Prose Edda — Old Norse facing a living language
Þá mælti Gangleri: "Mikit þótti mér þeir hafa þá snúit til leiðar, er jörð ok himinn var gert ok sól ok himintungl váru sett ok skipt dægrum, ok hvaðan kómu mennirnir, þeir er heim byggja?" Þá mælti Hárr: "Þá er þeir gengu með sævarströndu Borssynir, fundu þeir tré tvau ok tóku upp trén ok sköpuðu af menn.
Then Gangleri said: "It seems to me they'd accomplished a great deal by then, with earth and sky made, the sun and the heavenly bodies set in place, and the days divided out. So where did the men who live in the world come from?" High said: "As Bur's sons were walking along the seashore, they found two trees, picked them up, and shaped people out of them.
Gaf inn fyrsti önd ok líf, annarr vit ok hræring, þriði ásjónu, mál ok heyrn ok sjón, gáfu þeim klæði ok nöfn. Hét karlmaðrinn Askr, en konan Embla, ok ólst þaðan af mannkindin, sú er byggðin var gefinn undir Miðgarði. Þar næst gerðu þeir sér borg í miðjum heimi, er kölluð er Ásgarðr. Þat köllum vér Trója.
The first gave them breath and life; the second, understanding and movement; the third, a face, speech, hearing, and sight. They gave them clothes and names. The man was called Ask, the woman Embla, and from them came the human race that was given a home under Midgard. Next they built themselves a stronghold in the middle of the world, called Asgard — we call it Troy.
Þar byggðu goðin ok ættir þeira, ok gerðust þaðan af mörg tíðendi ok greinir bæði á jörðu ok í lofti. Þar er einn staðr, er Hliðskjálf heitir, ok þá er Óðinn settist þar í hásæti, þá sá hann of alla heima ok hvers manns athæfi ok vissi alla hluti, þá er hann sá.
There the gods and their kin lived, and from there came many events and stories, both on earth and in the sky. There is a place called Hlidskjalf, and when Odin sat there on the high seat, he could see over every world and every man's doings, and he knew everything he saw.
Kona hans hét Frigg Fjörgvinsdóttir, ok af þeira ætt er sú kynslóð komin, er vér köllum ása ættir, er byggt hafa Ásgarð inn forna ok þau ríki, er þar liggja til, ok er þat allt goðkunnug ætt. Ok fyrir því má hann heita Alföðr, at hann er faðir allra goðanna ok manna ok alls þess, er af honum ok hans krafti var fullgert. Jörðin var dóttir hans ok kona hans.
His wife was named Frigg, daughter of Fjorgvin, and from their line comes the kindred we call the Aesir, who have lived in Asgard the Old and the realms bound to it — and that whole line is of divine stock. This is why he can be called Allfather: because he is father of all the gods and of men, and of everything that was brought to completion by him and his power. The Earth was his daughter and his wife.
Af henni gerði hann inn fyrsta soninn, en þat er Ása-Þórr. Honum fylgði afl ok sterkleikr. Þar af sigrar hann öll kvikvendi
On her he fathered his first son, and that is Aesir-Thor. Strength and might attend him, and with them he overcomes every living thing.