Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Gott skip er Skíðblaðnir, en allmikil fjölkynngi mun vera við höfð, áðr svá fái gert. Hvárt hefir Þórr hvergi svá farit, at hann hafi hitt fyrir sér svá ríkt eða rammt, at honum hafi ofrefli verit fyrir afls sakar eða fjölkynngi?" Þá mælti Hárr: "Fár maðr, vættir mik, at frá því kunni at segja, en margt hefir honum harðfært þótt.
Then Gangleri said: "Skidbladnir is a fine ship, but a great deal of magic must have gone into making it. Has Thor ever come across anything so mighty or so strong that it proved too much for him, through sheer force or sorcery?" High said: "Few men, I'd think, could tell you of such a thing, though plenty has given him trouble.
En þótt svá hafi verit, at nökkurr hlutr hafi svá verit rammr eða sterkr, at Þórr hafi eigi sigr fengit á unnit, þá er eigi skylt at segja frá, fyrir því at mörg dæmi eru til þess ok því eru allir skyldir at trúa, at Þórr er máttkastr." Þá mælti Gangleri: "Svá lízt mér sem þess hlutar mynda ek yðr spurt hafa, er engi er til færr at segja."
But even if something once proved so mighty or strong that Thor failed to beat it, there's no obligation to speak of it — there's plenty of proof otherwise, and everyone is bound to believe that Thor is the mightiest of all." Then Gangleri said: "It sounds to me like I've just asked you something no one is able to answer." Then Just-as-High said: "We've heard tell of things that seem hard to believe are true.
Þá mælti Jafnhárr: "Heyrt höfum vér sagt frá þeim atburðum, er oss þykkja ótrúligir, at sannir myni vera. En hér mun sá sitja nær, er vita mun sönn tíðendi af at segja, ok muntu því trúa, at hann mun eigi ljúga nú it fyrsta sinn, er aldri laug fyrr."
But here sits one nearby who'll know how to give you a true account of it, and you can trust that he won't start lying now, having never lied before." Gangleri said: "I'll stand here and listen, if there's any answer coming to this — otherwise I'll say you've been beaten, if you can't answer what I've asked."
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Hér mun ek standa ok hlýða, ef nökkur órlausn fæst þessa máls, en at öðrum kosti kalla ek yðr vera yfir komna, ef þér kunnuð eigi at segja, þat er ek spyr." Þá mælti Þriði: "Auðsýnt er nú, at hann vill þessi tíðendi vita, þótt oss þykki eigi fagrt at segja. Þat er upphaf þessa máls, at Öku-Þórr fór með hafra sína ok reið ok með honum sá áss, er Loki heitir.
Then Third said: "It's clear he means to know this, even though we don't relish telling it. Here's how the story begins: Chariot-Thor set out with his goats and his cart, and with him went the god called Loki. They came one evening to a farmer's house and got lodging for the night.
Koma þeir at kveldi til eins búanda ok fá þar náttstað. En um kveldit tók Þórr hafra sína ok skar báða. Eftir þat váru þeir flegnir ok bornir til ketils. En er soðit var, þá settist Þórr til náttverðar ok þeir lagsmenn. Þórr bauð til matar með sér búandanum ok konu hans ok börnum þeira. Sonr búanda hét Þjálfi, en Röskva dóttir.
That evening Thor took his goats and slaughtered both of them; then they were skinned and put in the pot. Once they were cooked, Thor sat down to supper with his companion. Thor invited the farmer and his wife and their children to share the meal. The farmer's son was named Thjalfi, his daughter Roskva. Thor laid the goat-hides out beyond the fire and told the farmer and his household to throw the bones onto the hides.
Þá lagði Þórr hafrstökurnar útar frá eldinum ok mælti, at búandi ok heimamenn hans skyldu kasta á hafrstökurnar beinunum. Þjálfi, sonr búanda, hélt á lærlegg hafrsins ok spretti á knífi sínum ok braut til mergjar. Þórr dvalðist þar of nóttina. En í óttu fyrir dag stóð hann upp ok klæddi sik, tók hamarinn Mjöllni ok brá upp ok vígði hafrstökurnar.
Thjalfi, the farmer's son, was holding a thigh-bone from one of the goats — he split it open with his knife to get at the marrow. Thor stayed the night there, and before dawn he got up and dressed, took the hammer Mjollnir, raised it, and hallowed the goat-hides. The goats stood up at once, but one of them was lame in a hind leg.
Stóðu þá upp hafrarnir, ok var þá annarr haltr eftra fæti. Þat fann Þórr ok talði, at búandinn eða hans hjón myndu eigi skynsamliga hafa farit með beinum hafrsins. Kennir hann, at brotinn var lærleggrinn. Eigi þarf langt frá því at segja.
Thor noticed it, and said the farmer or his household must have handled the goat's bones carelessly — he could tell the thigh-bone had been broken.
Vita mega þat allir, hversu hræddr búandinn mundi vera, er hann sá, at Þórr lét síga brýnnar ofan fyrir augun, en þat er hann sá augnanna, þá hugðist hann falla mundu fyrir sjónum hans einum saman. Hann herði hendrnar at hamarskaftinu, svá at hvítnuðu knúarnir. En búandinn gerði sem ván var ok öll hjúnin, kölluðu ákafliga, báðu sér friðar, buðu at yfirbótum allt þat, er þau áttu.
There's no need to draw this out: anyone can imagine how frightened the farmer must have been when he saw Thor let his brows sink low over his eyes, and when he did catch sight of Thor's eyes, he felt he might fall down under that stare alone. Thor gripped the hammer's shaft so hard his knuckles went white. And the farmer and his whole household did just what you'd expect — they cried out desperately, begged for mercy, and offered everything they owned in payment.
En er hann sá hræðslu þeira, þá gekk af honum móðrinn, ok sefaðist hann ok tók af þeim í sætt börn þeira, Þjálfa ok Röskvu, ok gerðust þau þá skyldir þjónustumenn hans, ok fylgja þau honum jafnan síðan
And when Thor saw their terror, his rage left him, and he calmed down, and took their children, Thjalfi and Roskva, as payment instead — and they became his sworn servants from then on, and have followed him ever since.