SigurÞarkviða Fafnisbana Þriðja

"The Third Lay of Sigurd Fafnicide"

(Translated by William Reaves)

1. It was of old that Sigurd,
the young Völsung,
Giuki sought,
after his conflict,
received the pledge of friendship
from the two brothers;
oaths exchanged
the bold of deed.

2. A maid they offered him,
and treasures many,
Gudrún, Giuki´s
youthful daughter.
Drank and conversed,
many days together,
Sigurd the young
and Giuki´s sons.

3. Until they went
to woo Brynhild,
and with them Sigurd,
the youthful Völsung,
rode in company,
who knew the way.
He would have possessed her,
if her possess he might.

4. Sigurd the southern
laid a naked sword,
a glittering falchion,
between them;
nor the damsel
did he kiss,
nor did the Hunnish king
to his arm lift her.
He the blooming maid
to Giuki´s son delivered.

5. She to herself a body
was of no sin conscious,
nor at her death-day,
of any crime,
that could be a stain,
or thought to be:
intervened therein
the grisly fates.

6. Alone she sat without,
at eve of day,
began aloud
with herself to speak:
“Sigurd must be mine;
I must die,
or that blooming youth
clasp in my arms.”

7. “Of the words I have uttered
I now repent;
he is Gudrún’s consort,
and I am Gunnar’s.
The hateful Norns
long suffering have decreed us.”

8. Oftentimes she wandered,
filled with evil thoughts,
o’er ice and icebergs,
every eve,
when he and Gudrún
had to their couch withdrawn
and Sigurd her
in the coverings wrapt,
the Hunnish king
his wife caressed.

9. “Devoid I go
of spouse and pleasure;
I will beguile myself
with vengeful thoughts.”

10. By those fits of fury
she was impelled to murder.
“Thou, Gunnar! shalt
wholly lose
my land,
and myself also.
Never shall I be happy,
king! with thee.

11. I will return
thither from whence I came,
to my near kindred,
my relations;
there will I remain,
and slumber life away,
cause to be slain,
and a king become
than the other greater.

12. Let the son go
together with the father,
the young wolf may not
longer be fostered.
For whom will vengeance
be the easier
to appease,
if the son lives?”

13. Wroth was Gunnar,
and with grief borne down;
in his mind revolved,
sat the whole day;
he knew not well,
nor could devise,
what were most desirable
for him to do,
or were most fitting
to be done,
when he should find himself
of the Völsung bereft,
and in Sigurd
a great loss sustain.

14. Much he thought,
and also long,
that it did not
often happen,
that from their royal state
women withdrew.
Högni he then
to counsel summoned,
in whom he placed
the fullest trust.

15. “Of all to me Brynhild,
Budli’s daughter
is the dearest;
she is the chief of women:
rather will I
my life lay down
than that fair one’s
treasures lose.

16. “With thou the prince
for his wealth circumvent?
good ‘tis to command
the ore of Rhine,
and at ease
over riches rule,
and in tranquillity
happiness enjoy.”

17. This alone Högni
for answer gave:
“It beseems us not
so to do,
by the sword to break
sworn oaths,
oaths sworn,
and plighted faith.

18. “We know not on earth
men more fortunate,
while we four
over the people rule,
and the Hun lives,
that warlike chief;
nor on earth,
a race more excellent,
if we five sons
long shall foster,
and the good progeny
can increase.”

19. I know full well
whence the causes spring:
Brynhild’s importunity
is over-great.

20. We will Guthorm,
our younger brother,
and not over-wise,
for the deed prepare:
he is free from
sworn oaths,
sworn oaths,
and plighted faith.”

21. Easy it was to instigate
the ferocious spirit:
in the heart of Sigurd
stood his sword.

22. On vengeance bent,
the warrior in his chamber
hurled his brand after
the fierce assassin;
to Guthorm flew
dartlike Gram’s
gleaming steel
from the king’s hand.

