Source text: “The Lay of Half's Warriors”

Hálfsrekkaljóð

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English translation made by AI from the Old Norse.

1

“We should all
march ashore,
best of warriors,
from our ships,
let the band
of princes burn,
and Asmund’s men
lose their lives.”
The king said:

2

“Half of us
in this host shall
peacefully make our way
up from the sea.
Asmund has offered us
as many
red-gold rings
as we wish to have.”
Innsteinn said:

3

“You do not see all
of Asmund’s mind;
that ruler has
deceit in his breast.
You would, king,
if we had our way,
put very little trust
in your kinsman by marriage.”
The king said:

4

“Asmund has sworn
many pledges
of loyalty to us,
as men know.
A good king will not
break a peace,
nor deceive another king
under a truce.”
Innsteinn said:

5

“Odin has grown
too angry with you,
since you trust Asmund
so completely.
He will betray
us all,
unless you take
precautions against harm.”
The king said:

6

“You always delight
in speaking fearfully;
that king will not
break his pledges.
We shall have gold there
and precious things,
red-gold rings,
from his estates.”
Innsteinn said:

7

“Half, I dreamed—
give thought to this—
that flames played
about our company;
it was hard
to escape from there.
What do you say, king,
that dream foretells?”
The king said:

8

“I shall give a helmet
and a mailcoat
to each brave warrior
who follows me.
It will look
as though flames burn
above the heads
of the king’s company.”
Innsteinn said:

9

“Again I dreamed,
a second time:
I thought fires burned
upon our shoulders.
I begin to doubt
that this bodes well.
What do you say, king,
that dream foretells?”
The king said:

10

“About the shoulders
of those who form the battle wedge,
the king’s retainers,
gilded mailcoats will fall.
Upon the shoulders
of the prince’s friends,
they will gleam
as though flames burn.”
Innsteinn said:

11

“I dreamed this
a third time:
that we had sunk
deep beneath the water.
Something very grave
must be afoot.
What do you say, king,
that dream foretells?”
The king said:

12

“This foolish talk
has gone on long enough;
I say there is nothing
behind such things.
Tell no more,
within my hearing,
of your dreams
for the rest of this day.”
Innsteinn said:

13

“Let the Hroks
and the king’s host
heed my words,
and Utstein as the third:
let us all go
up from the shore;
let us disregard
the king’s orders in this.”
Utstein said:

14

“Let us allow
the eager king to decide,
at the head of his host,
where we shall go.
Let us risk, brother,
as he wishes,
our lives
with the bold ruler.”
Innsteinn said:

15

“The ruler has listened,
while abroad on voyages,
to my counsel
many times.
Now I say he will
heed nothing
that I tell him,
since we came here.”
King Half went up to King Asmund’s homestead with half his company. A great crowd was already there. The feast was lavish and the drink so strong that Half’s warriors fell fast asleep. King Asmund and his retainers set fire to the hall. The first of Half’s warriors to wake saw the hall almost full of smoke. He said, “There must be smoke about our hawks now.” Then he lay down and slept. Another woke and saw that the hall was ablaze, and said, “Wax must be dripping from the short swords now.” He lay down. Then King Half woke. He stood up, roused his company, and told them to arm themselves. They rushed against the walls so hard that the notched ends broke off the timber logs. Then Innsteinn said:

16

“Smoke swirls about the hawks
in the king’s hall;
we may expect wax
to drip from the short swords.
It is time to share out gold
and precious things,
and helmets,
among Half’s warriors.

17

Now I wish
that Half would wake;
these fires were kindled
from no need for warmth.
You ought, necklace-breaker,
to repay the gifts
of your kinsman by marriage,
that cruel-hearted man.

18

Let us, still unharmed, thrust down
the hall’s gable.
Now the pillars begin
to shift apart.
Forever will be remembered,
while humankind lives,
the journey of Half’s warriors
to the war-leader.

19

We must advance fiercely
and give no ground;
the ruler’s company must
fight with short swords.
They themselves shall
bear on their bodies
bloody wounds
before the din subsides.

20

Move swiftly,
valiant warriors,
out of the fire
with the treasure-giver.
There is no man
who lives forever.
The ring-breaker will not
shrink from death.”
It is told here that King Half and Half’s warriors escaped from the fire, and that King Half and his company fell before an overwhelming force. Innsteinn spoke when the king had fallen:

21

“Here I saw them all
follow one man,
the prince’s son,
with equal courage.
May we meet unharmed
when we pass from here;
life is no easier
than death.”
Then those of Half’s warriors who had stayed by the ships joined the battle. A great many of Half’s warriors fell there. The battle lasted until nightfall, before Innsteinn fell. Innsteinn said:

22

“Hrok has fallen
beside the war-leader,
brave at the feet
of the host’s commander.
We owe Odin
an evil repayment,
for robbing such a king
of victory.

23

For eighteen summers
I have campaigned abroad,
following the fearless man
to redden the spear.
I shall have
no other battle-eager
lord,
nor shall I grow old.

24

Here Innsteinn will
sink to the ground,
wise, at the head
of the host’s commander.
Men will make this
part of their tales:
that King Half
died laughing.”