Frumtexti: „Helreið Brynhildar“

"Skaltu í gögnum
ganga eigi
grjóti studda
garða mína,
betr semði þér
borða at rekja
heldr en vitja
vers annarrar.

Hvat skaltu vitja
af Vallandi,
hvarfúst höfuð,
húsa minna?
Þú hefir, Vár gulls,
ef þik vita lystir,
mild af höndum
manns blóð þvegit."
Brynhildr kvað:

"Bregðu eigi mér,
brúðr ór steini,
þótt ek værak
í víkingu;
ek mun okkur
æðri þykkja,
hvars menn eðli
okkart kunna."
Gýgrin kvað:

"Þú vart, Brynhildr
Buðla dóttir,
heilli verstu
í heim borin;
þú hefir Gjúka
of glatat börnum
ok búi þeira
brugðit góðu."
Brynhildr kvað:

"Ek mun segja þér
svinn ór reiðu
vitlaussi mjök,
ef þik vita lystir,
hvé gerðu mik
Gjúka arfar
ástalausa
ok eiðrofa.

Hétu mik allir
í Hlymdölum
Hildi undir hjalmi
hverr er kunni.

Annar hét Agnarr,
Auðu bróðir,
er véttr engi
vildi týja.

Lét hami vára
hugfullr konungr
átta systra
undir eik borit;
var ek vetra tolf,
ef þik vita lystir,
er ek ungum gram
eiða seldak.

Þá lét ek gamlan
á Goðþjóðu
Hjalmgunnar næst
heljar ganga;
gaf ek ungum sigr
Auðu bróður;
þar varð mér Óðinn
ofreiðr of þat.

Lauk hann mik skjöldum
í Skatalundi
rauðum ok hvítum,
randir snurtu;
þann bað hann slíta
svefni mínum,
er hvergi lands
hræðask kynni.

Lét hann um sal minn
sunnanverðan
hávan brenna
her alls viðar;
þar bað hann einn þegn
yfir at ríða,
þanns mér færði gull,
þats und Fáfni lá.

Reið góðr Grana
gullmiðlandi,
þars fóstri minn
fletjum stýrði;
einn þótti hann þar
öllum betri
víkingr Dana
í verðungu.

Sváfu við ok unðum
í sæing einni,
sem hann minn bróðir
of borinn væri;
hvárki knátti
hönd yfir annat
átta nóttum
okkart leggja.

Því brá mér Guðrún
Gjúka dóttir,
at ek Sigurði
svæfak á armi,
þar varð ek þess vís,
er ek vildig-a-k,
at þau véltu mik
í verfangi.

Munu við ofstríð
alls til lengi
konur ok karlar
kvikvir fæðask;
við skulum okkrum
aldri slíta
Sigurðr saman.
Sökkstu, gýgjar kyn."

"Thou shalt not further forward fare,
My dwelling ribbed with rocks across;
More seemly it were at thy weaving to stay,
Than another's husband here to follow.

"What wouldst thou have from Valland here,
Fickle of heart, in this my house?
Gold-goddess, now, if thou wouldst know,
Heroes' blood from thy hands hast washed."

Brynhild spake: 3.
"Chide me not, woman from rocky walls,
Though to battle once I was wont to go;
Better than thou I shall seem to be,
When men us two shall truly know."

The giantess spake: 4.
"Thou wast, Brynhild, Buthli's daughter, For the worst of evils born in the world;
To death thou hast given Gjuki's children,
And laid their lofty house full low."

Brynhild spake: 5.
"Truth from the wagon here I tell thee,
Witless one, if know thou wilt
How the heirs of Gjuki gave me to be
Joyless ever, a breaker of oaths.

"Hild the helmed in Hlymdalir
They named me of old, all they who knew me.
..............
..............

"The monarch bold the swan-robes bore
Of the sisters eight beneath an oak; Twelve winters I was, if know thou wilt,
When oaths I yielded the king so young.

"Next I let the leader of Goths,
Hjalmgunnar the old, go down to hell,
And victory brought to Autha's brother;
For this was Othin's anger mighty.

"He beset me with shields in Skatalund,
Red and white, their rims o'erlapped;
He bade that my sleep should broken be
By him who fear had nowhere found.

"He let round my hall, that southward looked,
The branches' foe high-leaping burn;
Across it he bade the hero come
Who brought me the gold that Fafnir guarded.

"On Grani rode the giver of gold, Where my foster-father ruled his folk;
Best of all he seemed to be,
The prince of the Danes, when the people met.

"Happy we slept, one bed we had,
As he my brother born had been;
Eight were the nights when neither there
Loving hand on the other laid.

"Yet Guthrun reproached me, Gjuki's daughter,
That I in Sigurth's arms had slept;
Then did I hear what I would were hid,
That they had betrayed me in taking a mate.

"Ever with grief and all too long
Are men and women born in the world;
But yet we shall live our lives together,
Sigurth and I. Sink down, Giantess!"