Frumtexti: „Guðrúnarkviða 3“
Guðrúnarkviða III
Hér máttu lesa norrœnan frumtexta, ef hann er hér tiltœkr, ok enska þýðingu. Vel með knǫppunum efst hvárn texta þú vilt sjá; val þitt helzt á ǫllum heimildasíðum þessa vefjar.
Norrœnn frumtexti með stafsetningu útgáfu Guðna Jónssonar.
"Hvat er þér, Atli,
æ, Buðla sonr?
Er þér hryggt í hug?
Hví hlær þú æva?
Hitt mundi æðra
jörlum þykkja,
at við menn mæltir
ok mik sæir."
Atli kvað:
"Tregr mik þat, Guðrún
Gjúka dóttir,
mér í höllu
Herkja sagði,
at þit Þjóðrekr
und þaki svæfið
ok léttliga
líni verðið."
Guðrún kvað:
"Þér mun ek alls þess
eiða vinna
at inum hvíta
helga steini,
at ek við Þjóðrek
þatki áttak,
er vörðr né verr
vinna knátti.
Nema ek halsaða
herja stilli,
jöfur óneisinn,
einu sinni;
aðrar váru
okkrar spekjur,
er vit hörmug tvau
hnigum at rúnum.
Hér kom Þjóðrekr
með þría tegu,
lifa þeir né einir
þriggja tega manna;
hnöggt þú mik at bræðrum
ok at brynjuðum,
hnöggt þú mik at öllum
höfuðniðjum.
Sentu at Saxa,
Sunnmanna gram,
hann kann helga
hver vellanda."
Sjau hundruð manna
í sal gengu,
áðr kvæn konungs
í ketil tæki.
Guðrún kvað:
"Kemr-a nú Gunnarr,
kallig-a ek Högna,
sékk-a ek síðan
svása bræðr;
sverði mundi Högni
slíks harms reka,
nú verð ek sjalf fyrir mik
synja lýta."
Brá hon til botns
björtum lófa
ok hon upp of tók
jarknasteina:
"Sé nú, seggir,
sykn em ek orðin
heilagliga,
hvé sá hverr velli."
Hló þá Atla
hugr í brjósti,
er hann heilar sá
hendr Guðrúnar:
"Nú skal Herkja
til hvers ganga,
sú er Guðrúnu
grandi vændi."
Sá-at maðr armligt,
hverr er þat sá-at,
hvé þar á Herkju
hendr sviðnuðu;
leiddu þá mey
í mýri fúla.
Svá þá Guðrún
sinna harma.
Ensk þýðing Henry Adams Bellows frá 1923, ǫllum frjáls til afnota; tǫlur vísna kunna at vera aðrar en í frumtexta.
Herkja was the name of a serving-woman of Atli's; she had been his concubine. She told Atli that she had seen Thjothrek and Guthrun both together. Atli was greatly angered thereby. Then Guthrun said:
"What thy sorrow, Atli, Buthli's son?
Is thy heart heavy-laden? Why laughest thou never?
It would better befit the warrior far
To speak with men, and me to look on."
Atli spake: 2.
"It troubles me, Guthrun, Gjuki's daughter,
What Herkja here in the hall hath told me,
That thou in the bed with Thjothrek liest,
Beneath the linen in lovers' guise."
Guthrun spake: 3.
"This shall I with oaths now swear,
Swear by the sacred stone so white,
That nought was there with Thjothmar's son
That man or woman may not know.
"Nor ever once did my arms embrace
The hero brave, the leader of hosts;
In another manner our meeting was,
When our sorrows we in secret told.
"With thirty warriors Thjothrek came,
Nor of all his men doth one remain;
Thou hast murdered my brothers and mail-clad men,
Thou hast murdered all the men of my race.
"Gunnar comes not, Hogni I greet not,
No longer I see my brothers loved;
My sorrow would Hogni avenge with the sword,
Now myself for my woes I shall payment win.
"Summon Saxi, the southrons' king,
For he the boiling kettle can hallow." Seven hundred there were in the hall,
Ere the queen her hand in the kettle thrust.
To the bottom she reached with hand so bright,
And forth she brought the flashing stones:
"Behold, ye warriors, well am I cleared
Of sin by the kettle's sacred boiling."
Then Atli's heart in happiness laughed,
When Guthrun's hand unhurt he saw;
"Now Herkja shall come the kettle to try,
She who grief for Guthrun planned."
Ne'er saw man sight more sad than this,
How burned were the hands of Herkja then;
In a bog so foul the maid they flung,
And so was Guthrun's grief requited.