But when he came home, Borghildr told him to go away, but Sigmundr offered him wergild, and she was going to receive it. But at the funeral feast, Borghildr bore the ale. She took a great deal of poison, a horn full, and presented it to Sinfjötli.

But when he looked into the horn, he discerned that it was poison in it, and said to Sigmundr, "Ouch, the drink is poisoned."

Sigmundr took the horn and drained it. They say that Sigmund was so tough that no poison could harm him inside or outside, and all his sons could withstand poison outside, on their flesh.

Borghildr brought a second horn to Sinfjötli and told him to drink, and everything happened as before. And then the third time she brought him the horn, plus scolding words if he did not drink it up. But he spoke to Sigmund as before.

He said, "Let your beard sift it, son."

Sinfjötli drank, and died of it. Sigmundr carried him in his arms a long way and came to a long, narrow fjord, and there was a small ship and one man in it. He told Sigmundr to cross the fjord. But when Sigmundr carried the body out onto the ship, then the vessel was full. The fellow said that Sigmund should go inside the fjord. The fellow quickly took the ship out and away.

King Sigmundr stayed for a long time in Denmark, in Borghild's kingdom, after he married her. Then Sigmundr traveled south into Frankland to the kingdom he had there. Then he married Hjördís, daughter of King Eylimi. Their son was Sigurðr.

King Sigmund fell in battle with the sons of Hunding, and then Hjördís married Álfr, son of King Hjálprek. Sigurðr spent his childhood there. Sigmundr and all his sons were far above all other men in strength, stature, intelligence, and all accomplishments. However, Sigurðr was the greatest of all, and in the old tales all men call him the greatest of all men and the noblest of kings.

Gripir was the name of Eylimi's son, the brother of Hjordis; he ruled over lands and was of all men the wisest and most forward-seeing. Sigurth once was riding alone and came to Gripir's hall. Sigurth was easy to recognize; he found out in front of the hall a man whose name was Geitir. Then Sigurth questioned him and asked:

1. "Who is it has | this dwelling here,
Or what do men call | the people's king?"

Geitir spake:

"Gripir the name | of the chieftain good
Who holds the folk | and the firm-ruled land."

Sigurth spake:

2. "Is the king all-knowing | now within,
Will the monarch come | with me to speak?
A man unknown | his counsel needs,
And Gripir fain | I soon would find."

Geitir spake:

3. "The ruler glad | of Geitir will ask
Who seeks with Gripir | speech to have."

Sigurth spake:

"Sigurth am I, | and Sigmund's son,
And Hjordis the name | of the hero's mother."

4. Then Geitir went | and to Gripir spake:
"A stranger comes | and stands without;
Lofty he is | to look upon,
And, prince, thyself | he fain would see."

5. From the hall the ruler | of heroes went,
And greeted well | the warrior come:
"Sigurth, welcome | long since had been thine;
Now, Geitir, shalt thou | Grani take."

[Prose: The manuscript gives the poem no title. Gripir: this uncle of Sigurth's was probably a pure invention of the poet's. The Volsungasaga mentions him, but presumably only because of his appearance here. On Eylimi and Hjordis see Fra Dautha Sinfjotla note. Geitir, the serving-man, is likewise apparently an invention of the poet's. Only the 10^th paragraph of the prose was translated by Bellows, paragraphs 1 - 9 come from the Fra Dautha Sinfjotla - Of Sinfjotli's Death have been translated by Dr. Marion Ingham to match the ON. Many editions list it separately, as Fra Dauða Sinfjötla or (occasionally) Sinfjötlalok

Fra Dautha Sinfjotla note: Regarding Sigmund, Sinfjotli, and Volsung see Introductory Note. The Franks: although the Sigurth story had reached the North as early as the sixth or seventh century, it never lost all the marks of its Frankish origin. Helgi and Hamund: sons of Sigmund and Borghild; Helgi is, of course Helgi Hundingsbane; of Hamund nothing further is. recorded. Borghild: the manuscript leaves a blank for the name of her brother; evidently the compiler hoped some day to discover it and write it in, but never did. A few editions insert wholly unauthorized names from late paper manuscripts, such as Hroar, Gunnar, or Borgar. In the Volsungasaga Borghild bids Sinfjotli drink "if he has the courage of a Volsung." Sigmund gives his advice because "the king was very drunk, and that was why he spoke thus." Gering, on the other hand, gives Sigmund credit for having believed that the draught would deposit its poisonous contents in Sinfjotli's beard, and thus do him no harm. Boat: the man who thus carries off the dead Sinfjotli in his boat is presumably Othin. Denmark: Borghild belongs to the Danish Helgi part of the story. The Franks: with this the Danish and Norse stories of Helgi and Sinfjotli come to an end, and the Frankish story of Sigurth begins. Sigmund's two kingdoms are an echo of the blended traditions. Hjordis: just where this name came from is not clear, for in the German story Siegfried's mother is Sigelint, but the name of the father of Hjordis, Eylimi, gives a clew, for Eylimi is the father of Svava, wife of Helgi Hjorvarthsson. Doubtless the two men are not identical, but it seems likely that both Eylimi and Hjordis were introduced into the Sigmund-Sigurth story, the latter replacing Sigelint, from some version of the Helgi tradition. Hunding: in the Helgi lays the sons of Hunding are all killed, but they reappear here and in two of the poems (Gripisspo, 9, and Reginsmol, 15), and the Volsungasaga names Lyngvi as the son of Hunding who, as the rejected lover of Hjordis, kills Sigmund and his father-in-law, Eylimi, as well. The episode of Hunding and his sons belongs entirely to the Danish (Helgi) part of the story; the German legend knows nothing of it, and permits the elderly Sigmund to outlive his son. There was doubtless a poem on this battle, for the Volsungasaga quotes two lines spoken by the dying Sigmund to Hjordis before he tells her to give the pieces of his broken sword to their unborn son. Alf: after the battle, according to the Volsungasaga, Lyngvi Hundingsson tried to capture Hjordis, but she was rescued by the sea-rover Alf, son of King Hjalprek of Denmark, who subsequently married her. Here is another trace of the Danish Helgi tradition. The Nornageststhattr briefly tells the same story.

