The complete text
Oddrúnargrátr
Oddrún’s Lament
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
Old Norse · Sophus Bugge, 1867 · manuscript spelling · Source ↗
Heiþrecr het konvngr, dottir hans het . Vilmvndr het sa, er var friþill hennar. Hon matti eigi fǫða born, aþr til com Oddrvn systir; hon hafþi verit vnnvsta Gvnnars Givcasonar. Vm þessa sꜹgo er her qveþit:
Stanza 1Heyrþa ec segia i sꜹgom fornom, hve męr vm kom til Mornalanz; engi matti fyr iorþ ofan Heiþrecs dottvr hialpir vinna.
Stanza 2Þat fra Oddrvn systir, at sv męr hafþi miclar sóttir; brá hon af stalli stiornbitloþom oc a svartan sꜹþvl of lagdi.
Stanza 3Let hon mar fara moldueg slettan, vnz at hári com hꜹll standandi; svipti hon sꜹþli af svongom ió, oc hon inn vm gecc endlangan sal, oc hon þat orda
allz fyrst vm qvaþ:
Stanza 4„Hvat er fręgst a foldo, eþa hvat er hléz Hvnalanz?“
Ambott qvaþ:
„Her liggr of borin verkiom, vina þin, Oddrvn!
vittv, ef þv hialpir.“
Stanza 5Oddrvn qvaþ: „Hverr hefir vísir vamms vm leitað, hvi ero Borgnyiar braþar sóttir?“
Stanza 6Ambott qvaþ: „Vilmvndr heitir vinr hꜹcstalda, hann varþi mey varmri blęio fimm vetr alla, sva hon sinn fꜹdvr leyndi.“
Stanza 7Þęr hycc męlto þvigit fleira, gecc mild fyr kne meyio at sitia; rict gól Oddrvn, rammt gól Oddrvn bitra galdra at Borgnyio.
Stanza 8Knatti męr oc mꜹgr moldveg sporna, born þꜹ in bliþo viþ bana Hꜹgna; þat nam at męla męr fiorsivka,
sva at hon ecci qvaþ
orþ iþ fyrra:
Stanza 9„Sva hialpi þer hollar vettir, oc Freyia oc fleiri goð, sem þv feldir mer fár af hondom!“
Stanza 10Oddrvn qvaþ: „Hnecaþ ec af þvi til hialpar þer, at þv verir þess [verþ] aldregi; het ec oc efndac, er ec hinig męlta, at ec hvivetna hialpa scyldac, þa er ꜹþlingar arfi scipto.“
Stanza 11 qvaþ: Ǫr ertv, Oddrv́n! oc ø̨rvita, er þv mer af fári flest orþ of qvaþ; enn ec fylgdac þer a fiorgynio, sem viþ brǫþrom tveim of bornar vęrim.“
Stanza 12Oddrvn qvaþ: „Man ec, hvat þv męltir enn vm aptan, þa er ec Gvnnari gerþag drecco; slics dǫmi qvaðattv siþan mundo meyio verþa nema mer einni.“
Stanza 13Þa nam at setiaz sorgmóð kona, at telia bꜹl af trega stórvm:
Stanza 14„ ec vp alin i iofra sal — flestr fagnaþi — at fira ráþi; vnþa ec aldri oc eign fꜹþvr fimm vetr eína, sva at minn faþir lifði.
Stanza 15Þat nam at męla mal iþ efsta sia moþr konvngr, adr hann sylti: mic baþ hann gęða gulli rꜹþo oc svþr gefa syni Grimildar.
Stanza 16Enn hann bað hialm geta, hana qvað hann oscmey verþa scyldo; qvaþa hann ina ǫþræ alna myndo mey i heimi, nema miotvðr spillti.
Stanza 17 i bv́ri borða racþi, hafþi hon lyði oc lond vm sic; iorþ dvsaþi oc vphiminn, þa er bani Fafniss borg vm þatti.
Stanza 18Þa var vig uegit volsco sverþi oc borg brotin, sv er atti; vara langt af þvi, heldr válitið, nnz þęr vęlar vissi allar.
