Baldrs draumar (Vegtamskviða)

 

1.                                                               1.

Senn váru æsir                                           At once the Æsir

allir á þingi                                                were all in counsel

ok ásynjur                                                  and the goddesses

allar á máli,                                                all in parley,

ok um þat réðu                                          and concerning this

ríkir tívar,                                                  the mighty gods considered,

hví væri Baldri                                          why to Baldr were [come]

ballir draumar.                                           baleful dreams.

 

2.                                                               2.

Upp reis Óðinn,                                         Up rose Óðinn,

alda gautr,                                                 father of generations,(1)

ok hann á Sleipni                                       and on Sleipnir he has

söðul of lagði;                                           laid a saddle;

reið hann niðr þaðan                                  he rode down from there

niflheljar til;                                               to Niflhel(2);

mætti hann hvelpi,                                    a whelp came to meet him

þeim er ór helju kom.                                that came out of a cavern.(3)

 

3.                                                               3.  

Sá var blóðugr                                           It was bloody

um brjóst framan                                       in front on its chest

ok galdrs föður                                          and the father of galdr(4)

gól of lengi;                                               barked at lengthily;

fram reið Óðinn,                                        on rode Óðinn,

foldvegr dunði;                                         the earth-way rang;

hann kom at hávu                                      he came to the tall

Heljar ranni.                                              abode of Hel.

 

4.                                                               4.

Þá reið Óðinn                                            Then Óðinn rode

fyrir austan dyrr,                                       to the eastern door,

þar er hann vissi                                        where he knew [there was]

völu leiði;                                                  a vǫlva's burial place;

nam hann vittugri                                      skilful in magic, he began

valgaldr kveða,                                          to speak a galdr of the dead,

unz nauðig reis,                                         until perforce she rose,

nás orð of kvað:                                        the corpse spoke these words:

 

5.                                                               5.

"Hvat er manna þat                                   "What person is this,

mér ókunnra,                                             unknown to me,

er mér hefir aukit                                       who has added to

erfitt sinni?                                                my weary way?

Var ek snivin snævi                                   I have been snowed with snow

ok slegin regni                                           and beaten with rain

ok drifin döggu,                                        and drenched with dew,

dauð var ek lengi."                                    I have been long dead."

 

Óðinn kvað:                                                          Óðinn said:

6.                                                               6.

"Vegtamr ek heiti,                                     "I am called Vegtamr(5),

sonr em ek Valtams;                                  I am Valtam's son;

segðu mér ór helju,                                    tell me [news] from Hel,

ek mun ór heimi:                                       I will [tell you news] from the world:

Hveim eru bekkir                                      For whom are the benches

baugum sánir,                                            strewn with rings,

flet fagrlig                                                 the rooms beautifully

flóuð gulli?"                                              flooded with gold?"

 

Völva kvað:                                                           The vǫlva said:

7.                                                               7.

"Hér stendr Baldri                                     "Here stands for Baldr

of brugginn mjöðr,                                    the mead brewed,

skírar veigar,                                              clear drinks,

liggr skjöldr yfir,                                       a shield lies over;

en ásmegir                                                 but the Æsirmen

í ofvæni;                                                    [are] in suspense;(6)

nauðug(7) sagðak,                                     by force I spoke,

nú mun ek þegja."                                     now I will stop speaking."

 

Óðinn kvað:                                                          Óðinn said:

8.                                                               8.

"Þegj-at-tu, völva,                                     "Do not stop speaking, vǫlva,

þik vil ek fregna,                                       I wish to ask you,

unz alkunna,                                              until all-knowing;

vil ek enn vita:                                           I wish to know further:

Hverr mun Baldri                                      Who will be

at bana verða                                             the bane of Baldr

ok Óðins son                                             and Óðin's son

aldri ræna?"                                               deprive of life?"

 

Völva kvað:                                                           The vǫlva said:

9.                                                               9.

"Höðr berr hávan                                       "Hǫðr bears the tall

hróðrbaðm þinig,                                       fateful branch(8) thither,

hann mun Baldri                                       he will be  

at bana verða                                             the bane of Baldr

ok Óðins son                                             and Óðin's son

aldri ræna;                                                 deprive of life;

nauðug sagðak,                                         by force I spoke,

nú mun ek þegja."                                     now I will stop speaking."

