Sigrdrífumál

Old Norse

Normalized Old Norse · Guðni Jónsson edition · Source ↗

Sigurðr reið upp á Hindarfjall ok stefndi suðr til Frakklands. Á fjallinu sá hann ljós mikit, svá sem eldr brynni, ok ljómaði af til himins. En er hann kom at, þá stóð þar skjaldborg ok upp ór merki. Sigurðr gekk í skjaldborgina ok sá , at þar lá maðr ok svaf með öllum hervápnum. Hann tók fyrst hjálminn af höfði hánum. Þá sá hann, at þat var kona. Brynjan var föst sem hon væri holdgróin. Þá reist hann með Gram frá höfuðsmátt brynjuna í gögnum niðr ok svá út í gögnum báðar ermar.

Þá tók hann brynju af henni, en hon vaknaði, ok settist hon upp ok sá Sigurð ok mælti:

Stanza 1"Hvat beit brynju? Hví brá ek svefni? Hverr felldi af mér fölvar nauðir?" Hann svaraði: "Sigmundar burr, - sleit fyr skömmu hrafn hrælundir, - hjörr Sigurðar!"

Hon kvað:

Stanza 2"Lengi ek svaf, lengi ek sofnuð var, löng eru lýða læ; Óðinn því veldr, er ek eigi máttak bregða blundstöfum." Sigurðr settist niðr ok spyrr hana nafns. Hon tók þá horn fullt mjaðar ok gaf honum minnisveig:

Stanza 3"Heill dagr! Heilir dags synir! Heil nótt ok nift! Óreiðum augum lítið okkr þinig ok gefið sitjöndum sigr!

Stanza 4Heilir æsir! Heilar ásynjur! Heil sjá in fjölnýta fold! Mál ok mannvit gefið okkr mærum tveim ok læknishendr, meðan lifum."

Hon nefndist Sigrdrífa ok var valkyrja. Hon sagði, at tveir konungar börðust. Hét annarr Hjálmgunnarr. Hann var þá gamall ok inn mesti hermaðr, ok hafði Óðinn hánum sigri heitit en

"annarr hét Agnarr, Auðu bróðir, er vætr engi vildi þiggja."

Sigrdrífa felldi Hjálmgunnarr í orrustunni, en Óðinn stakk hana svefnþorni í hefnd þess ok kvað hana aldri skyldu síðan sigr vega í orrustu ok kvað hana giftast skyldu - "en ek sagðak hánum, at ek strengðak heit þar í mót at giftast engum þeim manni, er hræðast kynni." Hann segir ok biðr hana kenna sér speki, ef hon vissi tíðindi ór öllum heimum. Sigrdrífa kvað:

Stanza 5"Bjór færi ek þér, brynþings apaldr, magni blandinn ok megintíri; fullr er hann ljóða ok líknstafa, góðra galdra ok gamanrúna.

Stanza 6Sigrúnar skaltu kunna, ef þú vilt sigr hafa, ok rísta á hjalti hjörs, sumar á véttrimum, sumar á valböstum, ok nefna tysvar Tý.

Stanza 7Ölrúnar skaltu kunna, ef þú vill annars kvæn véli-t þik í tryggð, ef þú trúir; á horni skal þær rísta ok á handar baki ok merkja á nagli Nauð.

Stanza 8Full skal signa ok við fári sjá ok verpa lauki í lög; þá ek þat veit, at þér verðr aldri meinblandinn mjöðr.

Stanza 9Bjargrúnar skaltu kunna, ef þú bjarga vilt ok leysa kind frá konum; á lófum þær skal rísta ok of liðu spenna ok biðja þá dísir duga.

Stanza 10Brimrúnar skaltu rísta, ef þú vilt borgit hafa á sundi seglmörum; á stafni skal rísta ok á stjórnarblaði ok leggja eld í ár, er-a svá brattr breki né svá bláar unnir, þó kemstu heill af hafi.

Stanza 11Limrúnar skaltu kunna, af þú vilt læknir vera, ok kunna sár at sjá; á berki skal þær rísta ok á baðmi viðar, þeim er lúta austr limar.

Stanza 12Málrúnar skaltu kunna, ef þú vilt, at manngi þér heiftum gjaldi harm: þær of vindr, þær of vefr, þær of setr allar saman á því þingi, er þjóðir skulu í fulla dóma fara.

Stanza 13Hugrúnar skaltu kunna, ef þú vilt hverjum vera geðsvinnari guma; þær of réð, þær of reist, þær of hugði Hroftr af þeim legi, er lekit hafði ór hausi Heiðdraupnis ok ór horni Hoddrofnis.

Stanza 14Á bjargi stóð með Brimis eggjar, hafði sér á höfði hjalm; þá mælti Mímis höfuð fróðligt it fyrsta orð ok sagði sanna stafi.

Stanza 15Á skildi kvað ristnar, þeim er stendr fyr skínandi goði, á eyra Árvakrs ok á Alsvinns hófi, á því hvéli, er snýsk undir reið Hrungnis, á Sleipnis tönnum ok á sleða fjötrum.

