Hymiskviða

Old Norse

Normalized Old Norse · Guðni Jónsson edition · Source ↗

Stanza 1Ár valtívar veiðar námu ok sumblsamir, áðr saðir yrði, hristu teina ok á hlaut sáu; fundu þeir at Ægis örkost hvera.

Stanza 2Sat bergbúi barnteitr fyr mjök glíkr megi miskorblinda; leit í augu Yggs barn í þrá: "Þú skalt ásum oft sumbl gera."

Stanza 3Önn fekk jötni orðbæginn halr, hugði at hefndum hann næst við goð, bað hann Sifjar ver sér færa hver, - "þanns ek öllum öl yðr of heita."

Stanza 4Né þat máttu mærir tívar ok ginnregin of geta hvergi, unz af tryggðum Týr Hlórriða ástráð mikit

einum sagði:

Stanza 5"Býr fyr austan Élivága hundvíss Hymir at himins enda; á minn faðir móðugr ketil, rúmbrugðinn hver, rastar djúpan."

Þórr kvað:

Stanza 6"Veiztu ef þiggjum þann lögvelli?"

Týr kvað:

"Ef, vinr, vélar vit gervum til."

Stanza 7Fóru drjúgum dag þann fram Ásgarði frá, unz til Egils kvámu; hirði hann hafra horngöfgasta; hurfu at höllu, er Hymir átti.

Stanza 8Mögr fann ömmu mjök leiða sér, hafði höfða hundruð níu, en önnur gekk algullin fram brúnhvít bera bjórveig syni:

Stanza 9"Áttniðr jötna, ek viljak ykkr hugfulla tvá und hvera setja; er minn fríi mörgu sinni glöggr við gesti, görr ills hugar."

Stanza 10En váskapaðr varð síðbúinn harðráðr Hymir heim af veiðum, gekk inn í sal, glumðu jöklar, var karls, en kom, kinnskógr frörinn.

Frilla kvað:

Stanza 11"Ver þú heill, Hymir, í hugum góðum, nú er sonr kominn til sala þinna, sá er vit vættum af vegi löngum; fylgir hánum hróðrs andskoti, vinr verliða; Véurr heitir sá.

Stanza 12Sé þú, hvar sitja und salar gafli, svá forða sér, stendr súl fyrir." Sundr stökk súla fyr sjón jötuns, en áðr í tvau áss brotnaði.

Stanza 13Stukku átta, en einn af þeim hverr harðsleginn heill af þolli; fram gengu þeir, en forn jötunn sjónum leiddi sinn andskota.

Stanza 14Sagði-t hánum hugr vel þá, er hann sá gýgjar græti á golf kominn, þar váru þjórar þrír of teknir, bað senn jötunn sjóða ganga.

Stanza 15Hvern létu þeir höfði skemmra ok á seyði síðan báru; át Sifjar verr, áðr sofa gengi, einn með öllu öxn tvá Hymis.

Stanza 16Þótti hárum Hrungnis spjalla verðr Hlórriða vel fullmikill: "Munum at aftni öðrum verða við veiðimat vér þrír lifa."

Stanza 17Véurr kvaðzk vilja á vág róa, ef ballr jötunn beitr gæfi.

Hymir kvað:

"Hverf þú til hjarðar, ef þú hug trúir, brjótr berg - Dana, beitur sækja.

Stanza 18Þess vænti ek, at þér myni-t ögn af oxa auðfeng vera." Sveinn sýsliga sveif til skógar, þar er uxi stóð alsvartr fyrir.

Stanza 19Braut af þjóri þurs ráðbani hátún ofan horna tveggja.

Hymir kvað:

"Verk þykkja þín verri miklu kjóla valdi en þú kyrr sitir."

Stanza 20Bað hlunngota hafra dróttinn áttrunn apa útar færa, en sá jötunn sína talði lítla fýsi at róa lengra.

Stanza 21Dró meir Hymir móðugr hvali einn á öngli upp senn tváa, en aftr í skut Óðni sifjaðr Véurr við vélar vað gerði sér.

Stanza 22Egndi á öngul, sá er öldum bergr, orms einbani uxa höfði; gein við agni, sú er goð fía, umgjörð neðan allra landa.

Stanza 23Dró djarfliga dáðrakkr Þórr orm eitrfáan upp at borði; hamri kníði háfjall skarar ofljótt ofan ulfs hnitbróður.

Stanza 24Hraungalkn hlumðu, en hölkn þutu, fór in forna fold öll saman; sökkðisk síðan sá fiskr í mar.

Stanza 25Óteitr jötunn, er aftr reru, svá at ár Hymir ekki mælti, veifði hann ræði veðrs annars til.

Hymir kvað:

Stanza 26"Mundu of vinna verk halft við mik, at þú heim hvali haf til bæjar eða flotbrúsa festir okkarn."

