Hamthesmol
1. Great the evils once
that grew,
With the dawning sad of the
sorrow of elves;
In early morn awake
for men
The evils that grief to each
shall bring.
2. Not now, nor yet of yesterday
was it,
Long the time that since
hath lapsed,
So that little there is that
is half as old,
Since Guthrun,daughter of
Gjuki, whetted
Her sons so young to Svanhild's
vengeance.
3. "The sister ye had was
Svanhild called,
And her did Jormunrek trample
with horses,
White and black on the battle-way,
Gray, road-wonted, the
steeds of the Goths.
4. "Little the kings of
the folk are ye like,
For now ye are living alone
of my race.
5. "Lonely am I as
the forest aspen,
Of kindred bare as the fir
of its boughs,
My joys are all lost as the
leaves of the tree
When the scather of twigs from
the warm day turns."
6. Then Hamther spake forth, the
high of heart;
"Small praise didst thou, Guthrun, to
Hogni's deed give
When they wakened thy Sigurth from
out of his sleep,
Thou didst sit on the bed while
his slayers laughed.
7. "Thy bed-covers white with
blood were red
From his wounds, and with gore of
thy husband were wet;
So Sigurth was slain, by
his corpse didst thou sit,
And of gladness didst think not: 'twas
Gunnar's doing.
8. "Thou wouldst strike at Atli by
the slaying of Erp
And the killing of Eitil; thine
own grief was worse;
So should each one weild the
wound-biting sword
That another it slays but
smites not himself."
9. Then did Sorli speak out, for
wise was he ever:
"With my mother I never a
quarrel will make;
Full little in speaking methinks
ye both lack;
What asketh thou, Guthrun, that
will give thee no tears?
10. "For thy brothers dost weep, and
thy boys so sweet,
Thy kinsmen in birth on
the battlefield slain;
Now, Guthrun, as well for
us both shalt thou weep,
We sit doomed on our steeds, and
far hence shall we die."
11. Then the fame-glad one - on
the steps she was-
The slender-fingered, spake
with her son:
"Ye shall danger have if
counsel ye heed not;
-lacuna-
By two heroes alone shall
two hundred of Goths
Be bound or be slain in the
lofty-walled burg."
12. From the courtyard they fared, and
fury they breathed;
The youths swiftly went o'er
the mountain wet,
On their Hunnish steeds, death's
vengeance to have.
13. On the way they found the
man so wise;
-lacuna-
"What help from the weakling brown
may we have?"
14. So answered them their
half-brother then;
"So well may I my kinsmen
aid
As help one foot from the
other has."
15. "How may a foot its
fellow aid,
Or a flesh-grown hand another
help?"
16. Then Erp spake forth, his
words were few,
As haughty he sat on his
horse's back:
"To the timid 'tis ill the
way to tell."
A bastard they the bold one
called.
17. From their sheaths they drew their
shining swords,
Their blades, to the giantess the
might that was theirs,
The fighter young to earth
they felled.
20. Their cloaks they shook, their
swords they sheathed,
The high-born men wrapped
their mantles close.
21. On their road they fared and
an ill way found,
And their sister's son on
a tree they saw,
On the wind-cold wolf-tree west
of the hall,
And cranes'-bait crawled; none
would care to linger.
22. In the hall was din, the
men drank deep,
And the horses' hoofs could
no one hear,
Till the warrior hardy sounded
his horn.
23. Men came and the tale to
Jormunrek told
How warriors helmed without
they beheld:
"Take counsel wise, for
brave ones are come,
Of mighty men thou the sister
didst murder."
24. Then Jormunrek laughed, his
hand laid on his beard,
His arms, for with wine he
was warlike, he called for;
He shook his brown locks, on
his white shield he looked,
And raised high the cup of
gold in his hand.
25. "Happy, methinks, were
I to behold
Hamther and Sorli here in
my hall;
The men would I bind with
strings of bows,
And Gjuki's heirs on the
gallows hang."
26. In the hall was clamour, the
cups were shattered,
Men stood in blood from the
breasts of the Goths.
27. Then did Hamther speak forth, the
haughty of heart:
"Thou soughtest, Jormunrek, us
to see,
Sons of one mother seeking
thy dwelling;
Thou seest thy hands, thy
feet thou beholdest,
Jormunrek, flung in the fire
so hot."
28. Then roared the king, of
the race of the gods,
Bold in his armour, as roars
a bear:
"Stone ye the men that
steel will bite not,
Sword nor spear, the sons
of Jonak."
Sorli spake:
29. "Ill didst win, brother, when
the bag thou didst open,
Oft from that bag came baleful
counsel;
Heart hast thou, Hamther, if
knowledge thou hadst!
A man without wisdom is lacking
in much."
Hamther spake:
30. "His head were now off if
Erp were living,
The brother so keen whom
we killed on our road,
The warrior noble,- 'twas
the Norns that drove me
The hero to slay who in fight
should be holy.
31. "In fashion of wolves in
befits us not
Amongst ourselves to strive,
Like the hounds of the Norns, that
nourished were
In greed mid wastes so grim.
32. "We have greatly fought, o'er
the Goths do we stand
By our blades laid low, like
eagles on branches;
Great our fame though we die today
or tomorrow;
None outlives the night when
the Norns have spoken."
33. Then Sorli beside the
gable sank,
And Hamther fell at the back
of the house.
This is called the old ballad of Hamther.