Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Hver tíðendi eru at segja frá um ragnarökr? Þess hef ek eigi fyrr heyrt getit." Hárr segir: "Mikil tíðendi eru þaðan at segja ok mörg, þau in fyrstu, at vetr sá kemr, er kallaðr er fimbulvetr. Þá drífr snær ór öllum áttum. Frost eru þá mikil ok vindar hvassir. Ekki nýtr sólar.
Then Gangleri said: "What is there to tell about Ragnarok? I've never heard anything of it before." High said: "There's a great deal to tell about it, and much of it grim. First, a winter will come called the Fimbulwinter — snow will drive in from every direction, the frosts will be brutal and the winds cutting, and the sun will do no good at all.
Þeir vetr fara þrír saman ok ekki sumar milli, en áðr ganga svá aðrir þrír vetr, at þá er um alla veröld orrostur miklar. Þá drepast bræðr fyrir ágirni sakar, ok engi þyrmir föður eða syni í manndrápum eða sifjasliti. Svá segir í Völuspá: 55.
Three such winters will follow one after another with no summer between them, but before that come three more winters in which the whole world is torn apart by great wars. In that time brothers will kill each other out of sheer greed, and no one will spare father or son in the slaughter and the breaking of kinship-bonds.
Bræðr munu berjask ok at bönum verðask, munu systrungar sifjum spilla; hart er með hölðum, hórdómr mikill, skeggjöld, skalmöld, skildir klofnir, vindöld, vargöld, áðr veröld steypisk. Þá verðr þat, er mikil tíðendi þykkja, at úlfrinn gleypir sólna, ok þykkir mönnum þat mikit mein. Þá tekr annarr úlfrinn tunglit, ok gerir sá ok mikit ógagn. Stjörnurnar hverfa af himninum.
So it says in Voluspa: Brothers will fight / and kill each other, / cousins will break / the bonds of kinship; / men will suffer hard times, / whoredom will run wild — / an axe-age, a sword-age, / shields split open, / a wind-age, a wolf-age, / before the world goes down. Then something happens that seems a great event: the Wolf swallows the sun, and people count that a terrible loss. Then a second wolf takes the moon, and does just as much harm.
Þá er ok þat til tíðenda, at svá skelfr jörð öll ok björg, at viðir losna ór jörðu upp, en björgin hrynja, en fjötrar allir ok bönd brotna ok slitna. Þá verðr Fenrisúlfr lauss. Þá geysist hafit á löndin, fyrir því at þá snýst Miðgarðsormr í jötunmóð ok sækir upp á landit. Þá verðr ok þat, at Naglfar losnar, skip þat, er svá heitir.
The stars vanish from the sky. It also comes to pass that the whole earth and the mountains shake so hard that trees are torn up out of the ground and the mountains crumble, and every fetter and every bond breaks apart. Then Fenris-Wolf breaks free. The sea surges up onto the land, because the Midgard Serpent, seized with giant-rage, turns and drives up onto the shore. And it comes to pass, too, that Naglfar breaks loose — that's the name of the ship.
Þat er gert af nöglum dauðra manna, ok er þat fyrir því varnanar vert, ef maðr deyr með óskornum nöglum, at sá maðr eykr mikit efni til skipsins Naglfars, er goðin ok menn vildi seint, at gert yrði. En í þessum sævargang flýtr Naglfar. Hrymr heitir jötunn, er stýrir Naglfari, en Fenrisúlfr ferr með gapandi munn, ok er inn neðri kjöftr við jörðu, en in efri við himin.
It's built from dead men's nails, which is why it's worth taking care that if a man dies with his nails untrimmed, he adds a great deal of material to the ship Naglfar — something the gods and men alike would rather see finished as late as possible. But once the flood comes, Naglfar floats free. The giant who steers Naglfar is called Hrym. Fenris-Wolf advances with his mouth gaping — his lower jaw drags the ground, his upper jaw reaches the sky, and he'd gape wider still if there were room.
Gapa myndi hann meira, ef rúm væri til. Eldar brenna ór augum hans ok nösum. Miðgarðsormr blæss svá eitrinu, at hann dreifir loft öll ok lög, ok er hann allógurligr, ok er hann á aðra hlið úlfinum. Í þessum gný klofnar himinninn, ok ríða þaðan Múspellssynir. Surtr ríðr fyrst ok fyrir honum ok eftir eldr brennandi. Sverð hans er gott mjök. Af því skínn bjartara en af sólu.
