Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Gangleri hóf svá mál sitt: "Hverr er æðstr eða elztr allra goða?" Hárr segir: "Sá heitir Alföðr at váru máli, en í Ásgarði inum forna átti hann tólf nöfn. Eitt er Alföðr, annat er Herran eða Herjan, þriðja er Nikarr eða Hnikarr, fjórða er Nikuðr eða Hnikuðr, fimmta Fjölnir, sétta Óski, sjaunda Ómi, átta Bifliði eða Biflindi, níunda Sviðurr, tíunda Sviðrir, ellifta Viðrir, tólfta Jálg eða Jálkr."
Gangleri opened with this question: "Who is the highest and oldest of all the gods?" High said: "In our language he is called Allfather, but in the Asgard of old he had twelve names. One is Allfather; the second is Herran, or Herjan; the third Nikar, or Hnikar; the fourth Nikud, or Hnikud; the fifth Fjolnir; the sixth Oski; the seventh Omi; the eighth Biflidi, or Biflindi; the ninth Svidur; the tenth Svidrir; the eleventh Vidrir; the twelfth Jalg, or Jalk."
Þá spyrr Gangleri: "Hvar er sá guð, eða hvat má hann, eða hvat hefir hann unnit framaverka?" Hárr segir: "Lifir hann of allar aldir ok stjórnar öllu ríki sínu ok ræðr öllum hlutum, stórum ok smám." Þá mælir Jafnhárr: "Hann smíðaði himin ok jörð ok loftin ok alla eign þeira."
Then Gangleri asked: "Where is this god, and what power has he, and what great deeds has he done?" High said: "He lives through all ages, governs his whole realm, and rules over everything, great and small." Then Just-as-High said: "He shaped the sky and the earth and the air, and everything in them."
Þá mælti Þriði: "Hitt er þó mest, er hann gerði manninn ok gaf honum önd þá, er lifa skal ok aldri týnast, þótt líkaminn fúni at moldu eða brenni at ösku, ok skulu allir menn lifa, þeir er rétt eru siðaðir, ok vera með honum sjálfum þar sem heitir Gimlé eða Vingólf, en vándir menn fara til Heljar ok þaðan í Niflhel. Þat er niðr í inn níunda heim."
Then Third said: "But the greatest thing is this: that he made man, and gave him a spirit that will live and never perish, even if the body rots to earth or burns to ash — and all men who have lived rightly shall live on with him, in the place called Gimle, or Vingolf, while wicked men go to Hel, and from there down to Niflhel, which is down in the ninth world."
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Hvat hafðist hann áðr at en himinn ok jörð væri ger?" Þá svarar Hárr: "Þá var hann með hrímþursum."
Then Gangleri asked: "What was he doing before heaven and earth were made?" High answered: "Then he was among the rime-giants."