17. Few the words | of Hogni were:
"Us it beseems not | so to do,
To cleave with swords | the oaths we swore,
The oaths we swore | and all our vows.

18. "We know no mightier | men on earth
The while we four | o'er the folk hold sway,
And while the Hunnish | hero lives,
Nor higher kinship | the world doth hold.
"If sons we five | shall soon beget,
Great, methinks, | our race shall grow;

19. Well I see | whence lead the ways;
Too bitter far | is Brynhild's hate."

Gunnar spake:

20. "Gotthorm to wrath | we needs must rouse,
Our younger brother, | in rashness blind;
He entered not | in the oaths we swore,
The oaths we swore | and all our vows."

[16. Cf. note on stanza 14. After thus adding lines 4-5 of stanza 14 at the beginning of stanza 16, Gering marks line 4 as probably spurious; others reject both lines 3 and 4 as mere repetitions. Rhine: the Rhine, the sands of which traditionally contained gold, was apparently the original home of the treasure of the Nibelungs, converted in the North to Andvari's treasure (cf. Reginsmol, 1-9). That greed for Sigurth's wealth was one of the motives for his slaying is indicated likewise in Guthrunarkvitha I, 20, and in the German versions of the story.

18. We four: if line 5 of stanza 18 is spurious, or the reference therein to "five" is a blunder, as may well be the case, then the "four" are Sigurth and the three brothers, Gunnar, Hogni, and Gotthorm. But it may be that the poet had in mind a tradition which, as in the Thithrekssaga, gave Gjuki a fourth son, in which case the "four" refers only to the four Gjukungs. Hunnish hero: Sigurth; cf. stanza 4 and note. Some editions put line 2 Stanza 19 between lines 4 and 5 Stanza 18. Lines 4 and 5 of stanza 18 are lines 1 and 2 in the original Bellows translation they have been added to the end of stanza 18 to confrom with the ON.

19. We five: see note on preceding stanza. Some editors mark lines:

"If sons we five | shall soon beget,
Great, methinks, | our race shall grow;"

as spurious, and either assume a gap of two lines after:

"Too bitter far | is Brynhild's hate."

or combine lines "If sons we five | shall soon beget, Great, methinks, | our race shall grow;" with stanza 20. Whence lead the ways: a proverbial expression signifying "whence the trouble comes."

20. The manuscript does not name the speaker. Gotthorm (the name is variously spelt): half-brother of Gunnar and Hogni (cf. Hyndluljoth, 27 and note, and Brot, 4 and note). The name is the northern form of Gundomar; a prince of this name is mentioned in the Lex Burgundionum, apparently as a brother of Gundahari (Gundicarius). In the Nibelungenlied the third brother is called Gernot.]

17. Einu því Högni andsvör veitti:
"Samir eigi okkr slíkt at vinna,
sverði rofna svarna eiða,
eiða svarna, unnar tryggðir.

18. Vitum-a vit á moldu menn in sælli,
meðan fjórir vér folki ráðum
ok sá inn húnski her-Baldr lifir,
né in mætri mægð á foldu,
ef vér fimm sonu fæðum lengi,
áttumgóða æxla knættim.

19. Ek veit görla, hvaðan vegir standa:
eru Brynhildar brek ofmikil."

Gunnarr kvað:

20. "Vit skulum Guthorm gerva at vígi,
yngra bróður, ofróðara;
hann var fyr útan eiða svarna,
eiða svarna, unnar tryggðir."