Helgi spake:

26. The ship's-tents soon | the chieftain struck,
And waked the throng | of warriors all;
(The heroes the red | of dawn beheld;)
And on the masts | the gallant men
Made fast the sails | in Varinsfjord.

27. There was beat of oars | and clash of iron,
Shield smote shield | as the ships'-folk rowed;
Swiftly went | the warrior-laden
Fleet of the ruler | forth from the land.

28. So did it sound, | when together the sisters
Of Kolga struck | with the keels full long,
As if cliffs were broken | with beating surf,
. . . . . . . . . .

29. Helgi bade higher | hoist the sails,
Nor did the ships'-folk | shun the waves,
Though dreadfully | did Ægir's daughters
Seek the steeds | of the sea to sink.

30. But from above | did Sigrun brave
Aid the men and | all their faring;
Mightily came | from the claws of Rán
The leader's sea-beast | off Gnipalund.

[26. Line 3 seems to have been interpolated from line 4 of Helgakvitha Hundingsbana II, 42. Ship's-tents: the awnings spread over the deck to shelter the crews from sun and rain when the ships were at anchor. Varinsfjord: cf. Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 22 and note.

27. The manuscript indicates line 3 as the beginning of a new stanza, and some editions follow this arrangement, making lines 1-2 a separate stanza.

28. The manuscript indicates no gap, and some editions combine the stanza with lines 3-4 of stanza 27. Sisters of Kolga: the waves, Kolga ("The Gold") being one of the daughters of the sea-god, Ægir. As the Volsungasaga says, "Now there was a great storm."

29. Helgi demonstrates his courage, whatever one may think of his seamanship. Ægir's daughters: the waves; cf. stanza 28 and note.

30. Sigrun here appears again as a Valkyrie. Rán: Ægir's wife; cf. Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar, 18 and note. Sea-beast: ship. Gnipalund: "Crag-Wood." Original Bellows translation has Ron for Ægir's wife this is clearly not right and has been corrected.]

 



Helgi kvað:

26. Svá brá stýrir stafntjöldum af,
at mildinga mengi vakði,
ok döglingar dagsbrún séa
ok siklingar sneru upp við tré
vefnistingum á Varinsfirði.

27. Varð ára ymr ok járna glymr,
brast rönd við rönd, reru víkingar;
eisandi gekk und öðlingum
lofðungs floti löndum fjarri.

28. Svá var at heyra, er saman kómu
kolgu systir ok kilir langir,
sem björg eða brim brotna myndi.

29. Draga bað Helgi há segl ofar,
varð-at hrönnum höfn þingloga,
þá er ógurlig Ægis dóttir
stagstjórnmörum steypa vildi.

30. En þeim sjalfum Sigrún ofan
folkdjörf of barg ok fari þeira;
snerisk ramliga Rán ór hendi
gjalfrdýr konungs at Gnipalundi.












 


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