17. "The sorest it was | when Sigurth mine
On his couch, of victory | robbed, they killed;
And grimmest of all | when to Gunnar's heart
There crept the bright-hued | crawling snakes.
And keenest of all | when they cut the heart
From the living breast | of the king so brave;

18. Many woes I remember, | . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
Bridle, Sigurth, | thy steed so black,
Hither let run | thy swift-faring horse;
Here there sits not | son or daughter
Who yet to Guthrun | gifts shall give.

19. "Remember, Sigurth, | what once we said,
When together both | on the bed we sat,
That mightily thou | to me wouldst come
From hell and I | from earth to thee.

20. "Pile ye up, jarls, | the pyre of oak,
Make it the highest | a hero e'er had;
Let the fire burn | my grief-filled breast,
My sore-pressed heart, | till my sorrows melt."

21. May nobles all | less sorrow know,
And less the woes | of women become,
Since the tale of this | lament is told.

[16. Some editors assume a gap of two lines after line 2, and make a separate stanza of lines 3-5; Gering adds a sixth line of his own coining, while Grundtvig inserts one between lines 3 and 4. The manuscript indicates line 5 as beginning a new stanza.

17. The manuscript does not indicate line 1 as beginning a stanza (cf. note on stanza 16). Stanzas 17 and 18 are very likely later interpolations, although the compilers of the Volsungasaga knew them as they stand here. The whole passage depends on the shades of difference in the meanings of the various superlatives: harţastr, "hardest"; sárastr, "sorest"; grimmastr, "grimmest," and hvassastr, "keenest." Snakes: cf. Drap Niflunga. The king: Hogni; cf. Atlakvitha, 25. *Note*: Stanzas 17, 18 and 19 have been restructed to conform with the ON resulting in re-numbering from stanza 17 to 21.

18. The manuscript marks line 3 as beginning a new stanza. Most editors agree that there is a more or less extensive gap after stanza 19, and some of them contend that the original ending of the poem is lost, stanzas 19-21 coming from a different poem, probably a lament closely following Sigurth's death. The manuscript does not indicate line 1 as beginning a stanza, and it immediately follows the fragmentary line 3 of stanza 18. The resemblance between stanzas 18-21 and stanzas 64-69 of Sigurtharkvitha en skamma suggests that, in some other wise lost version of the story, Guthrun, like Brynhild, sought to die soon after Sigurth's death. Thy steed: Guthrun's appeal to the dead Sigurth to ride back to earth to meet her is reminiscent of the episode related in Helgakvitha Hundingsbana II, 39-48 The promise mentioned in stanza 20 is spoken of elsewhere only in the Volsungasaga paraphrase of this passage.

20. Perhaps something has been lost between stanzas 20 and 21, or possibly stanza 21, while belonging originally to the same poem as stanzas 19 and 20, did not directly follow them. Sore-pressed: a guess; a word seems to have been omitted in the original.

21. Words of the poet's, like stanza 1, and perhaps constituting a later addition. Many editors assume the loss of a line after line 3. The meaning, of course, is that the poet hopes the story of Guthrun's woes will make all other troubles seem light by comparison.]

17. En sá sárastr, er ţeir Sigurđ minn,
sigri rćntan, í sćing vágu,
en sá grimmastr, er ţeir Gunnari
fránir ormar til fjörs skriđu,
en sá hvassastr, er til hjarta
konung óblauđan kvikvan skáru.

18. Fjölđ man ek bölva,
-- -- --
Beittu, Siguđr, inn blakka mar,
hest inn hrađfćra láttu hinig renna;
sitr eigi hér snör né dóttir,
sú er Guđrúnu gćfi hnossir.

19. Minnsktu, Sigurđr, hvat vit mćltum,
ţá er vit á beđ bćđi sátum,
at ţú myndir mín, móđugr, vitja,
halr, ór helju, en ek ţín ór heimi.

20. Hlađiđ ér, jarlar, eikiköstinn,
látiđ ţann und hilmi hćstan verđa;
megi brenna brjóst bölvafullt eldr,
ţrungit um hjarta ţiđni sorgir."

21. Jörlum öllum óđal batni,
snótum öllum sorg at minni,
at ţetta tregróf of talit vćri.