art lovely still!’
19 Gudrún lifted
her grieving eyes,
dimmed with weeping,
dark with mourning.
Dark with wisdom,
deep with purpose
were Grímhild’s eyes
gazing through her.
Grímhild 20 ‘Atli ariseth,
armies wieldeth,
king of Eastland’s
countless peoples.
His queen shall rule
courts of splendour,
over all women else
on earth upraised.’
Gudrún 21 ‘Of gold were the days,
gold and silver,
silver and golden,
ere Sigurd came.
A maid among maids
in mirth walked I;
only dreams and shadows,
only dreams vexed me.
22 A hart I dreamed
high and golden:
now is sped the shaft
and spilled the blood.
A wolf thou gavest me
for woe’s comfort,
in my brethren’s blood
he bathed me red.
23 I love them little,
I believe them not,
but my brethren’s blood
is no boot for me.
How shall husband heal me
of harm I bear
in hateful Hunland
who am hopeless now?’
Grímhild 24 ‘Thy brothers blame not!
Brynhild wrought it,
thy wrong and sorrow –
it rues them sore.
And dreams are but dreams,
or else doom foretell;
yet doom must be dreed,
though dreams foreshow.
25 Hungold is bright,
Hunland is wide,
Atli mightiest
of earthly kings.
And gold is healing,
though grieve the heart;
a queen’s bed better
than one cold and bare!’
Gudrún 26 ‘Why drivest me on
with daunting eyes
dire of purpose,
doom forestalling?
To Sigurd thou gavest me,
to sorrow it turned;
now leave me to rest,
leave thy daughter!’
Grímhild 27 ‘No rest for the living,
no room for tears,
who with pride and purpose
oppose their fate!
No rest I grant thee!
My redes hearken,
or rue for ever
thou wert wrought on earth!’
28 Dark hung her eyes
daunting Gudrún,
deep and dreadful,
dire with purpose.
For no word she waited,
wisdom knew she;
forth went Grímhild
from Gudrún’s side.
*
29 Of Gudrún’s beauty
glad was Atli;
of gold he dreamed him
guarded darkly;
of the serpent’s hoard
that Sigurd left her,
of the wife of Sigurd
of women fairest.
30 Bridal drank he
blissful-hearted
to Gudrún pale
in gleaming robes.
Oaths he swore them,
to each her brothers,
and lasting truce,
league of kinship.
31 Dark and splendid,
dreadly builded,
and echoing vast
were Atli’s halls.
Kings sat neath him,
countless chieftains,
and Hunnish horsemen
harnessed grimly.
32 High sat Gudrún
Hunland’s mistress,
cold lay Gudrún
queen of Hunland.
Her lord loved her,
lovely was she;
laughter she knew not,
yet her limbs were white.
33 But longer him lasted
his lust of gold,
the gold he dreamed him
guarded darkly.
The serpent’s treasure
they sent it never,
the Niflungs kept it
in Niflung-land.
34 Long he pondered,
till lust swayed him;
woes were wakened
and wars of old.
Long nights lying
he looked on her;
dark nights drowsing
he dreamed of gold.
35 Oaths he had uttered,
evil he pondered;
but his heart’s purpose
was hidden under.
Yet words he muttered
in wandering sleep;
Gudrún guessed them,
gloom foreboding.
36 A feast he fashioned,
far proclaimed it;
to high-builded halls
his hosts were bidden;
all kith and kindred
called to greet him,
to dealing of rings,
drink and laughter.
*
37 On valiant horse
Vingi swiftly,
herald of Hunland,
hasted westward.
To Gunnar came he,
Gjúking mighty,
to halls of Rhineland
high and golden.
38 There drank they deep;
dark they eyed him,
Hun-speech hearing
in their hall ringing.
Cold fell his cry
calling loudly
under helm standing
hailing Gunnar.
Vingi 39 ‘Atli hath sent me
on errand speedy,
on horse hasting
through hoar forest.
Gunnar he greeteth,
Gunnar and H?gni.
Be blithe he bids you,
to his boon hearken!
40 A feast he fashions,
fair he dights it,
all kith and kindred
calls to meet him.
Rings will he deal,
raiment costly,
saddles silverlaid,
and southern purple.
41 Shields shall ye choose there
and shirts of mail,
spears smooth-shafted
and splendid helms.
Gifts will he give you,
graven silver,
gold-hilted swords,
and goodly lands.’
42 His head bowed Gunnar
to H?gni speaking:
Gunnar ‘What saith H?gni?
Doth he hear the summons?
Is not gold that glimmered
on Gnitaheiei
enough for Niflungs?
Need we bounty?
43 Is there sword in the East
that my sword matcheth?
Are there helms in Hunland
so high as ours?
Are we lieges of Atli,
lands receiving
from Hun master?
H?gni answer!’
H?gni 44 ‘Of Gudrún I think –
grim thoughts awake!
A ring she hath sent me,
a ring only.
Wolf’s hair winds it,
woven round it,
wolves lie in wait
at the way’s ending.’
Gunnar 45 ‘Yet runes she sends me,
runes of healing,
words well-graven
on wood to read;
fast bids us fare
to feast gladly,
old woes forgetting
and ancient wrong.’
*
46 Gifts gave Gunnar,
guerdon kingly;
wine bade men bring
to weary guest.
Deep there drank they
to day’s ending,
doom they recked not;
din resounded.
47 In came Grímhild
grey with wisdom,
the runes she read,
the written tokens.
Her brows darkened
boding evil;
to Gunnar spake she
grave and slowly.
Grímhild 48 ‘These runes I doubt:
they are writ with cunning,
strangely twisted,
stained and darkened.
There were others under,
now overlaid –
if I read them right
they were runes of ill.’
49 Gunnar had drunken,
to his guest turned he:
Gunnar ‘Ye Huns have no wine
such as here runneth!
It irks us to ride
to your ale-quaffing;
guile fills your horns –
Gunnar comes not!’
50 Laughing said Vingi:
Vingi ‘My lord shall I tell
that in courts of Gjúki
no kings are left?
There rules a queen,
a rune-conner;
his weighty words
a woman judgeth?
51 I must haste away,
so will hide it not,
that Atli is old,
but Erp is young.
Thy sister’s son
is but seven winters –
strong hands he needs
to steer his realm.
52 In Gunnar hoped he
for guide and help,
of his sister’s son
the safe keeper.
He weened ye might wield
his wide kingdom –
ye are fallen afraid,
and fear shadows.’
53 H?gni him answered
hard and scornful:
H?gni ‘Daring speeches,
and drink-begotten!
Nor hoar nor weary
is here the king,
though queens in Rhineland
be counted wise.
54 Yet Atli I heard not
too old for guile,
war to ponder,
or wealth to covet.
And fey saith my thought:
“Far lies the day
ere Erp or Eitill
after Atli rule!”’
55 But loud cried Gunnar
laughing scornful,
deep had he drunken
darkly musing:
Gunnar ‘Let wolves then wield
wealth of Niflungs!
Bears shall harbour
in barren courtyards.
56 Winds shall wander
where wine we drank,
but Gunnar will go
Gudrún seeking.
We fast shall follow
thy feet, Vingi!
Our horns shall be heard
Hunland rousing.’
57 (From heavy heart then
H?gni answered:)
H?gni ‘I go with Gunnar,
though glad I am not.
Oft Grímhild’s redes
we have grimly heard.
We took them ever,
though they turned awry;
truth now she teacheth,
and we trust her not.’
58 Then vowed Vingi
the venom-tonguéd –
oaths he recked not,
the