Stanza 16Á bjarnar hrammi ok á Braga tungu, á ulfs klóum ok á arnar nefi, á blóðgum vængjum ok á brúar sporði, á lausnar lófa ok á líknar spori.

Stanza 17Á gleri ok á gulli ok á gumna heillum, í víni ok í virtri ok vilisessi, á Gugnis oddi ok á Grana brjósti, á nornar nagli ok á nefi uglu.

Stanza 18Allar váru af skafnar, þær er váru á ristnar, ok hverfðar við inn helga mjöð ok sendar á víða vega; þær ro með ásum, þær ro með alfum, sumar með vísum vönum sumar hafa mennskir menn.

Stanza 19Þat eru bókrúnar, þat eru bjargrúnar ok allar ölrúnar ok mætar meginrúnar, hveim er þær kná óvilltar ok óspilltar sér at heillum hafa; njóttu, ef þú namst, unz rjúfask regin.

Stanza 20Nú skaltu kjósa, alls þér er kostr of boðinn, hvassa vápna hlynr; sögn eða þögn hafðu þér sjalfr í hug; öll eru mein of metin."

Sigurðr kvað:

Stanza 21"Munk-a ek flæja, þótt mik feigan vitir, emk-a ek með bleyði borinn; ástráð þín ek vil öll hafa; svá lengi sem ek lifi."

Sigrdrífa kvað:

Stanza 22"Þat ræð ek þér it fyrsta, at þú við frændr þína vammalaust verir; síðr þú hefnir, þótt þeir sakar geri; þat kveða dauðum duga.

Stanza 23Þat ræð ek þér annat, at þú eið né sverir, nema þann er saðr sé; grimmar limar ganga at tryggðrofi; armr er vára vargr.

Stanza 24Þat ræð ek þér þriðja, at þú þingi á deili-t við heimska hali, því að ósviðr maðr lætur oft kveðin verri orð en viti.

Stanza 25Allt er vant, ef þú við þegir, þá þykkir þú með bleyði borinn eða sönnu sagðr; hættr er heimis kviðr, nema sér góðan geti; - annars dags láttu hans öndu farit, ok launa svá lýðum lygi.

Stanza 26Þat ræð ek þér it fjórða, ef býr fordæða vammafull á vegi, ganga er betra en giska sé, þótt þik nótt of nemi.

Stanza 27Fornjósnar augu þurfu fira synir, hvars skulu vreiðir vega; oft bölvísar konur sitja brautu nær, þær er deyfa sverð ok sefa.

Stanza 28Þat ræð ek þér it fimmta, þóttú fagrar séir brúðir bekkjum á, sifja silfr lát-a-ðu þínum svefni ráða; teygj-at-tu þér at kossi konur.

Stanza 29Þat ræð ek þér it sétta, þótt með seggjum fari ölðrmál til öfug, drukkin deila skal-at-tu við dolgviðu; margan stelr vín viti.

Stanza 30Söngr ok öl hefr seggjum verit mörgum at móðtrega, sumum at bana, sumum at bölstöfum; fjölð er, þat er fira tregr.

Stanza 31Þat ræð ek þér it sjaunda, ef þú sakar deilir við hugfulla hali, berjask er betra en brenna sé inni auðstöfum.

Stanza 32Þat ræð ek þér it átta, at þú skalt við illu sjá ok firrask flærðarstafi; mey þú teygj-at né manns konu né eggja ofgamans.

Stanza 33Þat ræð ek þér it níunda, at þú náum bjargir, hvars þú á foldu finnr, hvárts eru sóttdauðir eða eru sædauðir eða eru vápndauðir verar.

Stanza 34Laug skal gera, þeim er liðnir eru, þváa hendr ok höfuð, kemba ok þerra, áðr í kistu fari, ok biðja sælan sofa.

Stanza 35Þat ræð ek þér it tíunda, at þú trúir aldregi várum vargdropa, hvárstu ert bróður bani eða hafir þú felldan föður; ulfr er í ungum syni, þó sé hann gulli gladdr.

Stanza 36Sakar ok heiftir hyggja-t svefngar vera né harm in heldr; vits ok vápna vant er jöfri at fá þeim er skal fremstr með firum.

Stanza 37Þat ræð ek þér it ellifta, at þú við illu séir hvern veg at vini; langt líf þykkjumk-a-k lofðungs vita; römm eru róg of risin."

English translation

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

Sigurth rode up on Hindarfjoll and turned southward toward the land of the Franks. On the mountain he saw a great light, as if fire were burning, and the glow reached up to heaven. And when he came thither, there stood a tower of shields, and above it was a banner. Sigurth went into the shield-tower, and saw that a man lay there sleeping with all his war-weapons. First he took the helm from his head, and then he saw that it was a woman. The mail-coat was as fast as if it had grown to the flesh.

