The Poetic Edda (Bellows (1923)
Voluspo
Transcribers note: Any text
on the line after the word lacuna is an emedation by the editor. Click
on the (*) to view the note for that particular verse.
1. Hearing I ask from
the holy races,
From Heimdalls sons, both
high and low;
Thou wilt, Valfather, that
well I relate
Old tales I remember of
men long ago. (*)
2. I remember yet the
giants of yore,
Who gave me bread in
the days gone by;
Nine worlds I knew, the
nine in the Tree
With mighty roots beneath
the mold. (*)
3. Of old was the age when
Ymir lived;
Sea nor cool waves nor
sand there were;
Earth had not been, nor
heaven above,
But a yawning gap, and
grass nowhere (*)
4. Then Burs sons lifted the
level land;
Mithgarth the mighty there
they made;
The sun from the south warmed
the stones of the earth,
And green was the ground with
growing leeks. (*)
5.The sun, the sister of
the moon, from the south
Her right hand cast over
heavens rim;
No knowledge she had where
her home should be,
The moon knew not what
might was his,
The stars knew not where
their stations were.
6.Then sought the gods their
assembly-seats,
The holy ones, and
council held;
Names then gave they to
noon and twilight,
Morning they named, and
the waning moon,
Night and evening, the
years to number. (*)
7.At Ithavoll met the
mighty gods,
Shrines and temples they
timbered high;
Forges they set, and
they smithied ore,
Tongs were wrought, and
tools they fashioned. (*)
8.In their dwellings at peace they
played at tables,
Of gold no lack did
the gods then know, -
Till thither came up giant-maids
three,
Hugh of might, out
of Jotunheim. (*)
9.Then sought the gods their
assembly-seats,
The holy ones, and
council held,
To find who should raise the
race of dwarfs
Out of Brimirs blood and
the legs of Blain. (*)
10.There was Motsognir the
mightiest made
Of all the dwarfs, and
Durin next;
Many a likeness of
men they made,
The dwarfs in the earth, as
Durin said. (*)
11.Nyi and Nithi, Northri
and Suthri,
Austri and Vestri, Althjof,
Dvalin,
Nar and Nain, Niping,
Dain,
Bifur, Bofur, Bombur,
Nori,
An and Onar, Ai,
Mjothvitnir,
12.Vigg and Gandalf, Vindalf,
Thrain,
Thekk and Thorin, Thror,
Vit and Lit,
Nyr and Nyrath, -
Regin and Rathvith- now
have I told the list aright.
13.Fili, Kili, Fundin,
Nali,
Heptifili, Hannar,
Sviur,
Frar, Hornbori, Frg
and Loni,
Aurvang, Jari, Eikinskjaldi.
14.The race of the dwarfs in
Dvalins throng
Down to Lofar the
list must I tell;
The rocks they left, and
through the wet lands
They sought a home in
the feilds of sand.
15.There were Draupnir and
Dolgthrasir,
Hor, Haugspori, Hlevang,
Gloin,
Dori, Ori, Duf,
Andvari,
Skirfir, Virfir, Skafith,
Ai. (*)
16.Alf and Yngvi, Eikinskjaldi;
Fjalar and Frosti, Fith
and Ginnar;
So for all time shall
the tale be known,
The list of all the
forbears of Lofar.
17.Then from the throng did
three come forth,
From the home of the gods, the
mighty and gracious;
Two without fate on
the land they found,
Ask and Embla, empty
of might.
18.Soul they had not, sense
they had not,
Heat nor motion, nor
goodly hue;
Soul gave Othin, sense
gave Hnir,
Heat gave Lothur and
goodly hue.
19.An ask I know, Yggdrasil
its name,
With water white is
the great tree wet;
Thence come the dews that
fall in the dales,
Green by Urths well does
it ever grow.
20.Thence come the maidens mighty
in wisdom,
Three from the dwelling down
neath the tree;
Urth is one named, Verthandi
the next, -
On the wood they scored,- and
Skuld the third.
