Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Hvat hafðist Alföðr þá at, er gerr var Ásgarðr?" Hárr mælti: "Í upphafi setti hann stjórnarmenn í sæti ok beiddi þá at dæma með sér örlög manna ok ráða um skipun borgarinnar. Þat var þar, sem heitir Iðavöllur í miðri borginni. Var þat hið fyrsta þeira verk at gera hof þat, er sæti þeira tólf standa í önnur en hásætit, þat er Alföðr á. Þat hús er bezt gert á jörðu ok mest.
Then Gangleri asked: "What did Allfather do once Asgard was built?" High said: "At the start he set up rulers and asked them to sit in judgment with him over the fates of men, and to decide how the stronghold should be laid out. That took place at what's called Idavoll, in the middle of the stronghold. Their first work was to build the temple where the twelve high seats stand, besides the one that belongs to Allfather himself.
Allt er þat útan ok innan svá sem gull eitt. Í þeim stað kalla menn Glaðsheim. Annan sal gerðu þeir. Þat var hörgr, er gyðjurnar áttu, ok var hann allfagr. Þat hús kalla menn Vingólf. Þar næst gerðu þeir hús, er þeir lögðu afla í, ok þar til gerðu þeir hamar ok töng ok steðja ok þaðan af öll tól önnur.
That building is the best-made and biggest on earth — inside and out it's all like a single piece of gold. That place is called Gladsheim. They built a second hall too: a shrine that belonged to the goddesses, and a very fine building — it's called Vingolf. Next they built a house where they set up a forge, and made a hammer, tongs, and anvil, and from these all their other tools.
Ok því næst smíðuðu þeir málm ok stein ok tré ok svá gnógliga þann málm, er gull heitir, at öll búsgögn ok öll reiðigögn höfðu þeir af gulli, ok er sú öld kölluð gullaldr, áðr en spilltist af tilkvámu kvinnanna. Þær kómu ór Jötunheimum. Þar næst settust goðin upp í sæti sín ok réttu dóma sína ok minntust, hvaðan dvergar höfðu kviknat í moldinni ok niðri í jörðunni, svá sem maðkar í holdi.
After that they worked metal, stone, and wood, and worked that metal called gold so freely that all their household goods and gear were made of gold — that age is called the Golden Age, before it was ruined by the coming of the women, who came out of Jotunheim. After this the gods took their seats and sat in judgment, and set about recalling how the dwarves had first quickened in the soil and down in the earth, the way maggots breed in flesh.
Dvergarnir höfðu skipazt fyrst ok tekit kviknun í holdi Ymis ok váru þá maðkar, en af atkvæðum goðanna urðu þeir vitandi mannvits ok höfðu manns líki ok búa þó í jörðu ok í steinum. Móðsognir var æðstr ok annarr Durinn. Svá segir í Völuspá: 15. Þá gengu regin öll á rökstóla, ginnheilög goð, ok um þat gættusk, hverr skyldi dverga drótt of skepja ór brimi blóðgu ok ór Bláins leggjum. 16.
The dwarves had first taken shape and quickened in Ymir's flesh, as maggots, but by the gods' decree they came to have human understanding and human shape, though they still live in the earth and in stones. Modsognir was the foremost, and Durin the second. So it says in Voluspa: Then all the powers went to their thrones of judgment, / the most holy gods, and took counsel: / who should shape the race of dwarves / out of bloody surf and Blain's bones.
Þar mannlíkun mörg of gerðusk, dvergar í jörðu, sem Durinn sagði. Ok þessi segir hon nöfn þeira dverganna: 17. Nýi, Niði, Norðri, Suðri, Austri, Vestri, Alþjófr, Dvalinn, Nár, Náinn, Nípingr, Dáinn, Bífurr, Báfurr, Bömburr, Nóri, Óri, Ónarr, Óinn, Mjöðvitnir. 18. Viggr ok Gandalfr, Vindalfr, Þorinn, Fíli, Kíli, Fundinn, Váli, Þrór, Þróinn, Þekkr, Litr ok Vitr, Nýr, Nýráðr, Rekkr, Ráðsviðr.
Many were made in the shape of men, / dwarves in the earth, as Durin said. And it names the dwarves' names like this: Nyi, Nidi, Nordri, Sudri, Austri, Vestri, Althjof, Dvalin, Nar, Nain, Niping, Dain, Bifur, Bafur, Bombur, Nori, Ori, Onar, Oin, Miodvitnir. Vigg and Gandalf, Vindalf, Thorin, Fili, Kili, Fundin, Vali, Thror, Throin, Thekk, Lit and Vit, Nyr, Nyrad, Rekk, Radsvid.
En þessir eru ok dvergar ok búa í steinum, en inir fyrri í moldu: 19. Draupnir, Dolgþvari, Hárr, Hugstari, Hleðjolfr, Glóinn, Dóri, Óri, Dúfr, Andvari, Heftifili, Hárr, Svíarr. En þessir kómu frá Svarinshaugi til Aurvanga á Jöruvöllu, ok er kominn þaðan Lofarr. Þessi eru nöfn þeira: 20. Skirfir, Virfir, Skáfiðr, Ái, Alfr, Yngvi, Eikinskjaldi, Falr, Frosti, Fiðr, Ginnarr."
And these too are dwarves, and live in stones, though the first ones lived in soil: Draupnir, Dolgthvari, Har, Hugstari, Hledjolf, Gloin, Dori, Ori, Duf, Andvari, Heftifili, Har, Sviar. And these came from Svarin's Mound to Aurvangar on Joruvellir, and from them descends Lofar. Their names are: Skirfir, Virfir, Skafid, Ai, Alf, Yngvi, Eikinskjaldi, Fal, Frosti, Fid, Ginnar."