There is tramp of men
torches bearing,
clink of corslet,
clank of armour.
There is crying of ravens,
cold howls the wolf,
shields are shimmering,
shafts uplifted.’
Gunnar & H?gni 99 ‘Wake now, wake now!
War is kindled.
Now helm to head,
to hand the sword.
Wake now, warriors,
wielding glory!
To wide Valh?ll
ways lie open.’
*
100 At the dark doorways
they dinned and hammered;
there was clang of swords
and crash of axes.
The smiths of battle
smote the anvils;
sparked and splintered
spears and helmets.
101 In they hacked them,
out they hurled them,
bears assailing,
boars defending.
Stones and stairways
streamed and darkened;
day came dimly –
the doors were held.
102 Five days they fought
few and dauntless;
the doors were riven,
dashed asunder.
They barred them with bodies,
bulwarks piling
of Huns and Niflungs
hewn and cloven.
103 (Atli spoke then
anguish mourning:)
Atli ‘My friends are fallen,
my foes living,
my kith and kindred
cloven-breasted.
I am wealth-bereaved
and wife-curséd,
of glory shorn
in the grey of years.
104 Woe and wailing
in my wide kingdom!
Where I feasted long
are fell serpents.
The proud pillars
are purple-stained
in the builded halls
that Budli reared.’
105 Then Beiti spake there
bale devising,
the king’s counsellor –
he was cunning-hearted:
Beiti ‘Accursed is become
thy carven house!
Better loss of little
than to lose thy all.
106 Fire still may tame
these fell serpents,
thy pillars be the pyre
of these proud robbers!’
For the ruin and wrack
wrath seized Atli;
that shame he shirked not,
shorn of glory.
107 Flame-encircled
fearless Niflungs
in riven harness
redly glinted.
Iron-bolted walls,
ancient timbers,
creaked and smouldered,
cracked and tumbled.
108 There hot and smoking
fell hissing embers,
and plashed and sputtered
in the pools of gore.
Reek was round them,
a rolling smoke;
dank dripped their sweat –
the doors were held.
109 Their shields they raised
over shattered helmets;
they stamped the brands
on streaming floors.
Blacktongued with thirst
blood there drank they;
fell one by one
on the ways to hell.
110 Out burst the brethren
blackhued, grisly,
boars bleeding-tusked
at bay at last.
The Huns grasped them
helmless, shieldless,
bare and bleeding,
with broken swords.
111 As hounds affrighted
Huns were crying;
they were rent and riven
by reeking hands.
Necks were broken
and knees sundered,
ere the Borgund king
was bound and thrown.
112 Last fought H?gni
alone hopeless;
his teeth tore them
as they tied him down.
The dust was bitten,
the doom fallen,
the Need of the Niflungs
and their night was come.
113 In dank prison
dark and evil
H?gni hurled they;
Huns him guarded.
But Gunnar bound
in Gudrún’s bower
was flung at the feet
of her frenzied lord.
Atli 114 ‘Too long have I looked
for this last meeting,
Budlung’s vengeance
on Borgund lord.
Here lies at last
in lowly dust
lordly Gunnar!
Gudrún behold!
115 Sigurd remember,
and say me now,
is it sweet to see him
so sore avenged?
In my serpent-pit
snakes are waiting –
they bite more bitter
than blades of steel!’
116 Gunnar he trampled,
Gudrún saw him:
Gudrún ‘Evil art thou, Atli.
May thy end be shame!
By Erp and Eitill
our own children
(sons of the sister
of these sad captives),
from the dust lift them!
Their death forego!’
Atli 117 ‘Let them give me the gold,
the gleaming hoard,
the serpent’s treasure
that Sigurd conquered!
The gold, the gold
that grieves my dreams –
if Gunnar will grant it,
I will grant him thee!’
Gunnar 118 ‘I will give thee the gold,
goodly portion,
the half yielding
which I hold my own.
Half hath H?gni,
my haughty brother;
to his latest breath
he will loose it not.
119 Let heart of H?gni
at my hand be laid
from breast bleeding
with blades severed;
then gold will I give,
gold of serpents –
all shall Atli
eager take it!’
Gudrún 120 ‘Yet H?gni no less,
mine hapless brother,
I did beg from thee
by those born of us!’
Atli ‘Of his troll’s temper
yet true were the words!
The gold will I gain,
though Gudrún weep!’
121 Out went Atli,
evil he purposed;
but wisemen bade him
wary counsel.
The queen fearing
of cunning thought they;
a thrall they seized
and thrust in prison.
*
Hjalli the thrall 122 ‘Woe worth the wiles
and wars of kings,
if my life I must lose
in their luckless feud!
The light of morning,
labour daylong,
fire at evening,
too few my days!’
Huns 123 ‘Hjalli, swineherd,
thy heart give us!’
Shrilly shrieked he
at the shining knife.
They bared his breast,
and bitter wailed he;
ere the point pricked him
he piercing cried.
124 H?gni heard him,
to the Huns spake he:
H?gni ‘Noisome the shrieking!
Knives were liever.
If hearts ye wish
here lies a better.
It trembles not. Take it!
Your toil were less.’
125 The heart then cut they
from Hjalli’s bosom;
to Gunnar bore it
on golden dish:
Huns ‘Here lies his heart!
H?gni is ended.’
Loudly laughed he,
lord of Niflungs.
Gunnar 126 ‘I hapless see here
heart of craven.
H?gni hath not
heart that trembles.
Quivering lies it;
quaked it swifter
beating in baseborn
breast ignoble.’
127 Loudly laughed he
at life’s ending,
when knife was come
to Niflung lord.
The heart they cut
from H?gni’s bosom;
to Gunnar bore it
on golden dish.
Gunnar 128 ‘I haughty see here
heart undaunted.
H?gni held it,
heart untrembling.
Unshaken lies it,
so shook it seldom
beating in boldest
breast of princes.
129 Alone now living,
Lord of Niflungs,
the gold I hold
and guard for ever!
In hall nor heath
nor hidden dungeon
shall friend or foeman
find it gleaming.
130 Rhine shall rule it,
rings and goblets,
in weltering water
wanly shining.
In the deeps we cast it;
dark it rolleth,
as useless to man
as of yore it proved!
131 Cursed be Atli,
king of evil,
of glory naked,
gold-bereavéd;
gold-bereavéd,
gold-tormented,
murder-tainted,
murder-haunted!’
132 Fires of madness
flamed and started
from eyes of Atli;
anguish gnawed him:
Atli ‘Serpents seize him!
snakes shall sting him.
In the noisome pit
naked cast him!’
*
133 There gleaming-eyed
Gudrún waited;
the heart within her
hardened darkly.
Grim mood took her,
Grímhild’s daughter,
ruthless hatred,
wrath consuming.
134 There grimly waited
Gunnar naked;
snakes were creeping
silent round him.
Teeth were poisoned,
tongues were darting;
in lidless eyes
light was shining.
135 A harp she sent him;
his hands seized it,
strong he smote it;
strings were ringing.
Wondering heard men
words of triumph,
song up-soaring
from the serpents’ pit.
136 There coldly creeping
coiling serpents
as stones were staring
stilled, enchanted.
There slowly swayed they,
slumber whelmed them,
as Gunnar sang
of Gunnar’s pride.
137 As voice in Valh?ll
valiant ringing
the golden Gods
he glorious named;
of ódin sang he,
ódin’s chosen,
of Earth&rs