Laws they made there, and
life allotted
To the sons of men and
set their fates. (*)
21.The war I remember, the
first in the world,
When the gods with spears had
smitten Gollveig,
And in the hall of
Hor had burned her,-
Three times burned, and
three times born,
Oft and again, yet
ever she lives. (*)
22.Heith they named her who
sought their home,
The wide-seeing witch, in
magic wise;
Minds she bewitched that
were moved by her magic,
To evil women a
joy she was. (*)
23.On the host his spear did
Othin hurl,
Then in the world did
war first come;
The wall that girdled the
gods was broken,
And the field by the warlike Wanes
was trodden.
24.The sought the gods their
assembly-seats,
The holy ones, and
council held,
Whether the gods should
tribute give,
Or to all alike should
worship belong.
25.Then sought the gods their
assembly-seats,
The holy ones, and
council held,
To find who with venom the
air had filled,
Or had given Oths bride to
the giants brood.
26.In swelling rage then
rose up Thor,-
Seldom he sits when
he such things hears,-
And the oaths were broken, the
words and bonds,
The mighty pledges between
them made.
27.I know of the horn of
Heimdall, hidden
Under the high-reaching holy
tree;
On it there pours from
Valfathers pledge
A mighty stream; would
you know yet more? (*)
28.Alone I sat when
the Old One sought me,
The terror of the gods, and
gazed in mine eyes:
What hast thou to ask? why
comest thou hither?
Othin, I know where
thine eye is hidden. (*)
29.I know where Othins eye
is hidden,
Deep in the wide-famed well
of Mimir;
Mead from the pledge of
Othin each morn
Does Mimir drink: would
you know yet more? (*)
30.Necklaces had I and
rings from Heerfather,
Wise was my speech and
my magic wisdom;
-lacuna-
Widely I saw over
all the worlds. (*)
31.On all sides saw I Valkyries
assemble,
Ready to ride to
the ranks of the gods;
Skuld bore the shield, and
Skogul rode next,
Guth, Hild, Gondul, and
Geirskogul.
Of Herjans maidens the
list have ye heard,
Valkyries ready to
ride oer the earth. (*)
32.I saw for Baldr, the
bleeding god,
The son of Othin, his
destiny set:
Famous and fair in
the lofty fields,
Full grown in strength the
mistletoe stood.
33.From the branch which seemed so slender and fair
Came a harmful shaft that
Hoth should hurl;
But the brother of Baldr was
born ere long,
And one night old fought
Othins son. (*)
34.His hands he washed not, his
hair he combed not,
Till he bore to the bale-blaze Baldrs
foe.
But in Fensalir did
Frigg weep sore
For Valhalls need: would
you know yet more? (*)
35.One did I see in
the wet woods bound,
A lover of ill, and
to Loki like;
By his side does Sigyn sit,
nor is glad
To see her mate: would
you know yet more? (*)
36.From the east there pours through
poisoned vales
With swords and daggers the
river Slith>
-lacuna- frozen feilds do
run its course
-lacuna and never may man by oath it take (*)
-
37.Northward a hall in
Nithavellir
Of gold there rose for
Sindris race;
And in Okolnir another
stood,
Where the giant Brimir his
beer-hall had. (*)
38.A hall I saw, far
from the sun,
On Nastrond it stands, and
the doors face north;
Venom drops through
the smoke-vent down,
For around the walls do
serpents wind. (*)
39.I saw there wading through
rivers wild
Treacherous men and
murderers too,
And workers of ill with
the wives of men;
There Nithhogg sucked the
blood of the slain,
And the wolf tore men; would
you know yet more? (*)
40.The giantess old in
Ironwood sat,
In the east, and bore the
brood of Fenrir;
Among these one in
monsters guise
Was soon to steal the
sun from the sky. (*)
41.There feeds he full on
the flesh of the dead,
And the home of the gods he
reddens with gore;
Dark grows the sun, and
in summer soon
Come mighty storms: would
you know yet more? (*)
42.On a hill there sat, and
smote on his harp,
Eggther the joyous, the
giants warder;
Above him the cock in
the bird-wood crowed,
Fair and red did
Fjalar stand.
