16. Then Erp spake forth, | his words were few,
As haughty he sat | on his horse's back:
"To the timid 'tis ill | the way to tell."
A bastard they | the bold one called.
17. From their sheaths they drew | their shining swords,
Their blades, to the giantess | joy to give;
By a third they lessened | the might that was theirs,
The fighter young | to earth they felled.
18. Their cloaks they shook, | their swords they sheathed,
The high-born men | wrapped their mantles close.
19. On their road they fared | and an ill way found,
And their sister's son | on a tree they saw,
On the wind-cold wolf-tree | west of the hall,
And cranes'-bait crawled; | none would care to linger.
20. In the hall was din, | the men drank deep,
And the horses' hoofs | could no one hear,
Till the warrior hardy | sounded his horn
[16. In the manuscript this stanza stands between stanzas 12 and 13. Some editors make line 4 a part of Erp's speech.
17. The manuscript does not indicate line 1 as beginning a stanza. The giantess: presumably the reference is to Hel,
goddess of the dead, but the phrase is doubtful.
18. In the manuscript these two lines are followed by stanza 19 with no indication of a break. Some editions insert here
lines 2-3 of stanza 12, while others assume the loss of two or more lines.
19. Cf. note on stanza 18. Ill way: very likely the road leading through the gate of Jormunrek's town at which Svanhild was
trampled to death. Sister's son: many editors change the text to read "stepson," for the reference is certainly to Randver, son
of Jormunrek, hanged by his father on Bikki's advice (cf. Guthrunarhvot, introductory note). Wolf-tree: the gallows, the wolf being
symbolical of outlaws. Cranes'-bait: presumably either snakes or worms, but the passage is doubtful.
20. Many editors assume the loss of a line after line 3. The warrior: presumably a warder or watchman, but the reference may be to
Hamther himself.]
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16. Skóku lođa, skalmir festu,
ok góđbornir smugu í guđvefi.
17. Fram lágu brautir, fundu vástigu
ok systurson sáran á meiđi,
vargtré vindköld vestan bćjar,
trýtti ć trönu hvöt, titt var-at bíđa.
18. Glamr var í höllu, halir ölreifir,
ok til gota ekki gerđu at heyra,
áđr halr hugfullr í horn of ţaut.
19. Segja fóru ćrir Jörmunrekki,
at sénir váru seggir und hjalmum:
"Rćđiđ ér um ráđ, ríkir eru komnir,
fyr máttkum hafiđ ér mönnum mey of tradda."
20. Hló ţá Jörmunrekkr, hendi drap á kampa,
beiddisk-at bröngu, böđvađisk at víni;
skók hann skör jarpa, sá á skjöld hvítan,
lét hann sér í hendi hvarfa ker gullit.
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