The complete text
Guðrúnarhvöt
Guðrún Urges Her Sons to Vengeance
About these two editions
These are complete reading editions of the poem and its accompanying prose, rather than a facsimile of Codex Regius. Bellows sometimes orders, divides, or supplements stanzas differently, so the two editions do not always share stanza numbers. Editorial introductions and footnotes are omitted; follow the source links for that commentary.
Original wording is retained. Obvious transcription errors in stanza numbering have been corrected. Spelling and names differ from the modern retelling.
Tap an underlined name for an explanation. Switch editions above at any time.
Old Norse
Normalized Old Norse · Guðni Jónsson edition · Source ↗
gekk þá til sævar, er hon hafði drepit . Gekk hon út á sæinn ok vildi fara sér. Hon mátti eigi sökkva. Rak hana yfir fjörðinn á land Jónakrs konungs. Hann fekk hennar. Þeira synir váru þeir ok ok . Þar fæddist upp Sigurðardóttir. Hon var gift Jörmunrekk inum ríkja. Með honom var . Hann réð þat, at konungs son skyldi taka hana. Þat sagði konungi. Konungr lét hengja Randvé, en troða undir hrossa fótum.
En er þat spurði , þá kvaddi hon sonu sína.
Stanza 1Þá frá ek sennu slíðrfengligsta, trauð mál, talið af trega stórum, er harðhuguð hvatti at vígi grimmum orðum sonu:
Stanza 2"Hví sitið ér, hví sofið lífi, hví tregr-at ykkr teiti at mæla, er yðra systur, unga at aldri, jóm of traddi, hvítum ok svörtum, á hervegi, grám, gangtömum Gotna hrossum?
Stanza 3Urðu-a it glíkir þeim né in heldr hugðir sem var ; hennar munduð it hefna leita, ef móð ættið minna bræðra eða harðan hug Húnkonunga."
Stanza 4Þá kvað þat inn hugumstóri: "Lítt myndir þú leyfa dáð , þá er vökðu svefni ór; bækr váru þínar enar bláhvítu roðnar í vers dreyra, folgnar í valblóði.
Stanza 5Urðu þér beggja bræðra hefndir slíðrar ok sárar, er þú sonu myrðir; knættim allir Jörmunrekki samhyggjendr systur hefna.
Stanza 6Berið hnossir fram Húnkonunga; hefir þú okkr hvatta at hjörþingi."
Stanza 7Hlæjandi hvarf til skemmu, kumbl konunga ór kerum valði, síðar brynjur, ok sonum færði, hlóðusk móðgir á mara bógu.
Stanza 8Þá kvað þat inn hugumstóri: "Svá kemsk meir aftr móður at vitja geir- hniginn á Goðþjóðu, at þú erfi at öll oss drykkir, at ok sonu þína."
Stanza 9 grátandi, dóttir, gekk hon tregliga á tái sitja ok at telja tárughlýra móðug spjöll á margan veg:
Stanza 10"Þrjá vissa ek elda, þrjá vissa ek arna, var ek þrimr verum vegin at húsi; einn var mér öllum betri, er bræðr mínir at bana urðu.
Stanza 11Svárra sára sák-at ek né kunna, meir þóttusk mér of stríða, er mik öðlingar gáfu.
Stanza 12Húna hvassa hét ek mér at rúnum; máttig-a-k bölva betr of vinna, áðr ek hnóf höfuð af Hniflungum.
Stanza 13Gekk ek til strandar, gröm vark nornum, vilda ek hrinda stríð grið þeira; hófu mik, né drekkðu, hávar bárur, því ek land of sték, at lifa skyldak.
Stanza 14Gekk ek á beð, hugðak mér fyr betra, þriðja sinni þjóðkonungi; ól ek mér jóð, erfivörðu, erfivörðu, Jónakrs sonum.
Stanza 15En um sátu þýjar, er ek minna barna bazt fullhugðak; svá var í sal mínum sem væri sæmleitr sólar geisli.
Stanza 16Gædda ek gulli ok guðvefjum, áðr ek gæfak Goðþjóðar til; þat er mér harðast harma minna of þann inn hvíta hadd , auri tröddu und jóa fótum.
Stanza 17En sá sárastr, er þeir minn, sigri ræntan, í sæing vágu, en sá grimmastr, er þeir fránir ormar til fjörs skriðu, en sá hvassastr, er til hjarta konung óblauðan kvikvan skáru.
Stanza 18Fjölð man ek bölva, Beittu, Siguðr, inn blakka mar, hest inn hraðfæra láttu hinig renna; sitr eigi hér snör né dóttir, sú er gæfi hnossir.