43.Then to the gods crowed
Gollinkambi,
He wakes the heroes in
Othins hall;
And beneath the earth does
another crow,
The rust-red bird at
the bars of Hel. (*)
44.Now Garm howls loud before
Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, and
the wolf run free;
Much do I know, and
more can see
Of the fate of the gods, the
mighty in fight. (*)
45.Brothers shall fight and
fell each other,
And sisters sons shall
kinship stain;
Hard it is on earth, with
mighty whoredom;
Axe-time, sword-time, shields
are sundered,
Wind-time, wolf-time, ere
the world falls;
Nor ever shall men each
other spare. (*)
46.Fast moves the sons of
Min, and fate
Is heard in the note of
the Gjallarhorn;
Loud blows Heimdall, the
horn is aloft,
In fear quake all who
on Hel-roads are. (*)
47.Yggdrasil shakes, and
shiver on high
The ancient limbs, and
the giant is loose;
To the head of Mim does
Othin give heed,
But the kinsman of Surt shall
slay him soon.
How fare the gods? how
fare the elves?
All Jotunheim groans, the
gods are at council;
Loud roar the dwarfs by
the doors of stone,
The masters of the rocks; would
you know yet more? (*)
48.Now Garm howls loud before
Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, and
the wolf run free;
Much do I know, and
more can see
Of the fate of the gods, the
mighty in fight.
49.From the east comes Hrym with
sheild held high;
In giant-wrath does
the serpent writhe;
Oer the waves he twists, and
the tawny eagle
Gnaws corpses screaming; Naglfar
is loose. (*)
50.Oer the sea from the north there
sails a ship
With the people of Hel, at
the helm stands Loki;
After the wolf do
wild men follow,
And with them the brother of
Byleist goes. (*)
51.Surt fares from the south with
the scourge of branches,
The sun of the battle-gods shone
from his sword;
The crags are sundered, the
giant-women sink,
The dead throng Hel-way, and
heaven is cloven. (*)
52.Now comes Hlin yet
another hurt,
When Othin fares to
fight with the wolf,
And Belis slayer seeks
out Surt,
For there must fall the
joy of Frigg. (*)
53.Then comes Sigfathers mighty
son,
Vithar, to fight with
the foaming wolf;
In the giants son does
he thrust his sword
Full to the heart: his
father is avenged. (*)
54.Hither there comes the
son of Hlothyn,
The bright snake gapes to
heaven above;
-lacuna- vith venom he fills both sea and air (*)
55.Against the serpent goes
Othins son. (*)
56.In anger smites the
warder of earth,-
Forth from their homes must
all men flee,-
Nine paces fares the
son of Fjorgyn,
And, slain by the serpent, fearless
he sinks. (*)
57.The sun turns black, earth
sinks in the sea,
The hot stars down from
heaven are whirled;
Fierce grows the steam and
the life-feeding flame,
Till fire leaps high about
heaven itself.
58.Now Garm howls loud before
Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, and
the wolf run free;
Much do I know, and
more can see
Of the fate of gods, the
mighty in fight. (*)
59.Now do I see the
earth anew
Rise all green from
the waves again;
The cataracts fall, and
the eagle flies,
And fish he catches beneath
the cliffs.
60.The gods in Ithavoll meet
together,
Of the terrible girdler of
earth they talk,
And the mighty past they
call to mind,
And the ancient runes of
the Ruler of Gods.
61.In wondrous beauty once
again
Shall the golden tables stand
mid the grass,
Which the gods had owned, in
days of old,
-lacuna- And played at tafle, would
ye know yet more? (*)
62.Then the feilds unsowed bear
ripened fruit,
All ills grow better, and
Baldr comes back;
Baldr and Hoth dwell in
Hropts battle-hall,
And the mighty gods: would
you know yet more?
63.Then Hnir wins the
prophetic wand,
-lacuna- and Baldr the word of his father said
And the sons of the brothers of
Tveggi abide
In Vindheim now: would
you know yet more? (*)
64.More fair than the sun, a
hall I see,
Roofed with gold, on
Gimle it stands;
There shall the righteous rules
dwell,
And happiness ever there
shall they have. (*)
65.There comes on high, all
power to hold,
A mighty lord, all
lands he rules.
-lacuna- rule he orders an
rights he fixes
-lacuna- laws he ordains that
ever shalt live (*)
66.From below the dragon dark
comes forth,
Nithhogg flying from
Nithafjoll;
The bodies of men on
his wings he bears,
The serpent bright: but
now must I sink. (*)