23. Fell the murderer
in two parts,
arms and head
flew far away,
but his feet’s part
fell backwards on the place.

24. Sunk in sleep was Gudrún,
in her bed,
void of cares,
by Sigurd’s side:
but she awoke
of joys bereft,
when in the blood
of Frey’s friend she swam.

25. So violently struck she
her hands together,
that the stout of heart
rose in his bed.
“Weep not, Gudrún!
so cruelly,
my blooming bride!
thy brothers live.

26. An heir I have,
alas! too young;
he cannot flee from
the hostile house;
among themselves they
recently have
dark and evil
counsels devised.

27. Never henceforth,
although seven thou bear,
will such a son
to the trysting with them ride.
Full well I know
how this has befallen:
Brynhild the sole cause is
of all the evil.

28. Me the maiden loved
more than any man;
but towards Gunnar
I sinned not;
affinity I held sacred,
and sworn oaths;
thenceforward I was called
his consort’s friend.”

29. The woman gave forth sighs,
and the king his life.
So violently she struck
her hands together,
that the beakers on the wall
responsive rang,
and in the court
the geese loudly screamed.

30. Laughed then Brynhild,
Budli’s daughter,
once only,
from her whole soul,
when in her bed
she listened to
the loud lament
of Giuki’s daughter.

31. Then said Gunnar,
the hawk-bearing prince:
“Laugh not thereat,
thou barbarous woman!
glad on thy couch,
as if good awaited thee.
Why hast thou lost
that beauteous colour?
authoress of crime!
Methinks to death thou art doomed.

32. Well doest thou deserve,
above all women,
that before thy eyes,
we should lay Atli low,
that thou shouldst see thy brother’s
blood-streaming sore,
his gory wounds
shouldst have to bind.”

33. Then said Brynhild, Budli’s daughter:
“No one provokes thee, Gunnar!
complete is thy work of death.
Little does Atli
thy hatred fear;
his life will
outlast thine,
and his might
be ever greater.

34. Gunnar! I will tell thee,
though thou well knowest it,
how early ye
resolved on crimes.
I was o’er-young
and unrestrained,
with wealth endowed,
in my brother’s house.

35. Nor did I desire
to marry any man,
before ye Giukungs
rode to our dwelling,
three on horseback,
powerful kings:
would that journey
had never been!

36. Then myself I promised
to the great king,
who with gold sat
on Grani’s back.
In eyes he did not
you resemble,
nor was at all
in aspect like:
yet ye thought yourselves
mighty kings.

37. And to me apart
Atli said,
that he would not have
our heritage divided,
nor gold nor lands,
unless I let myself be married,
nor grant me any part
of the acquired gold,
which he to me a girl
had given to possess,
and to me a child
in money counted.

38. Then distracted was
my mind thereon,
whether I should engage in conflict,
and death dispense,
valiant in arms,
for my brother’s quarrel.
That would then
be world-widely known,
and to many a one
bring heartfelt anguish.

39. Our reconciliation
we let follow:
to me it had been more pleasing
the treasures to accept,
the red-gold rings
of Sigmund’s son:
nor did I another’s
gold desire;
him alone I loved,
none other.
Menskögul had not
a changing mind.

40. All this will Atli
hereafter find,
when he shall hear of
my funeral rites completed;
for never shall
the heavy-hearted woman
with another’s husband
pass her life.
Then will my wrongs
be all avenged.”

41. Up rose Gunnar,
prince of warriors,
and round his consort’s neck
laid his hands;
all drew nigh,
yet each one singly,
through honest feeling,
to dissuade her.

42. She from her neck
those about her cast;
she let no one stay her
from her long journey.

43. He then called Högni
to consultation.
“I will that all our folk
to the hall be summoned,
thine with mine -
now ‘tis most needful -
to see if we can hinder
my consort’s fatal course,
till from our speech
a hindrance may come:
then let us leave
necessity to rule.”

44. To him Högni
answer gave:
“Let no one hinder her
from the long journey,
whence may she never
born again return.
Unblest she came
on her mother’s lap,
born in the world
for ceaseless misery,
for many a man’s
heart-felt sorrow.”

