Brot af Sigurðarkviðu

Eldr nam at æsasken jörð at skjalfaok hár logivið himni gnæfa;fár treystisk þarfylkis rekkaeld at ríðané yfir stíga.

Fire began to rage,and the earth to shake,and a tall flameto tower to the sky;few of the king'swarriors dared thereto ride through the fireor step across it.

Sigurðr Granasverði keyrði;eldr sloknaðifyrir öðlingilogi allr lægðiskfyrir lofgjörnumbliku reiðier Reginn átti-- -- --Brynhildr kvað:

Sigurd drove Granion with his sword;the fire died downbefore the prince,the whole flame sankbefore the glory-seeker,his gleaming war-gearthat Regin once had owned.—

"Sigurðr vá at ormien þat síðan munengum fyrnaskmeðan öld lifir;en hlýri þinnhvárki þorðield at ríðané yfir stíga."-- -- --

Brynhild said:"Sigurd fought the serpent —and that, from now on,no one will forgetas long as the world lives;but your brotherdared neitherto ride through the firenor step across it."—

Út gekk Sigurðrandspjalli fráhollvinr lofðaok hnipnaðisvá at ganga namgunnarfúsumsundr of síðurserkr járnofinn.-- -- --Högni kvað:

Sigurd walked awayfrom the conversation,the loyal friend of lords,and he sank down sothat as he walked,eager for battle,the iron-woven shirtburst apart at his sides.—

"[hvat hefir Sigurðrtil] saka unniter þú fræknan villfjörvi næma?"Gunnar kvað:

Hogni said:"[What crime has Sigurd]done against you,that you'd takethe brave man's life?"

"Mér hefir Sigurðrselda eiðaeiða seldaalla logna;þá vélti hann miker hann vera skyldiallra eiðaeinn fulltrúi."Högni kvað:

Gunnar said:"Sigurd swore oaths to me —swore oathsand broke them all;he betrayed me,when he was meant to bethe one mantrue to every oath."

"Þik hefir Brynhildrböl at gervaheiftar hvattanharm at vinna;fyrman hon Guðrúnugóðra ráðaen síðan þérsín at njóta."

Hogni said:"Brynhild has driven youto this evil,whetted your hateto work this harm;she begrudges Gudruna good marriage —and begrudges youyour joy of her."

Sumir ulf sviðusumir orm sniðusumir Gotþormiaf gera deildu;áðr þeir mættimeins of lystirá horskum halhendr of leggja.

Some roasted a wolf,some sliced up a snake,some gave Guthormthe flesh of a wolf,before, hungry for harm,they laid their handson that wise man.

Soltinn varð Sigurðrsunnan Rínar;hrafn af meiðihátt kallaði:"Ykkr mun Atlieggjar rjóðamunu vígskáumof viða eiðar."

Sigurd was slainsouth of the Rhine;a raven called out loudlyfrom a branch:"Atli will reddenyour blades for you —oaths will snareyou war-shy men."

Úti stóð GuðrúnGjúka dóttirok hon þat orðaalls fyrst of kvað:"Hvar er nú Sigurðrseggja dróttinner frændr mínirfyrri ríða?"

Outside stood Gudrun,Gjuki's daughter,and this was the first thingshe said:"Where is Sigurd now,lord of men,that my kinsmenride ahead of him?"

Einn því Högniandsvör veitti:"Sundr höfum Sigurðsverði höggvinn;gnapir æ grár jóryfir gram dauðum."

Hogni alonegave her an answer:"We've cut Sigurd downwith the sword;his grey horse hangs its headover the dead king."

Þá kvað þat BrynhildrBuðla dóttir:"Vel skuluð njótavápna ok landa;einn mundi Sigurðröllu ráðaef hann lengr litlulífi heldi.

Then Brynhild spoke,Budli's daughter:"May you enjoy wellyour weapons and lands;Sigurd alonewould have ruled it all,if he'd kept his lifea little longer.

Væri-a þat sæmtat hann svá réðiGjúka arfiok Gota mengier hann fimm sonuat folkræðigunnarfúsagetna hafði."

"It wouldn't be fittingfor him to ruleGjuki's inheritanceand the Gothic host —since he'd already fatheredfive battle-eager sonsfor the ruling of the people."

Hló þá Brynhildr- bær allr dunði -einu sinniaf öllum hug:"Lengi skuluð njótalanda ok þegnaer þér fræknan gramfalla létuð."