Stanza 19Þess let hon harðar hefndir verþa, sva at ver ꜹll hofom ęrnar rꜹ́nir; þat mvn a hꜹlða hvert land fara, er hon let sveltaz at Sigvrþi.
Stanza 20Enn ec Gvnnari gatc at vnna bꜹga deili, sem scyldi.
Stanza 21Bvðo þeir árla bꜹga rꜹþa oc brǫþr minom bętr osmár; bꜹþ hann enn við mer bv fimtán, hliþfarm , ef hann hafa vildi.
Stanza 22Enn qvaz eigi vilia mvnd aldregi at megi Givca; þeygi viþ máttom viþ mvnom vinna, nema ec helt hꜹfði viþ hringbrota.
Stanza 23Męlto margir minir niðiar, qvoþvz ocr hafa orþit bø̨þi;
enn mic qvaþ
eigi myndo lyþi raþa ne lꜹst gora.
Stanza 24Enn slics scyli synia aldri maþr fyr annan, þar er mvnvþ deilir.
Stanza 25Sendi áro sina vm myrcvan viþ mín at freista; oc þeir qvomo þar, ęr þeir coma ne scyldoþ, þa er breiddo viþ blęio eina.
Stanza 26Bvðo viþ þegnom bꜹga rꜹþa, at þeir eigi til segði; enn þeir hvatliga heim scvndoðo oc óliga sꜹgðo.
Stanza 27Enn þeir Gvðrvno gorla leyndo þvi, at hon heldr vita halfo scyldi.
Stanza 28Hlymr var at heyra hofgvllinna, þa er i garð riþo Giv́ca arfar; þeir or Hꜹgna hiarto scaro, enn i ormgarð annan lꜹgþo.
Stanza 29 ec enn farin eino sinni til Geirmvndar gorva dryckio; nam horscr konvngr hꜹrpo sveigia, þviat hann hvgdi mic til hialpar ser kynricr konvngr of koma mvndo.
Stanza 30Nam ec at heyra or Hlésseyio, hve þar af striþom strengir gvllo; baþ ec ambáttir bvnar verþa, vilda ec fylcis fiorvi biarga.
Stanza 31Létom fliota far svnd yfir, vnz ec alla sac garþa.
Stanza 32Þa com in arma ut scęvandi moþir , hon scyli morna! oc Gvnnari gróf til hiarta, sva at ec mattigac mǫrom biarga.
Stanza 33Opt vndromc þat, hvi ec eptir mác, linnvengiss bil! lifi halda; er ec ognhvotom vnna þottvmz sverþa deili, sem sialfri mer.
Stanza 34Sattv oc hlyddir, meþan ec sagþac þer morg ill vm scꜹp min oc þeirra; maþr hverr lifir at mvnom sinom.“ Nv ęr vm genginn gratr Oddrvnar.
English translation
Henry Adams Bellows · First published 1923 · Source & commentary ↗
was the name of a king, whose daughter was called . was the name of the man who was her lover. She could not give birth to a child until , 's sister, had come to her; had been beloved of , son of . About this story is the following poem.
Stanza 1I have heard it told | in olden tales How a maiden came | to Morningland; No one of all | on earth above To 's daughter | help could give.
Stanza 2This learned, | the sister of , That sore the maiden's | sickness was; The bit-bearer forth | from his stall she brought, And the saddle laid | on the steed so black.
Stanza 3She let the horse go | o'er the level ground, Till she reached the hall | that loftily rose, (And in she went | from the end of the hall;) From the weary steed | the saddle she took;
Hear now the speech | that first she spake:
Stanza 4"What news on earth, | . . . . . Or what has happened | in Hunland now?"
A serving-maid spake:
"Here lies | in bitter pain, Thy friend, and, , | thy help would find."
spake:
Stanza 5'Who worked this woe | for the woman thus, Or why so sudden | is sick?"
The serving-maid spake:
" is he, | the heroes' friend, Who wrapped the woman | in bedclothes warm, (For winters five, | yet her father knew not)."
