26. “On the down of Dun-heath and in Dylgia³⁵-vales
(shall the battle be)³⁶ ’neath the Iassar-fells’ brow,
where often Goths their glaives reddened,
and victory won warriors in sword-play.”

Then Gizur rode till he came upon the Hunnish army. When he was within earshot he called out with a loud voice and said:

27. * * *
* * *
“Afraid are your hosts, fey is your leader—
You have angered Óthin: we offer you battle.

28. “On the downs of Dun-heath and in Dylgia-vales
I bid you battle, ’neath the Iassar-fells’ brow.
(May Óthin o’erawe Angantýr’s foes)³⁷
and may this spear fly o’er you as I do bid it.”³⁸

When Hloth had heard Gizur’s words he said:

29. “Seize ye Gizur (the Grýtings’ follower),³⁹
Angantýr’s man, from Árheimar come!”

Humli said:

(“No hurt nor harm to him shall be done,
to hero who fares to herald us war.”

Gizur said:^*

“Will not Hunnish hornbows do harm to us ever,
nor Hunnish wiles hinder our warriors.”)⁴⁰

Gizur then gave the spurs to his horse and rode back to King Angantýr. . . . The king asked him whether he had encountered the Huns.

Gizur said: ^**

"I spoke with them and summoned them to combat on the downs of Dun-heath and in Dylgia-vales.”

Angantýr asked him how great an army the Huns had. Gizur said:

"Huge was that host (of Hunnish warriors)"^***

30. “Sixteen squadrons⁴¹ saw I foregathered;
had each squadron fully five thousand men,
and each ‘thousand,’⁴² thirteen hundred,
and each ‘hundred,’ horse-men eight-score.”

Angantýr then got together an army to meet the Huns, who were twice his strength. The battle lasted eight days, with great slaughter which was made good, in the case of the Goths, by continual reinforcements; so that at last the Huns were forced to give ground. Angantýr stepped into the front ranks with the sword Tyrfing in hand, and slew both Hloth and Humli. Then the Huns took to flight, and the Goths slew so many that the rivers were dammed up and overflowed their banks and the valleys were filled with dead men and horses. Angantýr went about on the battlefield to search among the fallen. He found his brother Hloth. Then he said:

31. “Untold arm-rings I offered thee, brother,
a wealth of gold and what most thou didst wish.
As guerdon for strife now hast gotten neither,
nor lands nor lieges nor lustrous rings.

32. “A baleful fate wrought it that, brother, I slew thee!
Will that aye be told. Ill’s the norns’ doom.”

[35. “Battle.” Name of a traditional field of battle?

36. Supplied for this corrupt half line.

37. Supplied freely by the translator for a hopelessly corrupt line.

38. Thus dedicating them to Óthin; cf. Voluspó, 16.

39. Supplied by all editors.

40. Both half-stanzas tentatively restored by the translator from the prose.

41. Conjectural.

42. ”Hundreds” and “thousands” are here used as designations for smaller tactical units.

^* This is not in the Old Norse but has been left intact; subsequently stanzas have been re-numbered to conform to the Old Norse.

^** This is not in the Old Norse but has been left intact.

^*** This is not in the Old Norse but has been left intact.]

26. "Kenndu at Dylgju ok á Dúnheiði
ok á þeim öldnum Jassarfjöllum;
þar oft Gotar gunni háðu
ok fagran sigr frægir vágu."

Nú reið Gizurr í brott ok þar til, er hann kom í her Húna. Hann reið eigi nær en svá, at hann mátti tala við þá. Þá kallar hann hári röddu ok kvað:

27. "Felmtr er yðru fylki, feigr er yðvarr vísi,
gnæfar yðr gunnfani, gramr er yðr Óðinn.

28. Býð ek yðr at Dylgju ok á Dúnheiði
orrostu undir Jassarfjöllum,
hræsi yður at há hverju,
ok láti svá Óðinn flein fljúga
sem ek fyrir mæli."

Þá er Hlöðr hafði heyrt orð Gizurar, þá kvað hann:

29. "Taki þér Gizur Grýtingaliða, mann Angantýs, kominn af Árheimum."

Humli konungr sagði:

"Eigi skulum árum spilla, þeim er fara einir saman."

Gizurr drap þá hest sinn með sporum ok reið á fund Angantýs konungs. .... Angantýr spyrr, hvat mikit lið Húnar hafa. Gizurr mælti: "Mikit er þeira mengi:

30. Sex ein eru seggja fylki,
í fylki hverju fimm þúsundir,
í þúsund hverri þrettán hundruð,
í hundraði hverju halir fjórtalðir."

Angantýr spyrr nú til Húna hers. Þá sendi hann alla vegu menn frá sér ok stefndi hverjum manni til sín, er honum vildi lið veita ok vápnum mætti valda. Fór hann þá á Dúnheiði með lið sitt, ok var þat allmikill herr. Kom þá á móti honum herr Húna, ok höfðu þeir lið hálfu fleira. At öðrum degi hófu þeir sína orrostu ok börðust allan þann dag ok fóru at kveldi í herbúðir sínar. Þeir börðust svá átta daga, at höfðingjar váru enn heilir, en engi vissi manntal, hvat margt fell. En bæði dag ok nótt dreif lið til Angantýs af öllum vegum, ok þá kom svá, at hann hafði eigi færa fólk en í fyrstu. Varð nú orrostan enn ákafari. Váru Húnar allákafir ok sá þá sinn kost, at sú ein var lífs ván, ef þeir sigruðust, ok illt mundi Gota griða at biðja. Gotar vörðu frelsi sitt ok fóstrjörð fyrir Húnum, stóðu því fast, ok eggjaði hverr annan. Þá er á leið daginn, gerðu Gotar atgöngu svá harða, at fylkingar Húna svignuðu fyrir. Ok er Angantyýr sá þat, gekk hann fram ór skjaldborginni ok í öndverða fylking ok hafði í hendi Tyrfing ok hjó þá bæði menn ok hesta. Raufst þá skjaldborg fyrir Húna konungum, ok skiptust þeir bræðr höggum við. Þar fell Hlöðr ok Humli konungr, ok þá brast flótti á Húnum, en Gotar drápu þá. .... Angantýr konungr gekk þá at kanna valinn ok fann Hlöð, bróður sinn. Þá kvað hann:

31. "Bauð ek þér, bróðir, basmir óskerðar,
fé ok fjölð meiðma, sem þik fremst tíddi;
nú hefir þú hvárki hildar at gjöldum
ljósa bauga né land ekki.

32. Bölvat er okkr, bróðir, bani em ek þinn orðinn;
þat mun æ uppi; illr er dómr norna."