1. The manuscript does not indicate the speakers anywhere in the poem. Some editors have made separate stanzas out of the two-line speeches in stanzas 1, 3 and 6.

3. Sigurth: a few editions use in the verse the older form of this name, "Sigvorth," though the manuscript here keeps to the form used in this translation. The Old High German "Sigifrid" ("Peace-Bringer through Victory") became the Norse "Sigvorth" ("Victory-Guarder"), this, in turn, becoming "Sigurth."

4. Bugge thinks a stanza has been lost after stanza 4, in which Geitir tells Gripir who Sigurth is.

5. Grani. Sigurth's horse. According to the Volsungasaga his father was Sleipnir, Othin's eight-legged horse, and Othin him self gave him to Sigurth. The introductory note to the Reginsmol tells a different story.]

En er hann kom heim, þá bað Borghildr hann fara á brott, en Sigmundr bauð henni fébætr, ok þat varð hon at þiggja. En at erfinu bar Borghildr öl. Hon tók eitr mikit, horn fullt, ok bar Sinfjötla.

En er hann sá í hornit, skilði hann, at eitr var í, ok mælti til Sigmundar: "Göróttr er drykkrinn, ái."

Sigmundr tók hornit ok drakk af. Svá er sagt at Sigmundr var harðgörr, at hvárki mátti hánum eitr granda útan né innan, en allir synir hans stóðust eitr á hörund útan.

Borghildr bar annat horn Sinfjötla ok bað drekka, ok fór allt sem fyrr. Ok enn it þriðja sinn bar hon hánum hornit ok þó ámælisorð með, ef hann drykki eigi af. Hann mælti enn sem fyrr við Sigmund.

Hann sagði: "Láttu grön sía þá, sonr."

Sinfjötli drakk ok varð þegar dauðr. Sigmundr bar hann langar leiðir í fangi sér ok kom at firði einum mjóvum ok löngum, ok var þar skip eitt lítit ok maðr einn á. Hann bauð Sigmundi far of fjörðinn. En er Sigmundr bar líkit út á skipit, þá var bátrinn hlaðinn. Karl mælti, at Sigmundr skyldi fara fyrir innan fjörðinn. Karl hratt út skipinu ok hvarf þegar.

Sigmundr konungr dvalðisk lengi í Danmörk í ríki Borghildar, síðan er hann fekk hennar. Fór Sigmundr þá suðr í Frakkland til þess ríkis, er hann átti þar. Þá fekk hann Hjördísar, dóttur Eylima konungs. Þeira son var Sigurðr.

Sigmundr konungr fell í orrostu fyrir Hundingssonum, en Hjördís giftist þá Álfi, syni Hjálpreks konungs. Óx Sigurðr þar upp í barnæsku. Sigmundr ok allir synir hans váru langt um fram alla menn aðra um afl ok vöxt ok hug ok alla atgervi. Sigurðr var þó allra framastr, ok hann kalla allir menn í fornfræðum um alla menn fram ok göfgastan herkonunga.

Grípir hét sonr Eylima, bróðir Hjördísar. Hann réð löndum ok var allra manna vitrastr ok framvíss. Sigurðr reið einn saman ok kom til hallar Grípis. Sigurðr var auðkenndr. Hann hitti mann at máli úti fyrir höllini. Sá nefndist Geitir. Þá kvaddi Sigurðr hann máls ok spyrr:

1. "Hverr byggir hér borgir þessar?
Hvat þann þjóðkonung þegnar nefna?"

Geitir kvað:

"Grípir heitir gumna stóri,
sá er fastri ræðr foldu ok þegnum."

Sigurðr kvað:

2. "Er horskr konungr heima í landi?
Mun sá gramr við mik ganga at mæla?
Máls er þarfi maðr ókunnigr,
vil ek fljótliga finna Grípi."

Geitir kvað:

3. "Þess mun glaðr konungr Geiti spyrja,
hverr sá maðr sé, er máls kveðr Grípi."

Sigurðr kvað:

"Sigurðr ek heiti, borinn Sigmundi,
en Hjördís er hilmis móðir."

4. Þá gekk Geitir Grípi at segja;
"Hér er maðr úti ókuðr kominn;
hann er ítarligr at áliti;
sá vill, fylkir, fund þinn hafa."

5. Gengr ór skála skatna dróttinn
ok heilsar vel hilmi komnum:
"þiggðu hér, Sigurðr, væri sæmra fyrr,
en þú, Geitir, tak við Grana sjalfum."