Source text: “The Song of Grotti”

Gróttasöngr

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English translation made by AI from the Old Norse.

1

Now have come
to the king’s halls
two who see the future,
Fenja and Menja;
there at Frodi’s,
Fridleif’s son’s,
the mighty maidens
are held as slaves.

2

They were led
to the mill
and urged the grey
millstone to turn;
he promised neither
rest nor ease
before he heard
the slave women’s song.

3

They chanted loudly,
their silence broken:
“Let us lower the mill-boxes,
lift the stones.”
Still he told the maidens
that they must grind.

4

They sang and swung
the spinning stone,
until most of Frodi’s
household fell asleep;
then Menja spoke,
having come to the grinding:

5

“We grind wealth for Frodi,
grind him perfect happiness,
grind great riches
on the mill of joy;
may he sit upon wealth,
may he sleep upon down,
may he wake as he wishes:
then the grinding is good.

6

Here no one shall
harm another,
plot misfortune
or bring about death,
or strike with that
sharp sword,
even if he finds his brother’s killer
bound.”

7

But these were the only
words he had spoken before:
“Sleep no longer
than cuckoos above the hall,
nor longer than it takes me
to sing a single song.”

8

“You were not, Frodi,
wise enough for your own good,
friend and counsellor of men,
when you bought slaves;
you chose for strength
and for appearance,
but about ancestry
you asked nothing.

9

Mighty was Hrungnir
and his father,
yet Thjazi was
stronger than they;
Idi and Aurnir,
our kinsmen,
brothers of mountain giants:
from them we were born.

10

Grotti would not have come
from the grey mountain,
nor that hard
stone from the earth,
nor would a mountain giant’s maiden
grind like this,
if we two knew
nothing of it.

11

For nine winters
we were playmates,
reared in strength
beneath the earth;
we maidens undertook
mighty labours,
ourselves moving
mountains from their places.

12

We rolled rocks
across the giants’ realm,
so that the earth beneath
shook and trembled;
so we two swung
the spinning stone,
the heavy rock,
that men took it up.

13

Then later,
in Sweden,
we two who see the future
stepped into battle,
challenged bears
and broke shields,
marched straight through
the grey-shirted host.

14

We overthrew one ruler,
supported another,
gave the good
Guthorm our aid;
there was no sitting idle
before Knui fell.

15

We carried on like that
through those seasons,
so that we were known
as champions;
there we drew
with sharp spears
blood from wounds
and reddened the blade.

16

Now we have come
to the king’s halls,
unpitied
and held as slaves;
gravel gnaws our soles,
and cold bites from above;
we turn the settler of strife:
it is dreary at Frodi’s.

17

Hands shall rest,
the stone shall stand still;
I have ground for myself
my own share;
yet now our hands
will hardly be given rest
before enough is ground
to satisfy Frodi.

18

Hands shall grasp
hard spearheads,
weapons wet with slaughter;
wake, Frodi,
wake, Frodi,
if you wish to listen
to our songs
and ancient tales.

19

I see a fire burning
east of the stronghold;
tidings of war stir:
that will be called a beacon;
an army will come
here at once
and burn the dwelling
over the king.

20

You will not keep
Lejre’s throne,
rings of red gold
or the mighty millstone;
let us turn the handle,
maiden, more fiercely;
we are not warm
in the blood of the slain.

21

My father’s daughter
ground mightily,
for she saw the doom
of very many men;
great supports sprang
from the mill-box,
bound with iron:
let us grind on!

22

Let us grind on!
Yrsa’s son,
Halfdan’s descendant,
will avenge Frodi;
he will be called
both her
son and brother:
we both know that.”

23

The maidens ground,
put forth their strength;
the young women were
in a giant’s fury;
the frame timbers shook,
the mill-box dropped down,
the heavy stone
split apart in two.

24

Then the mountain giant’s
bride spoke these words:
“We have ground, Frodi,
so now we shall stop;
the women have stood long enough
at the grinding.”