Frumtexti: „Hálfsrekkaljóð“

"Upp mundum vér
allir ganga,
skatna beztir,
af skipum várum,
láta brenna
bragninga sveit
ok Ásmundar lið
aldri týna."
Konungr kvað:

"Vér skulum hálfir
herjar þessa
sáttir sækja
frá sjó neðan.
Ásmundr hefir
oss of boðna
hringa rauða
sem hafa viljum."
Innsteinn kvað:

"Sér eigi þú allan
Ásmundar hug,
hefir fylkir sá
flærð í brjósti.
Mundir þú, þengill,
ef vér því réðim,
mági þínum
mjök lítt trúa."
Konungr kvað:

"Ásmundr hefir
oss of unnit
margar tryggðir,
sem menn vitu.
Mun-at góðr konungr
ganga á sáttir
né gramr annan
í griðum véla."
Innsteinn kvað:

"Þér er orðinn
Óðinn til gramr,
er þú Ásmundi
allvel trúir.
Hann mun alla
oss of véla,
nema þú víti
viðsjár fáir."
Konungr kvað:

"Æ lystir þik
æðru at mæla,
mun-at sá konungr
sáttir rjúfa.
Gull eigum þar
ok gersimar,
hringa rauða,
frá hans búum."
Innsteinn kvað:

"Hálfr, dreymði mik,
- hyggðu at slíku, -
at logi léki
of liði váru,
illt væri þar
ór at leysask.
Hvat kveðr þú, þengill,
þann draum vita?"
Konungr kvað:

"Gefa mun ek hverjum
hjálm ok brynju
frækna drengja,
er fylgja mér.
Þat mun at líta
sem logi brenni
skjöldungs liði
of skarar fjöllum."
Innsteinn kvað:

"Enn dreymði mik
öðru sinni:
Hugðak á öxlum
elda brenna.
Gruna tek ek nokkut,
at þat gott viti.
Hvat kveðr þú, þengill,
þann draum vita?"
Konungr kvað:

"Hrynja um herðar
þeim, er hamalt fylkja,
grams verðungu,
gylldar brynjur.
Þat mun á öxlum
öðlings vinum
ljóst at líta,
sem logi brenni."
Innsteinn kvað:

"Þat dreymði mik
þriðja sinni,
at vér í kaf niðr
komnir værim.
Eiga mun allstórt
um at véla.
Hvat kveðr þú, þengill,
þann draum vita?"
Konungr kvað:

"Fulllangt er sjá
fíflskapr talaðr,
vera kveð ek ekki
undir slíku.
Seg þú enga,
svá at heyri,
drauma þína
í degi síðan."
Innsteinn kvað:

"Hlýði Hrókar
ok herr konungs
orðum mínum,
Útsteinn þriði:
Göngum allir
upp frá ströndu,
kunnum ekki
konungs mál of þat."
Útsteinn kvað:

"Konung látum vér
keppinn ráða
fyrir í fólki
um farir várar.
Hættum, bróðir,
svá at honum líki,
fjörvi okkru
með frömum vísi."
Innsteinn kvað:

"Hlítt hefir fylkir
í förum úti
mínum ráðum
mörgu sinni.
Nú kveð ek engu,
er ek mæli,
hlýða vilja,
síz hingat kómum."
Hálfr konungr gekk upp til bæjar Ásmundar konungs með helming liðs síns. Þar var fyrir fjölmenni mikit. Veizla var kappsamlig ok drykkr svá sterkr, at Hálfsrekkar sofnuðu fast. Ásmundr konungr ok hirðin lögðu eld í höllina. En sá, er fyrst vaknaði af Hálfsrekkum, sá höllina nær fulla af reyk. Hann mælti: "Rjúka mun um hauka vára nú," sagði hann. Síðan lagðist hann niðr ok svaf. Þá vaknaði annarr ok sá, at höllin logaði, ok mælti: "Drjúpa mun nú vax af söxum." Sá lagðist niðr. Ok þá vaknaði Hálfr konungr. Hann stóð upp ok vakti liðit ok bað þá vápnast. Þeir hlupu þá á veggina, svá at af gengu nafarnar af timbrstokkunum. Þá kvað Innsteinn:

"Rýkr um hauka
í höll konungs,
ván er, at drjúpi
vax af söxum.
Mál er gulli
ok gersimum,
hjálmum skipta
með Hálfsrekkum.

Hins fýsi ek nú,
at Hálfr vaki;
eru-t af eklu
eldar kyndir.
Áttu, menbrjótr,
mági þínum
grimmlunduðum
gjafir launa.

Hrindum heilir
hallar bjóri.
Nú taka súlur
í sundr þoka.
Æ mun uppi,
meðan öld lifir,
Hálfsrekka för
til hertoga.

Hart skulum ganga
ok hliða ekki við,
verðr vísis lið
at vega með söxum.
Þeir skulu sjálfir
á sér bera
blóðgar benjar,
áðr braki létti.

Snúizk snarliga,
snyrtidrengir,
út ór eldi
með auðbrota.
Engi er ýta,
sá er æ lifir.
Mun-at baugbroti
við bana kvíða."
Svá er hér sagt, at Hálfr konungr ok Hálfsrekkar kæmist út ór eldinum ok Hálfr konungr felli fyrir ofrefli liðs ok sveit hans. Innsteinn kvað, er konungr var fallinn:

"Hér sá ek alla
einum fylgja
jafnröskliga
öðlings syni.
Hittumk heilir,
þá heðan líðum,
er-at léttara
líf en dauði."
Þá kómu Hálfsrekkar til orrustu, þeir sem við skip höfðu verit. Þar fell mikill hlutr Hálfsrekka. Orrustan helzt allt til nætr, áðr Innsteinn fell. Innsteinn kvað:

"Hrókr er fallin
með hertoga
frækn at fótum
fólks oddvita.
Eigum Óðni
illt at gjalda,
er hann slíkan konung
sigri rænti.

Ek hefi úti
átján sumur
fylgt fullhuga
flein at rjóða.
Skalk-at annan
eiga dróttin
gunnar gjarnan
né gamall verða.

Hér mun Innsteinn
til jarðar hníga
horskr at höfði
hers oddvita.
Þat munu seggir
at sögum gera,
at Hálfr konungr
hlæjandi dó."

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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:

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

“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:

“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.

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.

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.”