Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Hvar byggði Ymir, eða við hvat lifði hann?" Hárr svarar: "Næst var þat, þá er hrímit draup, at þar varð af kýr sú, er Auðhumla hét, en fjórar mjólkár runnu ór spenum hennar, ok fæddi hon Ymi." Þá mælti Gangleri: "Við hvat fæddist kýrin?"
Then Gangleri asked: "Where did Ymir live, and what did he live on?" High answered: "It wasn't long after the rime began dripping that a cow appeared, called Audhumla, and four rivers of milk ran from her udders, and she fed Ymir." Then Gangleri asked: "What did the cow feed on?"
Hárr svarar: "Hon sleikði hrímsteinana, er saltir váru, ok inn fyrsta dag, er hon sleikði steinana, kom ór steininum at kveldi manns hár, annan dag manns höfuð, þriðja dag var þar allr maðr. Sá er nefndr Búri. Hann var fagr álitum, mikill ok máttugr. Hann gat son þann, er Borr hét, hann fekk þeirar konu, er Bestla hét, dóttir Bölþorns jötuns, ok fengu þau þrjá sonu.
High answered: "She licked the salty rime-stones. On the first day she licked the stones, a man's hair came out of the stone by evening; on the second day, a man's head; on the third day the whole man was there. He was named Buri. He was handsome, tall, and strong. He had a son named Bur, who married a woman named Bestla, daughter of the giant Bolthorn, and they had three sons: one was named Odin, the second Vili, the third Ve — and it's my belief that Odin, with his brothers, must be the ruler of heaven and earth.
Hét einn Óðinn, annarr Vili, þriði Vé, ok þat er mín trúa, at sá Óðinn ok hans bræðr munu vera stýrandi himins ok jarðar. Þat ætlum vér, at hann myni svá heita. Svá heitir sá maðr, er vér vitum mestan ok ágæztan, ok vel meguð þér hann láta svá heita."
We hold that this is what he's called; the being we know as greatest and most glorious bears this same name, and you would do well to call him so too."