32. Without stood the wife | of Nithuth wise,
And in she came | from the end of the hall;
But he by the wall | in weariness sat:
"Wakest thou, Nithuth, | lord of the Njars?"

Nithuth spake:

33. "Always I wake, | and ever joyless,
Little I sleep | since my sons were slain;
Cold is my head, | cold was thy counsel,
One thing, with Völund | to speak, I wish.

34. . . . . . . . . . .
"Answer me, Völund, | greatest of elves,
What happed with my boys | that hale once were?"

Völund spake:

35. "First shalt thou all | the oaths now swear,
By the rail of ship, | and the rim of shield,
By the shoulder of steed, | and the edge of sword,
That to Völund's wife | thou wilt work no ill,
Nor yet my bride | to her death wilt bring,
Though a wife I should have | that well thou knowest,
And a child I should have | within thy hall.

[31. Something has probably been lost before this stanza, explaining how Völund made himself wings, as otherwise, owing to his lameness, he could not leave the island. The Thithrekssaga tells the story of how Völund's brother, Egil, shot birds and gave him the feathers, out of which he made a feather-garment. This break in the narrative illustrates the lack of knowledge apparently possessed by the compiler who was responsible for the prose notes; had he known the story told in the Thithrekssaga, it is hardly conceivable that he would have failed to indicate the necessary connecting link at this point. Some editors reject line 3 as spurious. The manuscript does not indicate any lacuna.

32. The manuscript indicates line 4 as the beginning of a stanza, and many editors have followed this arrangement.

33. The manuscript does not name the speaker. It indicates line 3 as the beginning of a new stanza. Vigfusson adds before line 1, "Then spake Nithuth, lord of the Njars."

34. No gap indicated in the manuscript, but it seems clear that something has been lost. Some editors combine these two lines with lines 3-4 of stanza 33. Völund is now flying over Nithuth's hall.

35. The manuscript does not name the speaker; Vigfusson again makes two full stanzas with the line, "Then did Völund speak, sagest of elves." Some editors begin a new stanza with line 4, while others reject as interpolations lines 2-3 or 5-7. Völund's wife: the reference is to Bothvild, as Völund wishes to have his vengeance fall more heavily on her father than on her.]

31. "Vaki ek ávallt viljalauss,
sofna ek minnst síz mína sonu dauđa;
kell mik í höfuđ, köld eru mér ráđ ţín,
vilnumk ek ţess nú, at ek viđ Völund dćma.

32. Seg ţú mér ţat, Völundr, vísi alfa,
af heilum hvat varđ húnum mínum."

Völundr kvađ:

33. "Eiđa skaltu mér áđr alla vinna,
at skips borđi ok at skjaldar rönd,
at mars bćgi ok at mćkis egg,
at ţú kvelj-at kván Völundar
né brúđi minni at bana verđir,
ţótt vér kván eigim, ţá er ér kunniđ,
eđa jóđ eigim innan hallar.

34. Gakk ţú til smiđju, ţeirar er ţú gerđir,
ţar fiđr ţú belgi blóđi stokkna;
sneiđ ek af höfuđ húna ţinna,
ok und fen fjöturs fćtr of lagđak.

35. En ţćr skálar, er und skörum váru,
sveip ek útan silfri, selda ek Níđađi;
en ór augum jarknasteina
senda ek kunnigri kván Níđađar.