Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Þórr snýr fram á leið ok þeir félagar ok gengr framan til miðs dags. Þá sá þeir borg standa á völlum nökkurum ok settu hnakkann á bak sér aftr, áðr þeir fengu séð yfir upp, ganga til borgarinnar, ok var grind fyrir borghliðinu ok lokin aftr.
Thor and his companions went on their way and walked on until midday. Then they saw a stronghold standing on some open ground, and had to tip their heads all the way back before they could see over it. They walked up to it — there was a gate across the entrance, and it was shut.
Þórr gekk á grindina ok fekk eigi upp lokit, en er þeir þreyttu at komast í borgina, þá smugu þeir milli spalanna ok kómu svá inn, sá þá höll mikla ok gengu þannig. Var hurðin opin. Þá gengu þeir inn ok sá þar marga menn á tvá bekki ok flesta ærit stóra.
Thor went up to the gate and couldn't get it open, but when they struggled to get inside, they managed to squeeze between the bars, and got in that way. They saw a great hall and went toward it — the door stood open.
Því næst koma þeir fyrir konunginn Útgarða-Loka ok kvöddu hann, en hann leit seint til þeira ok glotti við tönn ok mælti: "Seint er um langan veg at spyrja tíðenda, eða er annan veg en ek hygg, er þessi sveinstauli orðinn Öku-Þórr? En meiri muntu vera en mér lízt þú, eða hvat íþrótta er þat, er þér félagar þykkizt vera við búnir?
They went in and saw many men on two benches, most of them big enough. Then they came before King Utgard-Loki and greeted him, but he barely glanced their way and grinned, showing his teeth, and said: "It's late in the day to ask news after such a long journey — or is it something else — is this stripling really Chariot-Thor?
Engi skal hér vera með oss, sá er eigi kunni nökkurs konar list eða kunnandi um fram flesta menn." Þá segir sá, er síðast gekk, er Loki heitir: "Kann ek þá íþrótt, er ek em albúinn at reyna, at engi er hér sá inni, er skjótara skal eta mat sinn en ek." Þá svarar Útgarða-Loki: "Íþrótt er þat, ef þú efnir, ok freista skal þá þessar íþróttar."
Though you may be bigger than you look to me. What sort of skills do you and your companions think you're equipped with? No one stays here with us who doesn't have some talent or knowledge beyond most men." Then the one who'd come in last, called Loki, spoke: "I know a trick I'm quite ready to prove — that no one here can eat their food faster than I can."
- kallaði útar á bekkinn, at sá, er Logi heitir, skal ganga á gólf fram ok freista sín í móti Loka. Þá var tekit trog eitt ok borit inn á hallargólfit ok fyllt af slátri. Settist Loki at öðrum enda, en Logi at öðrum, ok át hvárrtveggi sem tíðast ok mættust í miðju troginu.
Utgard-Loki answered: "That would be a feat, if you can manage it — and it should certainly be tested." He called down the bench for the one named Logi to come out onto the floor and match himself against Loki. A trough was brought and set on the hall floor and filled with meat.
Hafði þá Loki etið slátr allt af beinum, en Logi hafði ok etit slátr allt ok beinin með ok svá trogit, ok sýndist nú öllum sem Loki hefði látit leikinn. Þá spyrr Útgarða-Loki, hvat sá inn ungi maðr kunni leika, en Þjálfi segir, at hann mun freista at renna skeið nökkur við einhvern þann, er Útgarða-Loki fær til.
Loki sat at one end, Logi at the other, and both ate as fast as they could, meeting in the middle of the trough. By then Loki had stripped all the meat from the bones, but Logi had eaten the meat and the bones with it, and the trough besides — and it looked to everyone as if Loki had lost that round.
Þá segir Útgarða-Loki, at þetta er góð íþrótt, ok kallar þess meiri ván, at hann sé vel at sér búinn of skjótleikinn, ef hann skal þessa íþrótt inna, en þó lætr hann skjótt þessa skulu freista. Stendr þá upp Útgarða-Loki ok gengr út, ok var þar gott skeið at renna eftir sléttum velli. Þá kallar Útgarða-Loki til sín sveinstaula nökkurn, er nefndr er Hugi, ok bað hann renna í köpp við Þjálfa.
Next Utgard-Loki asked what game the young man there might play, and Thjalfi said he'd try racing anyone Utgard-Loki cared to bring forward. Utgard-Loki said that was a fine skill, and it was likely he'd need real speed to pull it off — but he'd have it tested right away. He got up and went outside, where there was a good course laid out over level ground. Utgard-Loki called over a young fellow named Hugi and told him to race Thjalfi.
Þá taka þeir it fyrsta skeið, ok er Hugi því framar, at hann snýst aftr í móti honum at skeiðsenda. Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki: "Þurfa muntu, Þjálfi, at leggja þik meir fram, ef þú skalt vinna leikinn, en þó er þat satt, at ekki hafa hér komit þeir menn, er mér þykkja fóthvatari en svá."
They ran the first heat, and Hugi got so far ahead that he turned back to meet Thjalfi at the finish. Utgard-Loki said: "You'll need to try harder than that, Thjalfi, if you mean to win — though I'll admit no one's ever come here who struck me as quicker on his feet than you."