45. Downcast he
from the meeting turned
to where the lady
treasures distributed.
She was viewing
all she owned:
hungry female thralls
and chamber-women.
She put on her golden corslet -
no good meditated -
ere herself she pierced,
with the sword’s point.

46. On the pillow she
turned to the other side,
and, wounded with the glave,
on her last counsels thought.

47. “Now let come those
who desire gold,
and aught less precious,
to receive from me.
To every one I give
a gilded necklace,
needle-work and coverlets,
splendid weeds.”

48. All were silent,
thought on what to do,
and all together
answer gave:
“Too many are there dead:
we will yet live,
still be hungry hall-servants,
to do what fitting is.”

49. At length after reflection,
the lady linen-clad,
young in years,
words in answer uttered:
“I desire that none,
dead to entreaty, should
by force, for our sake,
lose their life.

50. Yet o’er your bones
will burn
fewer ornaments,
Menia’s good meal,
when ye go hence
me to seek.

51. Gunnar! sit down,
I will tell to thee,
that of life now hopeless is
thy bright consort.
Thy vessel will not be
always afloat,
though I shall have
my life resigned.

52. With Gudrún thou wilt be reconciled,
sooner than thou thinkest:
that wise woman has
by the king
sad memorials,
after her consort’s death.

53. There is born a maid,
which her mother rears;
brighter far
than the clear day,
than the sun’s beam,
will Svanhild be.

54. Gudrún thou wilt give
to an illustrious one,
a warrior, the bane
of many men:
not to her wish
will she be married;
Atli will come
her to espouse,
Budli’s son,
my brother.

55. Much have I in memory
how I was treated,
when ye me so cruelly
had deceived:
robbed I was of happiness,
while my life lasted.

56. Thou will desire
Oddrún to possess,
but Atli will
permit it not;
in secret ye will
each other meet.
She will love thee,
as I had done,
if us a better fate
had been allotted.

57. Thee will Atli
barbarously treat;
in the narrow serpent-den
wilt thou be cast.

58. It will too come to pass,
not long after,
that Atli will
his soul resign,
his prosperity,
and cease to live;
for Gudrún in her vengeance
him in his bed will slay,
through bitterness of spirit,
with the sword’s sharp edge.

59. More seemly would appear
our sister Gudrún,
had she in death
her first consort followed,
had but good counsel
been to her given,
or she a soul possessed
resembling mine -

60. Faintly now I speak -
but for our sake
she will not
lose her life.
She will be borne
on towering billows
to King Jonakr’s
paternal soil.
Doubts will be in the resolves
of Jonakr’s sons.

61. She will Svanhild
send from the land,
her daughter,
and Sigurd’s.
Her will destroy
Bikki’s counsel;
for Jörmunrek
for evil lives.
Then will have passed away
all Sigurd’s race,
and Gudrún’s tears
will be the more.

62. One prayer I have to thee
yet to make,
in this world’t will be
my last request:
Let in the plain be raised
a pile so spacious,
that for us all
like room may be,
for those who shall have died
with Sigurd.

63. Bedeck the pile about
with shields and hangings,
a variegated corpse-cloth,
and multitude of slain.
Let them burn the Hun
on the one side of me;

64. Let them with the Hun
burn on the other side,
my household slaves,
with collars splendid,
two at our heads,
and two hawks;
then will all be
equally distributed.

65. Let also lie
between us both
the sword with rings adorned,
the keen-edged iron,
so again be placed,
as when we both
one couch ascended,
and were then called
by the name of consorts.

66. Then will not clang
against his heel
the hall’s bright gates,
with splendid ring,
if my train
him hence shall follow.
Then will our procession
appear not mean.

67. For him will follow
five female thralls,
eight male slaves
of gentle birth,
fostered with me,
and with my patrimony,
which to his daughter
Budli gave.

68. Much I have said,
and more would say,
if the sword would grant me
power of speech.
My voice fails,
my wounds swell:
truth only I have uttered;
so I will cease.”

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