Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Gylfi konungr var maðr vitr ok fjölkunnigr. Hann undraðist þat mjök, er ásafólk var svá kunnigt, at allir hlutir gengu at vilja þeira. Þat hugsaði hann, hvárt þat myndi vera af eðli sjálfra þeira eða myndi því valda goðmögn þau, er þeir blótuðu. Hann byrjaði ferð sína til Ásgarðs ok fór með leynð ok brá á sik gamals manns líki ok dulðist svá.
King Gylfi was a wise man, well versed in magic. He was greatly puzzled that the Aesir-folk were so skilled that everything went their way — he wondered whether this came from their own nature, or whether it was the gods they sacrificed to who caused it. He set out for Asgard in secret, disguised as an old man.
En æsir váru því vísari, at þeir höfðu spádóm, ok sá þeir ferð hans, fyrr en hann kom, ok gerðu í móti honum sjónhverfingar. Ok er hann kom inn í borgina, þá sá hann þar háva höll, svá at varla mátti hann sjá yfir hana. Þak hennar var lagt gylldum skjöldum svá sem spánþak. Svá segir Þjóðólfr inn hvinverski, at Valhöll var skjöldum þökð: 2.
But the Aesir were the wiser, for they had the gift of foresight: they saw him coming before he arrived, and worked illusions to meet him. When he came into the stronghold, he saw a hall so high he could barely see over it. Its roof was laid with gilded shields, shingled like tiles. So says Thjodolf of Hvin, that Valhalla was thatched with shields: On their backs, battered by stones, / hung Svafnir's hall-shingles — / so the wise men planned it.
Á baki létu blíkja, barðir váru grjóti, Sváfnis salnæfrar seggir hyggjandi. Gylfi sá mann í hallardurum, ok lék at handsöxum ok hafði sjau senn á lofti. Sá spurði hann fyrr at nafni. Hann nefndist Gangleri ok kominn af refilstigum ok beiddist at sækja til náttstaðar ok spurði, hverr höllina átti. Hann svarar, at þat var konungr þeira, --"en fylgja má ek þér at sjá hann.
In the hall doorway Gylfi saw a man juggling daggers, keeping seven in the air at once. This man asked his name first. He called himself Gangleri, said he had come by winding roads, and asked for a night's lodging, wanting to know who owned the hall. The man answered that it belonged to their king — "though I can take you to see him; you can ask his name yourself"
Skaltu þá sjálfr spyrja hann nafns," -- ok snerist sá maðr fyrir honum inn í höllina, en hann gekk eftir, ok þegar laukst hurðin á hæla honum. Þar sá hann mörg gólf ok margt fólk, sumt með leikum, sumir drukku, sumir með vápnum ok börðust. Þá litaðist hann umb ok þótti margir hlutir ótrúligir, þeir er hann sá. Þá mælti hann: 3.
— and he turned and led the way into the hall, Gylfi following, and the door shut on his heels at once. There he saw many chambers and a great crowd — some at games, some drinking, some armed and fighting. He looked around and found much of what he saw hard to believe.
Gáttir allar, áðr gangi fram, um skyggnask skyli, því at óvíst er at vita hvar óvinir sitja á fleti fyrir. Hann sá þrjú hásæti ok hvert upp frá öðru, ok sátu þrír menn sinn í hverju. Þá spurði hann, hvert nafn höfðingja þeira væri. Sá svarar, er hann leiddi inn, at sá, er í inu neðsta hásæti sat, var konungr -- "ok heitir Hárr, en þar næst sá, er heitir Jafnhárr, en sá ofast, er Þriði heitir."
Then he said: Look over every doorway / before you walk through it — / you never know for certain / where enemies might be / sitting on the bench. He saw three high seats, one above the other, with a man in each. He asked the names of these lords. His guide answered that the one on the lowest seat was their king — "he is called High; next to him is one called Just-as-High; and the one on top is named Third."
Þá spyrr Hárr komandann, hvárt fleira er erendi hans, en heimill er matr ok drykkr honum sem öllum þar í Háva höll. Hann segir, at fyrst vill hann spyrja, ef nokkurr er fróðr maðr inni. Hárr segir, at hann komi eigi heill út, nema hann sé fróðari, -- 4. "ok stattu fram, meðan þú fregn; sitja skal sá, er segir."
Then High asked the newcomer whether he had further business, though food and drink stood open to him as to everyone there in High's Hall. He said he wished first to find out whether there was anyone wise within. High told him he would not leave whole unless he proved the wiser — Stand while you're asking; / the one who answers sits.