Þá taka þeir aftr annat skeið, ok þá er Hugi er kemr til skeiðsenda ok hann snýst aftr, þá var langt kólfskot til Þjálfa. Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki: "Vel þykkir mér Þjálfi renna skeiðit, en eigi trúi ek honum nú, at hann vinni leikinn, en nú mun reyna, er þeir renna it þriðja skeiðit." Þá taka þeir enn skeið, en er Hugi er kominn til skeiðsenda ok snýst aftr, ok er Þjálfi eigi þá kominn á mitt skeið.
They ran a second heat, and by the time Hugi reached the finish and turned around, Thjalfi still had a long bowshot to go. Utgard-Loki said: "Thjalfi runs the course well enough, but I don't believe now that he'll win — we'll see for certain on the third heat." They ran again, and by the time Hugi reached the end and turned back, Thjalfi hadn't even reached the halfway point. Everyone agreed that settled the matter.
Þá segja allir, at reynt er um þenna leik. Þá spyrr Útgarða-Loki Þór, hvat þeira íþrótta mun vera, er hann myni vilja birta fyrir þeim, svá miklar sögur sem menn hafa gert um stórvirki hans. Þá mælti Þórr, at helzt vill hann þat taka til at þreyta drykkju við einhvern mann.
Then Utgard-Loki asked Thor what feat he'd like to show them, given all the great stories told about his mighty deeds. Thor said he'd most like to try his hand at a drinking match against someone.
Útgarða-Loki segir, at þat má vel vera, ok gengr inn í höllina ok kallar skutilsvein sinn, biðr, at hann taki vítishorn þat, er hirðmenn eru vanir at drekka af. Því næst kemr fram skutilsveinn með horninu ok fær Þór í hönd.
Utgard-Loki said that could certainly be arranged, went into the hall, called his serving-boy, and told him to bring out the punishment-horn that his men were used to drinking from. The boy came forward at once with the horn and handed it to Thor.
Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki: "Af horni þessu þykkir þá vel drukkit, ef í einum drykk gengr af, en sumir menn drekka af í tveim drykkjum, en engi er svá lítill drykkjumaðr, at eigi gangi af í þrimr." Þórr lítr á hornit ok sýnist ekki mikit ok er þó heldr langt, en hann er mjök þyrstr, tekr at drekka ok svelgr allstórum ok hyggr, at eigi skal hann þurfa at lúta oftar í hornit.
Utgard-Loki said: "This horn is considered well drained if it's emptied in one drink — some manage it in two, but no one's so poor a drinker that it doesn't empty in three." Thor looked the horn over — it didn't look big to him, though it was fairly long. He was very thirsty, so he took it and drank in huge gulps, thinking he wouldn't need to bend to the horn again.
En er hann þraut örendit ok hann laut ór horninu ok sér, hvat leið drykkinum, ok lízt honum svá sem alllítill munr mun vera, at nú sé lægra í horninu en áðr. Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki: "Vel er drukkit ok eigi til mikit. Eigi myndak trúa, ef mér væri sagt frá, at Ása-Þórr mundi eigi meira drykk drekka, en þó veit ek, at þú munt vilja drekka af í öðrum drykk."
But when his breath ran out and he lifted his head from the horn to check how the drinking had gone, it seemed to him there was hardly any difference — the level had barely dropped. Utgard-Loki said: "That's well drunk, though not by much. I wouldn't have believed, if I'd been told, that Aesir-Thor couldn't take a bigger drink than that — but I expect you'll want to finish it in a second try."
Þórr svarar engu, setr hornit á munn sér ok hyggr nú, at hann skal drekka meira drykk, ok þreytir á drykkjuna, sem honum vannst til örendi, ok enn sér hann, at stikillinn hornsins vill ekki upp svá mjök sem honum líkar. Ok er hann tók hornið af munni sér ok sér í, lízt honum nú svá sem minna hafi þorrit men í inu fyrra sinni. Er nú gott beranda borð á horninu.
Thor said nothing, put the horn to his mouth, thinking now he'd take a bigger drink, and strained at it until his breath gave out — and still he saw the horn's tip wouldn't tilt up as much as he wanted. When he took the horn from his mouth and looked in, it seemed to him even less had gone down than the first time, though there was now a fair amount of room at the top.
Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki: "Hvat er nú, Þórr, muntu nú eigi sparast til eins drykkjar meira en þér mun hagr á vera? Svá lízt mér, ef þú skalt nú drekka af horninu inn þriðja drykkinn, sem þessi mun mestr ætlaðr. En ekki muntu mega hér með oss heita svá mikill maðr sem æsir kalla þik, ef þú gerir eigi meira af þér um aðra leika en mér lízt, at um þenna mun vera."
Utgard-Loki said: "What's this, Thor — surely you're not holding back more than suits you? It looks to me as though, if you mean to take the third drink from this horn, this one will have to be the biggest of all — but you can hardly be called as great a man here among us as the Aesir claim you are, if you don't make a better showing in the other games than you have in this one."