Then Brynhild laughed —the whole hall rang with it —once,with all her heart:"Long may you enjoyyour lands and your men,now you've letthe brave king fall."

Þá kvað þat GuðrúnGjúka dóttir:"Mjök mælir þúmiklar firnar;gramir hafi Gunnargötvað Sigurðar;heiftgjarns hugarhefnt skal verða."

Then Gudrun spoke,Gjuki's daughter:"You speaka monstrous evil;may demons take Gunnarfor betraying Sigurd —your spiteful heartwill be paid back."

Fram var kveldafjölð var drukkitþá var hvívetnavilmál taliðsofnuðu allirer i sæing kómueinn vakði Gunnarröllum lengr.

Evening wore on,much ale was drunk,and every kind offriendly word was spoken;all fell asleeponce they'd gone to bed —only Gunnarstayed awake, longer than the rest.

Fót nam-at hrærafjölð nam-at spjallahitt herglötuðrhyggja téðihvat þeir í bölvibáðir sögðuhrafn ey ok örner þeir heim riðu.

His feet kept moving,his mind kept talking;the destroyer of hoststurned over in his thoughtswhat they had both said,raven and eagle,of doom,as they rode home.

Vaknaði BrynhildrBuðla dóttirdís skjöldungafyr dag litlu:"Hvetið mik eða letið mik- harmr er unninn -sorg at segjaeða svá láta."

Brynhild woke,Budli's daughter,lady of kings,a little before day:"Urge me on or hold me back —the harm is done —to speak my grief,or let it be."

Þögðu allirvið því orðifár kunni þeimfljóða látumer hon grátandigerðisk at segjaþat er hlæjandihölða beiddi:

Everyone fell silentat those words;few understoodthat woman's moods —that weeping,she now began to tellwhat, laughing,she had once demanded of men:

"Hugða ek mér, Gunnarrgrimmt í svefnisvalt allt í salætta sæing kalda;enn þú, gramr, riðirglaums andvanifjötri fatlaðrí fjánda lið;svá mun öll yðurætt Niflungaafli gengineruð eiðrofa.

"I dreamed, Gunnar,a grim dream in my sleep:the hall stood cold,our bed gone cold;and you, my lord,rode on, joyless,bound in fetters,among a host of enemies;so will your whole line,the Niflungs,lose all its strength —you are oath-breakers.

Mant-at-tu, Gunnarrtil görva þater þit blóði í sporbáðir rennduð;nú hefir þú hánum þat alltillu launater hann fremstan þikfinna vildi.

"Have you forgotten, Gunnar,the deed you did —when the two of youlet your blood runmingled together;now you've repaid himfor all of it with evil,when he wantedto see you foremost of all.

Þá reyndi þater riðit hafðimóðigr á vitmín at biðjahvé herglötuðrhafði fyrrieiðum halditvið inn unga gram.

"It was tested then,when, bold, he rodeto seek me outand ask for my hand —how well the destroyer of hostshad once kepthis oathsto the young king.

Benvönd of létbrugðinn gullimargdýrr konungrá meðal okkar;eldi váru eggjarútan görvaren eitrdropuminnan fáðar."Frá dauða SigurðarHér er sagt í þessi kviðu frá dauða Sigurðar, ok víkr hér svá til sem þeir dræpi hann úti, en sumir segja svá, at þeir dræpi hann inni í rekkju sinni sofanda. En þýðverskir menn segja svá, at þeir dræpi hann úti í skógi, ok svá segir í Guðrúnarkviðu inni fornu, at Sigurðr ok Gjúkasynir hefði til þings riðit, þá er hann var drepinn. En þat segja allir einnig, at þeir sviku hann í tryggð ok vógu at hánum liggjanda ok óbúnum.

"He laid a wound-wand,wound round with gold,that priceless king,between the two of us;its edges were forgedin fire on the outside,and stained withinwith drops of venom."On Sigurd's death. This poem tells of Sigurd's death, and here it turns out that they killed him outdoors; but some say they killed him indoors, in his bed, while he slept. German sources say they killed him outdoors in the forest, and the Old Lay of Gudrun says the same — that Sigurd and Gjuki's sons had ridden out to an assembly when he was killed. But everyone agrees on this: they betrayed him under a pledge of trust and struck him down lying there, unarmed.