 

Óðinn kvað:                                                          Óðinn said:

10.                                                             10.

"Þegj-at-tu, völva,                                     "Do not stop speaking, vǫlva,

þik vil ek fregna,                                       I wish to ask you,

unz alkunna,                                              until all-knowing;

vil ek enn vita:                                           I wish to know further:

Hverr mun heift Heði                                Who will [the feud](9) on Hǫðr

hefnt of vinna                                           vengeance wreak

eða Baldrs bana                                         or Baldr's bane

á bál vega?"                                               lay low on the pyre?

 

Völva kvað:                                                           The vǫlva said:

11.                                                             11.

Rindr berr Vála                                         Rindr bears Váli

í vestrsölum,                                              in western halls,

sá mun Óðins sonr                                     who will, one night old,

einnættr vega:                                           fight(10) Óðin's son:

hönd of þvær                                            hands he [will not] wash

né höfuð kembir,                                       nor head comb,

áðr á bál of berr                                         before he has borne to the pyre

Baldrs andskota;                                       Baldr's foe;

nauðug sagðak,                                         by force I spoke,

nú mun ek þegja."                                     now I will stop speaking."

 

Óðinn kvað:                                                          Óðinn said:

12.                                                             12.

"Þegj-at-tu, völva,                                     "Do not stop speaking, vǫlva,

þik vil ek fregna,                                       I wish to ask you,

unz alkunna,                                              until all-knowing;

vil ek enn vita:                                           I wish to know further:

Hverjar ro þær meyjar,                              Who are the maidens,

er at muni gráta                                         who weep at will

ok á himin verpa                                        and throw up to the heavens

halsa skautum?"                                        their neck veils?"

 

Völva kvað:                                                           The vǫlva said:

13.                                                             13.

"Ert-at-tu Vegtamr,                                   "You are not Vegtamr,

sem ek hugða,                                           as I thought;

heldr ertu Óðinn,                                       rather you are Óðinn,

aldinn gautr."                                            old Gautr(11)."

 

Óðinn kvað:                                                          Óðinn said:

"Ert-at-tu völva                                         "You are not a vǫlva

né vís kona,                                               or a wisewoman,

heldr ertu þriggja                                       rather you are three

þursa móðir."                                             thurses' mother."

 

Völva kvað:                                                           The vǫlva said:

14.                                                             14.

"Heim ríð þú, Óðinn,                                 "Ride home, Óðinn,

ok ver hróðigr,                                           and be proud,

svá komir(12) manna                                 thus [no] persons more

meir aftr á vit,                                           [will] come to see me after,

er lauss Loki                                              ere Loki, loose

líðr ór böndum                                          from his bonds, roves

ok ragna rök                                              and [in] ragnarǫk

rjúfendr koma."                                         the reavers come."

 

Notes

 

1.  Gautr is a name of Óðinn. It is presumed to mean "father". Alda here is commonly emended to aldinn, a poetic word for "old", to match verse 13; since the manuscripts do not consistently use capital letters to indicate names, I have rendered that "old Gautr."

2.  Lower Hel

3.  or: out of Hel

4.  kenning for Óðinn

5.  Used to the Way, Ready for the Journey; Valtamr is Used to the Slaughter, Ready for the Slaughter.

6.  This is the modern Icelandic meaning. Published translations range from "in despair" (Olive Bray) to "in merry mood" (Guðbrandur Vigfússon).

7.  Presumably the same as nauðig in Verse 4.

8.  Hróðr is usually "fame" or "praise" but in some prefixed usages, including here, the element instead seems to be derived from hrjóða, "destroy".

9.  Heift, "feud", seems out of place and is often omitted or amended.

10.  The same verb as in the previous verse, used in a different meaning; possibly a deliberate pun, since Hǫðr is also a son of Óðinn.

11.  See note 1 on Verse 2, line 2.

12.  One manuscript has komit, supplying the negative that the meaning requires, but most have komir.