Þá varð Þórr reiðr, setr hornit á munn sér ok drekkr sem ákafligast má hann ok þreytur sem mest á drykkinn. En er hann sá í hornit, þá hafði helst nú nökkut munr á fengizt, ok þá býðr hann upp hornit ok vill eigi drekka meira. Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki: "Auðsætt er nú, at máttr þinn er ekki svá mikill sem vér hugðum, en viltu freista um fleiri leika? Sjá má nú, at ekki nýtir þú hér af."
Then Thor grew angry, put the horn to his mouth, and drank as hard as he could, straining at the drink with everything he had. When he looked into the horn, some real difference had finally appeared — so he handed back the horn and refused to drink more. Utgard-Loki said: "It's plain now that you're not as strong as we thought. Do you want to try your hand at more games?
Þórr svarar: "Freista má ek enn of nökkura leika, en undarliga myndi mér þykkja, þá er ek var heima með ásum, ef þvílíkir drykkir væri svá litlir kallaðir. En hvat leik vilið þér nú bjóða mér?"
You're clearly getting nowhere with this one." Thor answered: "I'll gladly try other games — though it would have seemed strange to me, back home among the Aesir, if a drink like that were called small.
Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki: "Þat gera hér ungir sveinar, er lítit mark mun at þykkja, at hefja upp af jörðu kött minn, en eigi myndak kunna at mæla þvílíkt við Ása-Þór, ef ek hefða eigi sét fyrr, at þú er miklu minni fyrir þér en ek hugða."
But what game will you offer me now?" Utgard-Loki said: "Here's something the young lads do, which seems too small a thing to matter — lift my cat up off the ground. I wouldn't have dared suggest such a thing to Aesir-Thor, if I hadn't already seen that you're a good deal smaller than I'd imagined."
Því næst hljóp fram köttr einn grár á hallargólfit ok heldr mikill, en Þórr gekk til ok tók hendi sinni niðr undir miðjan kviðinn ok lyfti upp, en kötttrinn beygði kenginn, svá sem Þórr rétti upp höndina. En er Þórr seildist svá langt upp sem hann mátti lengst, þá létti kötturinn einum fæti, ok fekk Þórr eigi framit þenna leik meir. Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki: "Svá fór þessi leikr sem mik varði.
At that a gray cat leapt out onto the hall floor, and a big one at that. Thor went up, put his hand under the middle of its belly, and lifted — but the cat arched its back just as fast as Thor raised his hand, and however high Thor reached, stretching as far as he could, the cat only lifted one paw off the ground, and Thor could get the game no further than that.
Köttrinn er heldr mikill, en Þórr er lágr ok lítill hjá stórmenni því, sem hér er með oss." Þá mælti Þórr: "Svá lítinn sem þér kallið mik, þá gangi nú til einn hverr ok fáist við mik! Nú em ek reiðr." Þá svarar Útgarða-Loki ok litast um á bekkina ok mælti: "Eigi sé ek þann mann hér inni, er eigi mun lítilræði í þykkja at fást við þik."
Utgard-Loki said: "That game went about as I expected — the cat's quite large, and Thor is short and small next to the big men we have here." Thor said: "Small as you call me, let someone come forward now and wrestle me — I'm angry now." Utgard-Loki looked around the benches and said: "I don't see anyone in here who wouldn't think it beneath him to wrestle you."
Ok enn mælti hann: "Sjám fyrst, kalli mér hingat kerlinguna fóstru mína, Elli, ok fáist Þórr við hana, ef hann vill. Fellt hefir hon þá menn, er mér hafa litizt eigi ósterkligri en Þórr er." Því næst gekk í höllina kerling ein gömul. Þá mælti Útgarða-Loki, at hon skal taka fang við Ása-þór. Ekki er langt um að gera. Svá fór fang þat, at því harðara er Þórr knúðist at fanginu, því fastara stóð hon.
Then he added: "Let's see, though — call in that old woman, my foster-mother Elli, and let Thor wrestle her if he likes. She's thrown men who looked no less strong to me than Thor." An old woman then came into the hall. Utgard-Loki said she should grapple with Aesir-Thor. There's no need to draw this out: the harder Thor strained in the grip, the more firmly she stood.
Þá tók kerling at leita til bragða, ok varð Þórr þá lauss á fótum, ok váru þær sviptingar allharðar ok eigi lengi, áðr en Þórr féll á kné öðrum fæti. Þá gekk til Útgarða-Loki ok bað þau hætta fanginu ok sagði svá, at Þórr myndi eigi þurfa at bjóða fleirum mönnum fang í hans hirð. Var þá ok liðit at nótt. Vísaði Útgarða-Loki Þór ok þeim félögum til sætis, ok dveljast þar náttlangt í góðum fagnaði
Then the old woman tried a hold, and Thor's footing gave way, and their struggle grew fierce — but it wasn't long before Thor went down on one knee. Utgard-Loki came over and told them to stop wrestling, saying Thor wouldn't need to offer any more of his men a match. By then night had fallen. Utgard-Loki showed Thor and his companions to their seats, and they spent the night there in good comfort.