76. No more did they speak, | the mead was made ready,
Soon the men were gathered | with mighty uproar.
Thus bitterly planned she, | and Buthli's race threatened,
And terrible vengeance | on her husband would take;
77. The little ones called she, | on a block she laid them;
Afraid were the proud ones, | but their tears did not fall;
To their mother's arms went they, | and asked what she would.
Guthrun spake:
78. "Nay, ask me no more! | You both shall I murder,
For long have I wished | your lives to steal from you.
The boys spake:
"Slay thy boys as thou wilt, | for no one may bar it,
Short the angry one's peace | if all thou shalt do."
79. Then the grim one slew both | of the brothers young,
Full hard was her deed | when their heads she smote off;
Fain was Atli to know | whither now they were gone,
The boys from their sport, | for nowhere he spied them.
Guthrun spake:
80. "My fate shall I seek, | all to Atli saying,
The daughter of Grimhild | the deed from thee hides not;
No joy thou hast, Atli, | if all thou shalt hear,
Great sorrow didst wake | when my brothers thou slewest.
[76. The manuscript marks line 3 as beginning a new stanza; some editions make a separate stanza of lines 3-5, while others combine them with lines
1-2 of stanza 73. Line 2 in the original is clearly defective, the verb being omitted. The meaning of line 3 is uncertain; the Volsungasaga paraphrase
has: "At evening she took the sons of King Atli (Erp and Eitil) where they were playing with a block of wood." Probably the text of the line as we have
it is faulty. Lines 4-5 may possibly have been expanded out of a single line, or line 5 may be spurious. *Note*: This stanza has been conformed from
Bellows original stanza 71 lines 3-4 and stanza 72 lines 1-2 to match the ON.
78. The manuscript does not name the speakers. It indicates line 3 as beginning a new stanza, in which it is followed by many editions. The Volsungasaga
paraphrases line 4 thus: "But it is shameful for thee to do this." Either the text of the line has been changed or the Volsungasaga compilers misunderstood
it. The angry one: Atli. *Note*: This stanza has been conformed from Bellows original stanza 72 lines 3-5 to match the ON.
79. The manuscript indicates line 3 as beginning a new stanza.
80. The manuscript does not name the speaker.]
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76. Lokit ţví létu, lagat var drykkju,
sú var samkunda viđ svörfun ofmikla;
ströng var stórhuguđ, stríddi hon ćtt Buđla,
vildi hon ver sínum vinna ofrhefndir.
77. Lokkađi hon litla ok lagđi viđ stokki,
glúpnuđu grimmir ok grétu ţeygi,
fóru í fađm móđur, fréttu, hvat ţá skyldi.
Guđrún kvađ:
78. "Spyriđ lítt eftir, spilla ćtla ek báđum,
lyst várumk ţess lengi at lyfja ykkr elli."
Sveinarnir kváđu:
"Blótt, sem vill, börnum, bannar ţat manngi,
skömm mun ró reiđi, ef ţú reynir görva."
79. Brá ţá barnćsku brćđra in kappsvinna,
skipti-t skapliga, skar hon á hals báđa.
Enn frétti Atli, hvert farnir vćri
sveinar hans leika, er hann sá ţá hvergi.
Guđrún kvađ:
80. "Yfir ráđumk ganga Atla til segja;
dylja munk ţik eigi, dóttir Grímhildar;
glađa mun ţik minnst, Atli, ef ţú görva reynir;
vakđir vá mikla, er ţú vátt brćđr mína.
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