Fire blazes from his eyes and nostrils. The Midgard Serpent spews venom so hard that it sprays across sky and sea alike, and he's a terrible sight, moving alongside the Wolf. In all this uproar the sky splits open, and the sons of Muspell ride out through the gap. Surt rides first, with burning fire before and behind him. His sword is a fine one — it shines brighter than the sun.
En er þeir ríða Bifröst, þá brotnar hon, sem fyrr er sagt. Múspellsmegir sækja fram á þann völl, er Vígríðr heitir. Þar kemr ok þá Fenrisúlfr ok Miðgarðsormr. Þar er ok þá Loki kominn ok Hrymr ok með honum allir hrímþursar, en Loka fylgja allir Heljarsinnar. En Múspellssynir hafa einir sér fylking, ok er sú björt mjök. Völlrinn Vígríðr er hundrað rasta víðr á hvern veg.
As they ride across Bifrost, it breaks apart, as already told. The sons of Muspell push on to the field called Vigrid. Fenris-Wolf and the Midgard Serpent arrive there too. Loki comes there as well, and Hrym, with every rime-giant behind him, and every one of Hel's followers marches with Loki. But the sons of Muspell form their own separate host, and it's a shining one. The field Vigrid stretches a hundred leagues in every direction.
En er þessi tíðendi verða, þá stendr upp Heimdallr ok blæss ákafliga í Gjallarhorn ok vekr upp öll goðin, ok eiga þau þing saman. Þá ríðr Óðinn til Mímisbrunns ok tekr ráð af Mími fyrir sér ok sínu liði. Þá skelfr askr Yggdrasils, ok engi hlutr er þá óttalauss á himni eða jörðu. Æsir hervæða sik ok allir Einherjar ok sækja fram á völluna.
When these events unfold, Heimdall stands up and blows the Gjallarhorn with all his strength, waking every god, and they gather for a council. Odin rides to Mimir's Well to take counsel from Mimir, for himself and his host. The Ash Yggdrasil shakes, and nothing anywhere, in heaven or on earth, is free of dread. The Aesir arm themselves, and all the Einherjar with them, and advance onto the field. Odin rides first, wearing the golden helmet and a splendid coat of mail, carrying his spear Gungnir.
Ríðr fyrstr Óðinn með gullhjálminn ok fagra brynju ok geir sinn, er Gungnir heitir. Stefnir hann móti Fenrisúlf, en Þórr fram á aðra hlið honum, ok má hann ekki duga honum, því at hann hefir fullt fang at berjast við Miðgarðsorm. Freyr berst móti Surti, ok verðr harðr samgangr, áðr Freyr fellr. Þat verðr hans bani, er hann missir þess ins góða sverðs, er hann gaf Skírni.
He rides straight at Fenris-Wolf, and Thor advances beside him, but can be of no help to him, since he has his hands full fighting the Midgard Serpent. Freyr fights Surt, and it's a hard clash before Freyr falls — his death comes because he no longer has that good sword he gave to Skirnir. By then the hound Garm has broken loose too, the one bound before Gnipahellir — he's the most fearsome monster of all.
Þá er ok lauss orðinn hundrinn Garmr, er bundinn er fyrir Gnipahelli. Hann er it mesta forað. Hann á víg móti Tý, ok verðr hvárr öðrum at bana. Þórr berr banaorð af Miðgarðsormi ok stígr þaðan braut níu fet. Þá fellr hann dauðr til jarðar fyrir eitri því, er ormrinn blæss á hann. Úlfrinn gleypir Óðin. Verðr þat hans bani. En þegar eftir snýst fram Víðarr ok stígr öðrum fæti í neðra kjöft úlfsins.
He fights Tyr, and each is the death of the other. Thor kills the Midgard Serpent and takes nine steps away from the spot — then he falls dead to the ground, from the venom the Serpent has sprayed on him. The Wolf swallows Odin — that is his death. But right after, Vidar strides forward and plants one foot on the Wolf's lower jaw. On that foot he wears a shoe that has been gathered together across all of time — it's made from the scraps that men trim from their shoes at the toe or the heel, which is why anyone who wants to help the Aesir in this fight should throw those scraps away.