Stanza 27Gekk Hlórriði, greip á stafni vatt með austri upp lögfáki, einn með árum ok með austskotu bar hann til bæjar brimsvín jötuns ok holtriða hver í gegnum.

Stanza 28Ok enn jötunn um afrendi, þrágirni vanr, við Þór sennti, kvað-at mann ramman, þótt róa kynni kröfturligan, nema kálk bryti.

Stanza 29En Hlórriði, er at höndum kom, brátt lét bresta brattstein gleri; sló hann sitjandi súlur í gögnum; báru þó heilan fyr Hymi síðan.

Stanza 30Unz þat in fríða frilla kenndi ástráð mikit, eitt er vissi: "Drep við haus Hymis, hann er harðari, kostmóðs jötuns kálki hverjum."

Stanza 31Harðr reis á kné hafra dróttinn, færðisk allra í ásmegin; heill var karli hjalmstofn ofan, en vínferill valr rifnaði.

Stanza 32"Mörg veit ek mæti mér gengin frá, er ek kálki sé ór knéum hrundit;"

karl orð of kvað:

"knákat ek segja aftr ævagi, þú ert, ölðr, of heitt.

Stanza 33Þat er til kostar, ef koma mættið út ór óru ölkjól hofi." Týr leitaði tysvar hræra; stóð at hváru hverr kyrr fyrir.

Stanza 34Faðir Móða fekk á þremi ok í gegnum steig golf niðr í sal; hóf sér á höfuð upp hver Sifjar verr, en á hælum hringar skullu.

Stanza 35Fóru-t lengi, áðr líta nam aftr Óðins sonr einu sinni; sá hann ór hreysum með Hymi austan folkdrótt fara fjölhöfðaða.

Stanza 36Hóf hann sér af herðum hver standanda, veifði hann Mjöllni morðgjörnum fram, ok hraunhvala hann alla drap.

Stanza 37Fóru-t lengi, áðr liggja nam hafr Hlórriða halfdauðr fyrir; var skær skökuls skakkr á beini, en því inn lævísi Loki of olli.

Stanza 38En ér heyrt hafið, - hverr kann of þat goðmálugra görr at skilja? - hver af hraunbúa hann laun of fekk, er hann bæði galt börn sín fyrir.

Stanza 39Þróttöflugr kom á þing goða ok hafði hver, þanns Hymir átti; en véar hverjan vel skulu drekka ölðr at Ægis eitt hörmeitið.

English translation

Henry Adams Bellows · First published 1923 · Source & commentary ↗

Stanza 1Of old the gods | made feast together, And drink they sought | ere sated they were; Twigs they shook, | and blood they tried: Rich fare in Ægir's | hall they found.

Stanza 2The mountain-dweller | sat merry as boyhood, But soon like a blinded | man he seemed; The son of Ygg | gazed in his eyes: "For the gods a feast | shalt thou forthwith get."

Stanza 3The word-wielder toil | for the giant worked, And so revenge | on the gods he sought; He bade Sif's mate | the kettle bring: "Therein for ye all | much ale shall I brew."

Stanza 4The far-famed ones | could find it not, And the holy gods | could get it nowhere; Till in truthful wise | did Tyr speak forth, And helpful counsel | to Hlorrithi gave.

Stanza 5"There dwells to the east | of Elivagar Hymir the wise | at the end of heaven; A kettle my father | fierce doth own, A mighty vessel | a mile in depth."

Thor spake

:

Stanza 6"May we win, dost thou think, | this whirler of water?"

Tyr spake:

"Aye, friend, we can, | if cunning we are."

Stanza 7Forward that day | with speed they fared, From Asgarth came they | to Egil's home; The goats with horns | bedecked he guarded; Then they sped to the hall | where Hymir dwelt.

Stanza 8The youth found his grandam, | that greatly he loathed, And full nine hundred | heads she had; But the other fair | with gold came forth, And the bright-browed one | brought beer to her son.

Stanza 9"Kinsman of giants, | beneath the kettle Will I set ye both, | ye heroes bold; For many a time | my dear-loved mate To guests is wrathful | and grim of mind."

Stanza 10Late to his home | the misshapen Hymir, The giant harsh, | from his hunting came; The icicles rattled | as in he came, For the fellow's chin-forest | frozen was.

Stanza 11"Hail to thee, Hymir! | good thoughts mayst thou have; Here has thy son | to thine hall now come; (For him have we waited, | his way was long;) And with him fares | the foeman of Hroth, The friend of mankind, | and Veur they call him.

Stanza 12"See where under | the gable they sit! Behind the beam | do they hide themselves." The beam at the glance | of the giant broke, And the mighty pillar | in pieces fell.