Stanza 19Minnsktu, , hvat vit mæltum, þá er vit á beð bæði sátum, at þú myndir mín, móðugr, vitja, halr, ór helju, en ek þín ór heimi.
Stanza 20Hlaðið ér, jarlar, eikiköstinn, látið þann und hilmi hæstan verða; megi brenna brjóst bölvafullt eldr, þrungit um hjarta þiðni sorgir."
Stanza 21Jörlum öllum óðal batni, snótum öllum sorg at minni, at þetta tregróf of talit væri.
English translation
Henry Adams Bellows · First published 1923 · Source & commentary ↗
went forth to the sea after she had slain . She went out into the sea and fain would drown herself, but she could not sink. The waves bore her across the fjord to the land of King ; he took her as wife; their sons were and and . There was brought up , 's daughter; she was married to the mighty . With him was , who counselled that , the king's son, should have her. This told to the king. The king had hanged, and trodden to death under horses' feet. And when learned this, she spake with her sons.
Stanza 1A word-strife I learned, | most woeful of all, A speech from the fullness | of sorrow spoken, When fierce of heart | her sons to the fight Did whet | with words full grim.
Stanza 2"Why sit ye idle, | why sleep out your lives, Why grieve ye not | in gladness to speak? Since | your sister young Beneath the hoofs | of horses hath trodden, (White and black | on the battle-way, Gray, road-wonted, | the steeds of the .)
Stanza 3"Not like are ye | to of yore, have ye hearts | such as 's was; Vengeance for her | ye soon would have If brave ye were | as my brothers of old, Or hard your hearts | as the kings'."
Stanza 4Then spake, | the high of heart: "Little the deed | of didst love, When they wakened | from his sleep; Thy bed-covers white | were red with blood Of thy husband, drenched | with gore from his heart.
Stanza 5"Bloody revenge | didst have for thy brothers, Evil and sore, | when thy sons didst slay; Else yet might we all | on Together our sister's | slaying avenge.
Stanza 6. . . . . . . . . . The gear of the | kings now give us! Thou hast whetted us so | to the battle of swords."
Stanza 7Laughing did | go to her chamber, The helms of the kings | from the cupboards she took, And mail-coats broad, | to her sons she bore them; On their horses' backs | the heroes leaped.
Stanza 8Then spake, | the high of heart: "Homeward no more | his mother to see Comes the spear-god, | fallen mid folk; One death-draught thou | for us all shalt drink, For then | and thy sons as well."
Stanza 9Weeping , | 's daughter, Went sadly before | the gate to sit, And with tear-stained cheeks | to tell the tale Of her mighty griefs, | so many in kind.
Stanza 10"Three home-fires knew I, | three hearths I knew, Home was I brought | by husbands three; But only | of all was dear, He whom my brothers | brought to his death.
Stanza 11"A greater sorrow | I saw not nor knew, Yet more it seemed | I must suffer yet When the princes great | to gave me.
Stanza 12"The brave boys I summoned | to secret speech; For my woes requital | I might not win Till off the heads | of the I hewed.
Stanza 13"To the sea I went, | my heart full sore For the , whose wrath | I would now escape; But the lofty billows | bore me undrowned, Till to land I came, | so I longer must live.
Stanza 14"Then to the bed-- | of old was it better!-- Of a king of the folk | a third time I came; Boys I bore | his heirs to be, Heirs so young, | the sons of .
Stanza 15"But round | handmaidens sat, She was dearest ever | of all my children; So did | seem in my hall As the ray of the sun | is fair to see.
Stanza 16"Gold I gave her | and garments bright, Ere I let her go | to the folk; Of my heavy woes | the hardest it was When 's tresses | fair were trodden In the mire by hoofs | of horses wild.
Stanza 17"The sorest it was | when mine On his couch, of victory | robbed, they killed; And grimmest of all | when to 's heart There crept the bright-hued | crawling snakes.
Stanza 18"And keenest of all | when they cut the heart From the living breast | of the king so brave; Many woes I remember, | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stanza 19"Bridle, , | thy steed so black, Hither let run | thy swift-faring horse; Here there sits not | son or daughter Who yet to | gifts shall give.
Stanza 20"Remember, , | what once we said, When together both | on the bed we sat, That mightily thou | to me wouldst come From hell and I | from earth to thee.
Stanza 21"Pile ye up, jarls, | the pyre of oak, Make it the highest | a hero e'er had; Let the fire burn | my grief-filled breast, My sore-pressed heart, | till my sorrows melt."
Stanza 22May nobles all | less sorrow know, And less the woes | of women become, Since the tale of this | lament is told.