísta ok á stjórnarblađi
ok leggja eld í ár, er-a svá brattr breki
né svá bláar unnir, ţó kemstu heill af hafi.
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