Á þeim fæti hefir hann þann skó, er allan aldr hefir verit til samnat. Þat eru bjórar þeir, er menn sníða ór skóm sínum fyrir tám eða hæli. Því skal þeim bjórum braut kasta sá maðr, er at því vill hyggja at koma ásunum at liði. Annarri hendi tekr hann inn efra kjöft úlfsins ok rífr sundr gin hans, ok verðr þat úlfsins bani. Loki á orrostu við Heimdall, ok verðr hvárr annars bani.
With one hand Vidar grabs the Wolf's upper jaw and tears his mouth apart — that is the Wolf's death. Loki fights Heimdall, and each is the death of the other. Then Surt flings fire over the whole earth and burns the entire world. So it's said in Voluspa: Heimdall blows loud, / the horn held high, / Odin speaks with Mimir's head; / Yggdrasil shakes, / the standing ash — / the old tree groans, / and the giant breaks free.
Því næst slyngr Surtr eldi yfir jörðina ok brennir allan heim. Svá er sagt í Völuspá: 56. Hátt blæss Heimdallr, horn er á lofti, mælir Óðinn við Míms höfuð; skelfr Yggdrasils askr standandi, ymr it aldna tré, en jötunn losnar. 57. Hvat er með ásum? Hvat er með alfum? Ymr allr Jötunheimr, æsir ro á þingi, stynja dvergar fyrir steindurum, veggbergs vísir. Vituð ér enn eða hvat? 58.
What of the Aesir? / What of the elves? / All Jotunheim groans, / the Aesir hold council, / the dwarves moan / before their doors of stone, / the wise ones of the rock-face. / Do you know more, or what? Hrym drives from the east, / holding his shield before him; / Jormungand turns / and thrashes in giant-rage; / the serpent churns the waves, / the eagle shrieks, / tearing corpses, / pale with death; / Naglfar breaks loose.
Hrymr ekr austan, hefisk lind fyrir, snýsk Jörmungandr í jötunmóði; ormr knýr unnir, örn mun hlakka, slítr nái niðfölr, Naglfar losnar. 59. Kjóll ferr austan, koma munu Múspells of lög lýðir, en Loki stýrir; þar eru fíflmegir með freka allir, þeir er bróðir Býleists í för. 60.
A ship sails from the east, / Muspell's people are coming / over the sea, and Loki steers; / the monster's brood travels / with the wolf, all of them, / and Byleist's brother rides along. Surt comes from the south / with the bane of branches, fire that scorches; / his sword shines / like the sun of the slaughter-gods.
Surtr ferr sunnan með sviga lævi, skínn af sverði sól valtíva; grjótbjörg gnata, en gífr rata, troða halir helveg, en himinn klofnar. 61. Þá kemr Hlínar harmr annarr fram, er Óðinn ferr við ulf vega, en bani Belja bjartr at Surti; þar mun Friggjar falla angan. 62. Gengr Óðins sonr við ulf vega, Víðarr of veg at valdýri; lætr hann megi Hveðrungs mund of standa hjör til hjarta; þá er hefnt föður.
/ The cliffs of stone crash down, / giant-women stumble, / men tread the road to Hel, / and the sky splits open. Then comes Hlin's second sorrow, / when Odin goes to fight the Wolf, / and the bright slayer of Beli / goes to fight Surt; / there Frigg's beloved must fall. Odin's son goes to fight the Wolf — / Vidar, advancing / against the beast of slaughter; / he drives his sword / to the heart of Hvedrung's son / with his own hand — / so his father is avenged.
63. Gengr inn mæri mögr Hlöðynjar neppr af naðri níðs ókvíðnum; munu halir allir heimstöð ryðja, er af móði drepr Miðgarðs véurr. 64. Sól mun sortna, sökkr fold í mar, hverfa af himni heiðar stjörnur, geisar eimi ok aldrnari, leikr hár hiti, við himin sjalfan. Hér segir enn svá: 65.
The glorious son of Hlodyn walks away, / worn out, from the serpent / that feared no disgrace; / all men will empty / their homesteads, / when Midgard's guardian, / in his fury, strikes it dead. The sun will go black, / the earth sink into the sea, / the bright stars / vanish from the sky; / steam rages, / and the life-feeding fire, / flames leap high, / licking heaven itself.
Vígríðr heitir völlr, er finnask vígi at Surtr ok in svásu goð; hundrað rasta hann er á hverjan veg; sá er þeim völlr vitaðr."
Here it's also said: Vigrid is the name of the field / where Surt and the beloved gods / will meet in battle; / a hundred leagues it stretches, / on every side — / that field is marked out for them."