Stanza 13Eight fell from the ledge, | and one alone, The hard-hammered kettle, | of all was whole; Forth came they then, | and his foes he sought, The giant old, | and held with his eyes.

Stanza 14Much sorrow his heart | foretold when he saw The giantess' foeman | come forth on the floor; Then of the steers | did they bring in three; Their flesh to boil | did the giant bid.

Stanza 15By a head was each | the shorter hewed, And the beasts to the fire | straight they bore; The husband of Sif, | ere to sleep he went, Alone two oxen | of Hymir's ate.

Stanza 16To the comrade hoary | of Hrungnir then Did Hlorrithi's meal | full mighty seem; "Next time at eve | we three must eat The food we have | s the hunting's spoil."

Stanza 17. . . . . . . . . . Fain to row on the sea | was Veur, he said, If the giant bold | would give him bait.

Hymir spake:

Stanza 18"Go to the herd, | if thou hast it in mind, Thou slayer of giants, | thy bait to seek; For there thou soon | mayst find, methinks, Bait from the oxen | easy to get."

Stanza 19Swift to the wood | the hero went, Till before him an ox | all black he found; From the beast the slayer | of giants broke The fortress high | of his double horns.

Hymir spake:

Stanza 20"Thy works, methinks, | are worse by far, Thou steerer of ships, | than when still thou sittest." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stanza 21The lord of the goats | bade the ape-begotten Farther to steer | the steed of the rollers; But the giant said | that his will, forsooth, Longer to row | was little enough.

Stanza 22Two whales on his hook | did the mighty Hymir Soon pull up | on a single cast; In the stern the kinsman | of Othin sat, And Veur with cunning | his cast prepared.

Stanza 23The warder of men, | the worm's destroyer, Fixed on his hook | the head of the ox; There gaped at the bait | the foe of the gods, The girdler of all | the earth beneath.

Stanza 24The venomous serpent | swiftly up To the boat did Thor, | the bold one, pull; With his hammer the loathly | hill of the hair Of the brother of Fenrir | he smote from above.

Stanza 25The monsters roared, | and the rocks resounded, And all the earth | so old was shaken; . . . . . . . . . . Then sank the fish | in the sea forthwith.

Stanza 26. . . . . . . . . . Joyless as back | they rowed was the giant; Speechless did Hymir | sit at the oars, With the rudder he sought | a second wind.

Hymir spake:

Stanza 27"The half of our toil | wilt thou have with me, And now make fast | our goat of the flood; Or home wilt thou bear | the whales to the house, Across the gorge | of the wooded glen?"

Stanza 28Hlorrithi stood | and the stem he gripped, And the sea-horse with water | awash he lifted; Oars and bailer | and all he bore With the surf-swine home | to the giant's house.

Stanza 29His might the giant | again would match, For stubborn he was, | with the strength of Thor; None truly strong, | though stoutly he rowed, Would he call save one | who could break the cup.

Stanza 30Hlorrithi then, | when the cup he held, Struck with the glass | the pillars of stone; As he sat the posts | in pieces he shattered, Yet the glass to Hymir whole they brought.

Stanza 31But the loved one fair | of the giant found A counsel true, | and told her thought: "Smite the skull of Hymir, | heavy with food, For harder it is | than ever was glass."

Stanza 32The goats' mighty ruler | then rose on his knee, And with all the strength | of a god he struck; Whole was the fellow's | helmet-stem, But shattered the wine-cup | rounded was.

Hymir spake:

Stanza 33"Fair is the treasure | that from me is gone, Since now the cup | on my knees lies shattered;" So spake the giant: | "No more can I say In days to be, | 'Thou art brewed, mine ale.'

Stanza 34"Enough shall it be | if out ye can bring Forth from our house | the kettle here." Tyr then twice | to move it tried, But before him the kettle | twice stood fast.

Stanza 35The father of Mothi | the rim seized firm, And before it stood | on the floor below; Up on his head | Sif's husband raised it, And about his heels | the handles clattered.

Stanza 36Not long had they fared, | ere backwards looked The son of Othin, | once more to see; From their caves in the east | beheld he coming With Hymir the throng | of the many-headed.

Stanza 37He stood and cast | from his back the kettle, And Mjollnir, the lover | of murder, he wielded; . . . . . . . . . . So all the whales | of the waste he slew.

Stanza 38Not long had they fared | ere one there lay Of Hlorrithi's goats | half-dead on the ground; In his leg the pole-horse | there was lame; The deed the evil | Loki had done.

Stanza 39But ye all have heard,-- | for of them who have The tales of the gods, | who better can tell? What prize he won | from the wilderness-dweller, Who both his children | gave him to boot.

Stanza 40The mighty one came | to the council of gods, And the kettle he had | that Hymir's was; So gladly their ale | the gods could drink In Ægir's hall | at the autumn-time.