The complete text
Guðrúnarkviða III
Guðrún Proves Her Innocence
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 ↗
hét ambótt . Hon hafði verit frilla hans. Hon sagði , at hon hefði sét Þjóðrek ok bæði saman. var þá allókátr. Þá kvað :
Stanza 1"Hvat er þér, , æ, Buðla sonr? Er þér hryggt í hug? Hví hlær þú æva? Hitt mundi æðra jörlum þykkja, at við menn mæltir ok mik sæir."
kvað:
Stanza 2"Tregr mik þat, dóttir, mér í höllu sagði, at þit und þaki svæfið ok léttliga líni verðið."
kvað:
Stanza 3"Þér mun ek alls þess eiða vinna at inum hvíta helga steini, at ek við Þjóðrek þatki áttak, er vörðr né verr vinna knátti.
Stanza 4Nema ek halsaða herja stilli, jöfur óneisinn, einu sinni; aðrar váru okkrar spekjur, er vit hörmug tvau hnigum at rúnum.
Stanza 5Hér kom með þría tegu, lifa þeir né einir þriggja tega manna; hnöggt þú mik at bræðrum ok at brynjuðum, hnöggt þú mik at öllum höfuðniðjum.
Stanza 6Sentu at Saxa, Sunnmanna gram, hann kann helga hver vellanda."
Stanza 7Sjau hundruð manna í sal gengu, áðr kvæn konungs í ketil tæki.
kvað:
Stanza 8"Kemr-a nú , kallig-a ek , sékk-a ek síðan svása bræðr; sverði mundi slíks harms reka, nú verð ek sjalf fyrir mik synja lýta."
Stanza 9Brá hon til botns björtum lófa ok hon upp of tók jarknasteina: "Sé nú, seggir, sykn em ek orðin heilagliga, hvé sá hverr velli."
Stanza 10Hló þá hugr í brjósti, er hann heilar sá hendr : "Nú skal til hvers ganga, sú er grandi vændi."
Stanza 11Sá-at maðr armligt, hverr er þat sá-at, hvé þar á hendr sviðnuðu; leiddu þá mey í mýri fúla. Svá þá sinna harma.
English translation
Henry Adams Bellows · First published 1923 · Source & commentary ↗
was the name of a serving-woman of 's; she had been his concubine. She told that she had seen and both together. was greatly angered thereby. Then said:
Stanza 1"What thy sorrow, , | 's son? Is thy heart heavy-laden? | Why laughest thou never? It would better befit | the warrior far To speak with men, | and me to look on."
spake:
Stanza 2"It troubles me, , | 's daughter, What here | in the hall hath told me, That thou in the bed | with liest, Beneath the linen | in lovers' guise."
spake:
Stanza 3"This shall I | with oaths now swear, Swear by the sacred | stone so white, That nought was there | with 's son That man or woman | may not know.
Stanza 4" ever once | did my arms embrace The hero brave, | the leader of hosts; In another manner | our meeting was, When our sorrows we | in secret told.
Stanza 5"With thirty warriors | came, of all his men | doth one remain; Thou hast murdered my brothers | and mail-clad men, Thou hast murdered all | the men of my race.
Stanza 6" comes not, | I greet not, No longer I see | my brothers loved; My sorrow would | avenge with the sword, Now myself for my woes | I shall payment win.
Stanza 7"Summon , | the southrons' king, For be the boiling | kettle can hallow." Seven hundred | there were in the hall, Ere the queen her hand | in the kettle thrust.
Stanza 8To the bottom she reached | with hand so bright, And forth she brought | the flashing stones: "Behold, ye warriors, | well am I cleared Of sin by the kettle's | sacred boiling."
Stanza 9Then 's heart | in happiness laughed, When 's hand | unhurt he saw; "Now shall come | the kettle to try, She who grief | for planned."
Stanza 10Ne'er saw man sight | more sad than this, How burned were the hands | of then; In a bog so foul | the maid they flung, And so was 's | grief requited.