J. Tolkien - The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún

Grímhild’s offspring,

greyhearted lord,

Gunnar hailed him:

Gunnar

‘No oaths thou sworest,

no oaths heedest.

With his blood unblended

his blood now spill!’

52

Gold he promised him

and great lordship;

his bastard blood

burned with hunger.

Snake’s flesh they took,

seethed it darkly,

wolf-meat gave him,

wine enchanted.

53

Drunk with madness,

dire and wolvish,

he grinned and gnashed

his grinding teeth.

Of guile unworthy,

no guile dreaming,

yet doom foreboding,

drear went Sigurd.

54

To the forest fared he,

falcon loosing,

with hounds hunting,

for harm’s solace.

Gotthorm rode there,

and Grani marked he,

assailing Sigurd,

with searing words.

Gotthorm

55

‘O werewolf’s son

and war-captive,

what huntest here

where hart roameth –

thou wooer of women

and wife-marrer,

who wouldst lord all alone

our lands and queens!’

56

Sword touched Sigurd

swart-red flushing;

white blanched the knuckles

on hilt clenching:

Sigurd

‘Thou drunken dog,

doom hangs nigh thee!

Now slink to kennel!

Sleep may mend thee.’

57

Gotthorm he left

to grind his teeth;

back rode Sigurd

foreboding ill.

Night fell starless,

none were waking;

asleep was Gudrún

by Sigurd dreaming.

58

Dawn came wanly:

drunk with hatred

there Gotthorm stalked

as glowering wolf.

Sword leaped naked,

sleeping stabbed him,

pierced through to pillow,

pinned in anguish.

59

Forth sprang the wolf

by fear blinded

of awful eyes

that opened wide.

Gram was brandished,

gleaming handled,

hissing hurled aloft

at hasting beast.

60

At the door he tumbled

dreadly crying;

there hell took him

hewn asunder.

Forth crashed the head,

feet fell backward;

blood ran darkly

on bower threshold.

61

In sweet embrace

to sleep she went,

to grief unending

Gudrún wakened,

to her bliss drowning

in blood flowing.

in flowing blood

of fairest lord.

62

Breast white and bare

she beat so sore

that Sigurd raised him

from soaking pillow:

Sigurd

‘My wife, weep not

for woe foredoomed!

Brothers remain to thee –

blame them lightly!

63

Brynhild wrought this:

best she loved me,

worst she dealt me,

worst belied me.

I Gunnar never

grieved nor injured;

oaths I swore him,

all fulfilled them!’

64

Dead fell Sigurd;

dreadly Gudrún

cried in anguish,

called him vainly.

Swords rang on wall,

and sleepers shivered;

geese screamed shrill

in green meadow.

65

Then laughed Brynhild

in her bed listening

with whole heart once –

the house shuddered –

Gudrún hearing

in grief’s torment.

Gunnar answered

grimly speaking:

Gunnar

66

‘Little thou laughest

for delight of soul,

O fell-hearted!

Fey I deem thee.

Thy colour blancheth,

cold thy cheeks are;

cold thy counsels

and accursed thy redes.’

Brynhild

67

‘Cursed are the Niflungs,

cruel forswearers.

Oaths swore Sigurd,

all fulfilled them.

Ye all shall find

evil fortune,

while all men’s honour

he for ever holdeth.

68

Bonds of brotherhood

in blood mingled

with murder kept ye;

he remembered them.

A

sword lay naked

set between us,

Gram lay grimly

gleaming

sheathless

.

69

Now life no longer

will I live with you;

of love ye robbed me

with lying counsels.

Shorn I leave you,

shame enduring,

of faith and friendship,

of fame on earth.’

70

In arms he took her,

anguished begged her

her hand to stay,

hope to look for.

She thrust them from her

who thronged round her,

longing only

for her last journey.

71

(Högni only

withheld her not:)

Högni

‘Little would I hinder

her last journey,

so she bide in that land

never born again.

Crooked came she forth

from curséd womb

to man’s evil

and our mighty woe.’

*

72

Gold corslet she took,

gleaming hauberk,

helm set on head,

in hand a sword.

On the sword she cast her,

sank down wounded:

thus Brynhild ended

her bright splendour.

Brynhild

73

‘A boon I beg thee,

this boon at last!

Pile high a pyre

on the plain builded;

shields hang round it

and shining cloths,

blood pour over it

for us brightly shed!

74

A hawk at each hand,

a hound at feet,

there harnessed set ye

our horses slain.

At his side lay me,

sword between us,

naked gleaming

as on night of yore.

75

Burn there Brynhild

in the blazing fire

who in flames awoke

to fell sorrow.

In flames send forth

that fairest lord

now as sun setting

who as sun did rise!’

76

Flames were kindled,

fume was swirling,

a roaring fire

ringed with weeping.

Thus Sigurd passed,

seed of Völsung,

there Brynhild burned:

bliss was ended.

*

77

On the hell-way hastened

the helméd queen,

never born again

from bleak regions.

In Valhöllu

Völsungs feasted:

‘Son’s son welcome,

seed of Ódin!’

78

Thus soon came Sigurd

the sword bearing

to glad Valhöll

greeting Ódin.

There feasts he long

at his father’s side,

for War waiting,

the World’s chosen.

79

When Heimdall’s horn

is heard ringing

and the Blazing Bridge

bends neath horsemen,

Brynhild shall arm him

with belt and sword,

a beaker bear him

brimmed with glory.

80

In the day of Doom

he shall deathless stand

who death tasted

and dies no more,

the serpent-slayer,

seed of Ódin:

not all shall end,

nor Earth perish.

81

On his head the Helm,

in his hand lightning,

afire his spirit,

in his face splendour.

When war passeth

in world rebuilt,

bliss shall they drink

who the bitter tasted.

82

Thus passed Sigurd,

seed of Völsung,

hero mightiest,

hope of Ódin.

But woe of Gudrún

through this world lasteth,

to the end of days

all shall hear her.

*

COMMENTARY

on

VÖLSUNGAKVIÐA EN NÝJA

COMMENTARY

on

VÖLSUNGAKVIÐA EN NÝJA

The subtitle Sigurðarkviða en mesta means ‘The Longest Lay of Sigurd’: see p.234.

Throughout the commentary the poem Völsungakviða en N ý ja is referred to as ‘the Lay’ or occasionally ‘the Lay of the Völsungs’, and the Völsunga Saga as ‘the Saga’. The name ‘Edda’ always refers to the ‘Elder Edda’ or ‘Poetic Edda’; the work of Snorri Sturluson is named the ‘Prose Edda’.

The nine sections of the poem following the Upphaf are referred to by Roman numerals and the stanzas by Arabic numerals: thus ‘VII.6’ refers to stanza 6 in the section ‘Gudrún’. Notes are related to stanzas, not lines; and a general note on the section precedes notes to individual stanzas.

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