There was a king hight Giuki, who ruled a realm south of the Rhine; three sons he had, thus named: Gunnar, Hogni, and Guttorm, and Gudrun was the name of his daughter, the fairest of maidens; and all these children were far before all other king's children in all prowess, and in goodliness and growth withal; ever were his sons at the wars and wrought many a deed of fame. But Giuki had wedded Grimhild the Wise-wife.

Now Budli was the name of a king mightier than Giuki, mighty though they both were: and Atli was the brother of Brynhild: Atli was a fierce man and a grim, great and black to look on, yet noble of mien withal, and the greatest of warriors. Grimhild was a fierce-heart woman.

Now the days of the Giukings bloomed fair, and chiefly because of those children, so far before the sons of men.

On a day Gudrun says to her mays that she may have no joy of heart; then a certain woman asked her wherefore her joy was departed.

She answered, "Grief came to me in my dreams, therefore is there sorrow in my heart, since thou must needs ask thereof."

"Tell it me, then, thy dream," said the woman, "for dreams oft forecast but the weather."

Gudrun answers, "Nay, nay, no weather is this; I dreamed that I had a fair hawk on my wrist, feathered with feathers of gold."

Says the woman, "Many have heard tell of thy beauty, thy wisdom, and thy courtesy; some king's son abides thee, then."

Gudrun answers, "I dreamed that naught was so dear to me as this hawk, and all my wealth had I cast aside rather than him."

The woman said, "Well, then, the man thou shalt have will be of the goodliest, and well shalt thou love him."

Gudrun answered, "It grieves me that I know not who he shall be; let us go seek Brynhild, for she belike will wot thereof."

So they arrayed them in gold and many a fair thing, and she went with her damsels till they came to the hall of Brynhild, and that hall was dight with gold, and stood on a high hill; and whenas their goings were seen, it was told Brynhild, that a company of women drove toward the burg in gilded waggons.

"That shall be Gudrun, Giuki's daughter," says she: "I dreamed of her last night; let us go meet her! No fairer woman may come to our house."

So they went abroad to meet them, and gave them good greeting, and they went into the goodly hall together; fairly painted it was within, and well adorned with silver vessel; cloths were spread under the feet of them, and all folk served them, and in many wise they sported.

But Gudrun was somewhat silent.

Then said Brynhild, "Ill to abash folk of their mirth; prithee do not so; let us talk together for our disport of mighty kings and their great deeds."

"Good talk," says Gudrun, "let us do even so; what kings deemest thou to have been the first of all men?"

Brynhild says, "The sons of Haki, and Hagbard withal; they brought to pass many a deed of fame in the warfare."

Gudrun answers, "Great men certes, and of noble fame! Yet Sigar took their one sister, and burned the other, house and all; and they may be called slow to revenge the deed; why didst thou not name my brethren who are held to be the first of men as at this time?"

Brynhild says, "Men of good hope are they surely though but little proven hitherto; but one I know far before them, Sigurd, the son of Sigmund the king; a youngling was he in the days when he slew the sons of Hunding, and revenged his father, and Eylimi, his mother's father."

Said Gudrun, "By what token tellest thou that?"

Brynhild answered, "His mother went amid the dead and found Sigmund the king sore wounded, and would bind up his hurts; but he said he grew over old for war; and bade her lay this comfort to her heart, that she should bear the most famed of sons; and wise was the wise man's word therein: for after the death of King Sigmund, she went to King Alf, and there was Sigurd nourished in great honour, and day by day he wrought some deed of fame, and is the man most renowned of all the wide world."

Gudrun says, "From love hast thou gained these tidings of him; but for this cause came I here, to tell thee dreams of mine which have brought me great grief."

Says Brynhild, "Let not such matters sadden thee: abide with thy friends who wish thee blithesome, all of them!"

"This I dreamed," said Gudrun, "that we went, a many of us in company, from the bower, and we saw an exceeding great hart, that far excelled all other deer ever seen, and the hair of him was golden; and this deer we were all fain to take, but I alone got him; and he seemed to me better than all things else; but sithence thou, Byrnhild, didst shoot and slay my deer even at my very knees, and such grief was that to me that scarce might I bear it; and then afterwards thou gavest me a wolf-cub, which besprinkled me with the blood of my brethren."

Brynhild answers, "I will arede thy dream, even as things shall come to pass hereafter; for Sigurd shall come to thee, even he whom I have chosen for my well-beloved; and Grimhild shall give him mead mingled with hurtful things, which shall cast us all into mighty strife. Him shalt thou have, and him shalt thou quickly miss; and Atli the king shalt thou wed; and thy brethren shalt thou lose, and slay Atli withal in the end."

Dudrun answers, "Grief and woe to know that such things shall be!"

And therewith she and hers get them gone home to King Giuki.

Gjúki hét konungr. Hann hafði ríki fyrir sunnan Rín. Hann átti þrjá sonu, er svá hétu: Gunnarr, Högni, Guttormr. Guðrún hét dóttir hans. Hún var frægst mær.

Báru þau börn mjök af öðrum konunga börnum um alla atgervi, bæði um vænleik ok vöxt. Þeir váru jafnan í hernaði ok unnu mörg ágætisverk. Gjúki átti Grímhildi ina fjölkunngu. Buðli hét konungr. Hann var ríkari en Gjúki ok þó báðir ríkir. Atli hét bróðir Brynhildar. Atli var grimmr maðr, mikill ok svartr ok þó tíguligr ok inn mesti hermaðr. Grímhildr var grimmhuguð kona. Ráð Gjúkunga stóð með miklum blóma ok mest fyrir sakir barna hans, er mjök váru um fram flesta.

