66. A harp Gunnar seized, | with his toes he smote it
So well did he strike | that the women all wept,
And the men, when clear | they heard it, lamented;
Full noble was his song, | the rafters burst asunder.
67. Then the heroes died | ere the day was yet come;
Their fame did they leave | ever lofty to live.
. . . . . . . . . .
68. Full mighty seemed Atli | as o'er them he stood,
The wise one he blamed, | and his words reproached her:
"It is morning, Guthrun; | now thy dear ones dost miss,
But the blame is part thine | that thus it has chanced."
Guthrun spake:
69. "Thou art joyous, Atli, | for of evil thou tellest,
But sorrow is thine | if thou mightest all see;
Thy heritage heavy | here can I tell thee,
Sorrow never thou losest | unless I shall die."
Atli spake:
70. "Not free of guilt am I; | a way shall I find
That is better by far,-- | oft the fairest we shunned;--
With slaves I console thee, | with gems fair to see,
And with silver snow-white, | as thyself thou shalt choose."
[66. Regarding Gunnar's harp-playing, and his death, cf. Oddrunargratr, 27-30 and notes, and Atlakvitha, 34. Toes (literally "sole-twigs"): the
Volsungasaga explains that Gunnar's hands were bound. Rafters: thus literally, and probably correctly; Gering has an ingenious but unlikely
theory that the word means "harp."
67. There is some doubt as to the exact meaning of line 2. After this line two lines may have! been lost; Grundtvig adds: "Few braver shall
ever | be found on the earth, / Or loftier men | in the world ever give."
68. Wise one: Guthrun. The manuscript marks line 3 as beginning a new stanza.
69. The manuscript does not indicate the speaker.
70. The manuscript does not name the speaker. The negative in the first half of line 1 is uncertain, and most editions make the clause
read "Of this guilt I can free myself." The fairest, etc.: i. e., I have often failed to do the wise thing.]
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66. Harpu tók Gunnarr, hrćrđi ilkvistum,
sláa hann svá kunni, at snótir grétu,
klukku ţeir karlar, er kunnu görst heyra;
ríkri ráđ sagđi; raftar sundr brustu.
67. Dó ţá dýrir, dags var heldr snemma,
létu ţeir á lesti lifa íţróttir.
68. Stórr ţóttisk Atli, sté hann of ţá báđa,
horskri harm sagđi ok réđ heldr at bregđa:
"Morginn er nú, Guđrún, misst hefir ţú ţér hollra;
sums ertu sjalfskapa, at hafi svá gengit."
Guđrún kvađ:
69. "Feginn ertu, Atli, ferr ţú víg lýsa,
á munu ţér iđrar, ef ţú allt reynir;
sú mun erfđ eftir, ek kann ţér segja:
Ills gengsk ţér aldri, nema ek ok deyja."
Atli kvađ:
70. "Kann ek slíks synja, sé ek til ráđ annat
halfu hógligra, - höfnum oft góđu -,
mani mun ek ţik hugga, mćtum ágćtum,
silfri snćhvítu, sem ţú sjalf vilir."
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