Oddrúnarkviða
Heithrek was the name of a king, whose daughter was called Borgny. Vilmund was the name of the man who was her lover. She could not give birth to a child until Oddrun, Atli’s sister, had come to her; Oddrun had been beloved of Gunnar, son of Gjuki. About this story is the following poem.
1. I have heard it told | in olden tales
How a maiden came | to Morningland;
No one of all | on earth above
To Heithrek’s daughter | help could give.
2. This Oddrun learned, | the sister of Atli,
That sore the maiden’s | sickness was;
The bit-bearer forth | from his stall she brought,
And the saddle laid | on the steed so black.
3. She let the horse go | o’er the level ground,
Till she reached the hall | that loftily rose,
(And in she went | from the end of the hall;)
From the weary steed | the saddle she took;
Hear now the speech | that first she spake:
4. “What news on earth, | . . . . .
Or what has happened | in Hunland now?”
A serving-maid spake:
“Here Borgny lies | in bitter pain,
Thy friend, and, Oddrun, | thy help would find.”
Oddrun spake:
5. ‘Who worked this woe | for the woman thus,
Or why so sudden | is Borgny sick?”
The serving-maid spake:
6. “Vilmund is he, | the heroes’ friend,
Who wrapped the woman | in bedclothes warm,
(For winters five, | yet her father knew not).”
7. Then no more | they spake, methinks;
She went at the knees | of the woman to sit;
With magic Oddrun | and mightily Oddrun
Chanted for Borgny | potent charms.
8. At last were born | a boy and girl,
Son and daughter | of Hogni’s slayer;
Then speech the woman | so weak began,
Nor said she aught | ere this she spake:
9. “So may the holy | ones thee help,
Frigg and Freyja | and favoring gods,
As thou hast saved me | from sorrow now.”
Oddrun spake:
10. “I came not hither | to help thee thus
Because thou ever | my aid didst earn;
I fulfilled the oath | that of old I swore,
That aid to all | I should ever bring,
(When they shared the wealth | the warriors had).”
Borgny spake:
11. “Wild art thou, Oddrun, | and witless now,
That so in hatred | to me thou speakest;
I followed thee | where thou didst fare,
As we had been born | of brothers twain.”
Oddrun spake:
12. “I remember the evil | one eve thou spakest,
When a draught I gave | to Gunnar then;
Thou didst say that never | such a deed
By maid was done | save by me alone.”
13. Then the sorrowing woman | sat her down
To tell the grief | of her troubles great.
14. “Happy I grew | in the hero’s hall
As the warriors wished, | and they loved me well;
Glad I was | of my father’s gifts,
For winters five, | while my father lived.
15. “These were the words | the weary king,
Ere he died, | spake last of all:
He bade me with red gold | dowered to be,
And to Grimhild’s son | in the South be wedded.
Oddrun spake:
16. “But Brynhild the helm | he bade to wear,
A wish-maid bright | he said she should be;
For a nobler maid | would never be born
On earth, he said, | if death should spare her.
17. “At her weaving Brynhild | sat in her bower,
Lands and folk | alike she had;
The earth and heaven | high resounded
When Fafnir’s slayer | the city saw.
18. “Then battle was fought | with the foreign swords,
And the city was broken | that Brynhild had;
Not long thereafter, | but all too soon,
Their evil wiles | full well she knew.
19. “Woeful for this | her vengeance was,
As so we learned | to our sorrow all;
In every land | shall all men hear
How herself at Sigurth’s | side she slew.
20. “Love to Gunnar | then I gave,
To the breaker of rings, | as Brynhild might;
Oddrun spake:
21. To Atli rings | so red they offered,
And mighty gifts | to my brother would give.
“Fifteen dwellings | fain would he give
For me, and the burden | that Grani bore;
22. But Atli said | he would never receive
Marriage gold | from Gjuki’s son.
“Yet could we not | our love o’ercome,
And my head I laid | on the hero’s shoulder;
23. Many there were | of kinsmen mine
Who said that together | us they had seen.
Atli said | that never I
Would evil plan, | or ill deed do;
24. But none may this | of another think,
Or surely speak, | when love is shared.
25. “Soon his men | did Atli send,
In the murky wood | on me to spy;
Thither they came | where they should not come,
Where beneath one cover | close we lay.
Oddrun spake:
26. “To the warriors ruddy | rings we offered,
That nought to Atli | e’er they should say;
But swiftly home | they hastened thence,
And eager all | to Atli told.
27. “But close from Guthrun | kept they hid
What first of all | she ought to have known.
. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
28. “Great was the clatter | of gilded hoofs
When Gjuki’s sons | through the gateway rode;
The heart they hewed | from Hogni then,
And the other they cast | in the serpents’ cave.
29. “Alone was I gone | to Geirmund then,
The draught to mix | and ready to make;
The hero wise | on his harp then smote,
. . . . . . . . . .
For help from me | in his heart yet hoped
The high-born king, | might come to him.
30. Sudden I heard | from Hlesey clear
How in sorrow the strings | of the harp resounded.
I bade the serving-maids | ready to be,
For I longed the hero’s | life to save;
Oddrun spake:
31. Across the sound | the boats we sailed,
Till we saw the whole | of Atli’s home.
32. “Then crawling the evil | woman came,
Atli’s mother– | may she ever rot!
And hard she bit | to Gunnar’s heart,
So I could not help | the hero brave.
33. “Oft have I wondered | how after this,
Serpents’-bed goddess! | I still might live,
For well I loved | the warrior brave,
The giver of swords, | as my very self.
34. “Thou didst see and listen, | the while I said
The mighty grief | that was mine and theirs;
Each man lives | as his longing wills,–
Oddrun’s lament | is ended now.”