Eitt sinn segir Guðrún meyjum sínum, at hún má eigi glöð vera. Ein kona spyrr hana, hvat henni sé at ógleði.

Hún svarar: "Eigi fengum vér tíma í draumum. Er því harmr í hjarta mér. Ráð drauminn, þar er þú fréttir eptir."

Hún svarar: "Seg mér ok lát þik eigi hryggja, því at jafnan dreymir fyrir veðrum."

Guðrún svarar: "Þetta er ekki veðr. Þat dreymdi mik, at ek sá einn fagran hauk mér á hendi. Fjaðrar hans váru með gulligum lit."

Konan svarar: "Margir hafa spurt af yðrum vænleik, vizku ok kurteisi. Nokkurs konungs sonr mun biðja þín."

Guðrún svarar: "Engi hlutr þótti mér haukinum betri, ok allt mitt fé vilda ek heldr láta en hann."

Konan svarar: "Sá, er þú fær, mun vera vel menntr, ok muntu unna honum mikit."

Guðrún svarar: "Þat angrar mik, at ek veit eigi, hverr hann er, ok skulum vér hitta Brynhildi. Hún mun vita."

Þær bjuggust með gulli ok mikilli fegrð ok fóru með meyjum sínum, unz þær kómu at höll Brynhildar. Sú höll var búin með gulli ok stóð á einu bergi. Ok er sén er ferð þeira, þá er Brynhildi sagt, at margar konur óku at borginni með gylltum vögnum.

"Þar mun vera Guðrún Gjúkadóttir," segir hún.

"Mik dreymdi um hana í nótt, ok göngum út í mót henni. Ekki sækja oss fríðari konur heim."

Þær gengu út í móti þeim ok fögnuðu vel. Þær gengu inn í þá ina fögru höll. Salrinn var skrifaðr innan ok mjök silfri búinn. Klæði váru breidd undir fætr þeim, ok þjónuðu allir þeim. Þær höfðu margs konar leika. Guðrún var fáorð. Brynhildr mælti:

"Hví megi þér eigi gleði bella? Ger eigi þat, skemmtum oss allar saman ok ræðum um ríka konunga ok þeira stórvirki."

"Gerum þat," segir Guðrún.

"Eða hverja veiztu fremsta konunga verit hafa?"

Brynhildr svarar: "Sonu Hámundar, Haka ok Hagbarð. Þeir unnu mörg frægðarverk í hernaði."

Guðrún svarar: "Miklir váru þeir ok ágætir en þó nam Sigarr systur þeira, en hefir aðra inni brennda, ok eru þeir seinir at hefna. Eða hví nefnir þú eigi bræðr mína, er nú þykkja fremstir menn?"

Brynhildr segir: "Þat er í góðum efnum, en eigi eru þeir enn mjök reyndir, ok veit ek einn mjök af þeim bera, en þat er Sigurðr, sonr Sigmundar konungs. Hann var þá barn, er hann drap sonu Hundings konungs ok hefndi föður síns ok Eylima, móðurföður síns."

Guðrún mælti: "Hvat var til merkja um þat? Segir þú hann borinn, þá er faðir hans fell?"

Brynhildr svarar: "Móðir hans gekk í valinn ok fann Sigmund konung sáran ok bauð at binda sár hans, en hann kveðst of gamall síðan at berjast, en bað hana við þat huggast, at hún mundi æðstan son ala, ok var þar spá spaks geta. Ok eptir andlát Sigmundar konungs fór hún með Álfi konungi, ok var Sigurðr þar upp fæddr í mikilli virðingu, ok vann hann mörg afreksverk á hverjum degi, ok er hann ágæztr maðr í veröldu."

Guðrún mælti: "Af ást hefir þú fréttum til hans haldit. En af því kom ek hér at segja þér drauma mína, er mér fengu mikillar áhyggju."

Brynhildr svarar: "Lát þik eigi slíkt angra. Ver með frændum þínum, er allir vilja þik gleðja."

"Þat dreymdi mik," sagði Guðrún, "at vér gengum frá skemmu margar saman ok sám einn mikinn hjört. Hann bar langt af öðrum dýrum. Hár hans var af gulli. Vér vildum allar taka dýrit, en ek ein náða. Dýrit þótti mér öllum hlutum betra. Síðan skauztu dýrit fyrir knjám mér. Var mér þat svá mikill harmr, at ek mátta trautt bera. Síðan gaftu mér einn úlfhvelp. Sá dreifði mik blóði bræðra minna."

Brynhildr svarar: "Ek mun ráða sem eptir mun ganga: Til ykkar mun koma Sigurðr, sá er ek kaus mér til manns. Grímhildr gefr honum meinblandinn mjöð, er öllum oss kemr í mikit stríð. Hann muntu eiga ok hann skjótt missa. Þú munt eiga Atla konung. Missa muntu bræðra þinna, ok þá muntu Atla vega."

Guðrún svarar: "Ofrharmr er oss þat at vita slíkt."

Ok fara þær nú í brott ok heim til Gjúka konungs.