Stanza 6Then no more | they spake, methinks; She went at the knees | of the woman to sit; With magic | and mightily Chanted for | potent charms.
Stanza 7At last were born | a boy and girl, Son and daughter | of 's slayer; Then speech the woman | so weak began,
said she aught | ere this she spake:
Stanza 8"So may the holy | ones thee help, and | and favoring gods, As thou hast saved me | from sorrow now."
spake:
Stanza 9"I came not hither | to help thee thus Because thou ever | my aid didst earn; I fulfilled the oath | that of old I swore, That aid to all | I should ever bring, (When they shared the wealth | the warriors had)."
spake:
Stanza 10"Wild art thou, , | and witless now, That so in hatred | to me thou speakest; I followed thee | where thou didst fare, As we had been born | of brothers twain."
spake:
Stanza 11"I remember the evil | one eve thou spakest, When a draught I gave | to then; Thou didst say that never | such a deed By maid was done | save by me alone."
Stanza 12Then the sorrowing woman | sat her down To tell the grief | of her troubles great.
Stanza 13"Happy I grew | in the hero's hall As the warriors wished, | and they loved me well; Glad I was | of my father's gifts, For winters five, | while my father lived.
Stanza 14"These were the words | the weary king, Ere he died, | spake last of all: He bade me with red gold | dowered to be, And to 's son | in the South be wedded.
Stanza 15"But the helm | he bade to wear, A wish-maid bright | he said she should be; For a nobler maid | would never be born On earth, he said, | if death should spare her.
Stanza 16"At her weaving | sat in her bower, Lands and folk | alike she had; The earth and heaven | high resounded When 's slayer | the city saw.
Stanza 17"Then battle was fought | with the foreign swords, And the city was broken | that had; Not long thereafter, | but all too soon, Their evil wiles | full well she knew.
Stanza 18"Woeful for this | her vengeance was, As so we learned | to our sorrow all; In every land | shall all men hear How herself at 's | side she slew.
Stanza 19"Love to | then I gave, To the breaker of rings, | as might; To rings | so red they offered, And mighty gifts | to my brother would give.
Stanza 20"Fifteen dwellings | fain would he give For me, and the burden | that bore; But said | he would never receive Marriage gold | from 's son.
Stanza 21"Yet could we not | our love o'ercome, And my head I laid | on the hero's shoulder; Many there were | of kinsmen mine Who said that together | us they had seen.
Stanza 22" said | that never I Would evil plan, | or ill deed do; But none may this | of another think, Or surely speak, | when love is shared.
Stanza 23"Soon his men | did send, In the murky wood | on me to spy; Thither they came | where they should not come, Where beneath one cover | close we lay.
Stanza 24"To the warriors ruddy | rings we offered, That nought to | e'er they should say; But swiftly home | they hastened thence, And eager all | to told.
Stanza 25"But close from | kept they hid What first of all | she ought to have known. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stanza 26"Great was the clatter | of gilded hoofs When 's sons | through the gateway rode; The heart they hewed | from then, And the other they cast | in the serpents' cave.
Stanza 27"The hero wise | on his harp then smote, . . . . . . . . . . For help from me | in his heart yet hoped The high-born king, | might come to him.
Stanza 28"Alone was I gone | to then, The draught to mix | and ready to make; Sudden I heard | from clear How in sorrow the strings | of the harp resounded.
Stanza 29"I bade the serving-maids | ready to be, For I longed the hero's | life to save; Across the sound | the boats we sailed, Till we saw the whole | of 's home.
Stanza 30"Then crawling the evil | woman came, 's mother-- | may she ever rot! And hard she bit | to 's heart, So I could not help | the hero brave.
Stanza 31"Oft have I wondered | how after this, Serpents'-bed goddess! | I still might live, For well I loved | the warrior brave, The giver of swords, | as my very self.
Stanza 32"Thou didst see and listen, | the while I said The mighty grief | that was mine and theirs; Each man lives | as his longing wills,-- 's lament | is ended now."