Then he cut the mail-coat from the head-opening downward, and out to both the arm-holes. Then he took the mail-coat from her, and she awoke, and sat up and saw Sigurth, and said:

Stanza 1"What bit through the byrnie? | how was broken my sleep? Who made me free | of the fetters pale?" He answered: "Sigmund's son, | with Sigurth's sword, That late with flesh | hath fed the ravens." Sigurth sat beside her and asked her name. She took a horn full of mead and gave him a memory-draught.

Stanza 2"Hail, day! | Hail, sons of day! And night and her daughter now! Look on us here | with loving eyes, That waiting we victory win.

Stanza 3"Hail to the gods! | Ye goddesses, hail, And all the generous earth! Give to us wisdom | and goodly speech, And healing hands, life-long.

Stanza 4"Long did I sleep, | my slumber was long, And long are the griefs of life; Othin decreed | that I could not break The heavy spells of sleep."

Her name was Sigrdrifa, and she was a Valkyrie. She said that two kings fought in battle; one was called Hjalmgunnar, an old man but a mighty warrior, and Othin had promised him the victory, and The other was Agnar, | brother of Autha, None he found | who fain would shield him.

Sigrdrifa, slew Hjalmgunnar in the battle, and Othin pricked her with the sleep-thorn in punishment for this, and said that she should never thereafter win victory in battle, but that she should be wedded. "And I said to him that I had made a vow in my turn, that I would never marry a man who knew the meaning of fear." Sigurth answered and asked her to teach him wisdom, if she knew of what took place in all the worlds. Sigrdrifa said:

Stanza 5"Beer I bring thee, | tree of battle, Mingled of strength | and mighty fame; Charms it holds | and healing signs, Spells full good, | and gladness-runes."

Stanza 6Winning-runes learn, | if thou longest to win, And the runes on thy sword-hilt write; Some on the furrow, | and some on the flat, And twice shalt thou call on Tyr.

Stanza 7Ale-runes learn, | that with lies the wife Of another betray not thy trust; On the horn thou shalt write, | and the backs of thy hands, And Need shalt mark on thy nails. Thou shalt bless the draught, | and danger escape, And cast a leek in the cup; (For so I know | thou never shalt see Thy mead with evil mixed.)

Stanza 8Birth-runes learn, | if help thou wilt lend, The babe from the mother to bring; On thy palms shalt write them, | and round thy joints, And ask the fates to aid.

Stanza 9Wave-runes learn, | if well thou wouldst shelter The sail-steeds out on the sea; On the stem shalt thou write, | and the steering blade, And burn them into the oars; Though high be the breakers, | and black the waves, Thou shalt safe the harbor seek.

Stanza 10Branch-runes learn, | if a healer wouldst be, And cure for wounds wouldst work; On the bark shalt thou write, | and on trees that be With boughs to the eastward bent.

Stanza 11Speech-runes learn, | that none may seek To answer harm with hate; Well he winds | and weaves them all, And sets them side by side, At the judgment-place, | when justice there The folk shall fairly win.

Stanza 12Thought-runes learn, | if all shall think Thou art keenest minded of men.

Stanza 13Them Hropt arranged, | and them he wrote, And them in thought he made, Out of the draught | that down had dropped From the head of Heithdraupnir, And the horn of Hoddrofnir.

Stanza 14On the mountain he stood | with Brimir's sword, On his head the helm he bore; Then first the head | of Mim spoke forth, And words of truth it told.

Stanza 15He bade write on the shield | before the shining goddess, On Arvak's ear, | and on Alsvith's hoof, On the wheel of the car | of Hrungnir's killer, On Sleipnir's teeth, | and the straps of the sledge.

Stanza 16On the paws of the bear, | and on Bragi's tongue, On the wolf's claws bared, | and the eagle's beak, On bloody wings, | and bridge's end, On freeing hands | and helping foot-prints.

Stanza 17On glass and on gold, | and on goodly charms, In wine and in beer, | and on well-loved seats, On Gungnir's point, | and on Grani's breast, On the nails of Norns, | and the night-owl's beak.

Stanza 18Shaved off were the runes | that of old were written, And mixed with the holy mead, And sent on ways so wide; So the gods had them, | so the elves got them, And some for the Wanes so wise, And some for mortal men.

Stanza 19Beech-runes are there, | birth-runes are there, And all the runes of ale, And the magic runes of might; Who knows them rightly | and reads them true, Has them himself to help; Ever they aid, Till the gods are gone.

Brynhild spake:

Stanza 20"Now shalt thou choose, | for the choice is given, Thou tree of the biting blade; Speech or silence, | 'tis thine to say, Our evil is destined all."

Sigurth spake:

Stanza 21"I shall not flee, | though my fate be near, I was born not a coward to be; Thy loving word | for mine will I win, As long as I shall live."

Stanza 22Then first I rede thee, | that free of guilt Toward kinsmen ever thou art; No vengeance have, | though they work thee harm, Reward after death thou shalt win.

Stanza 23Then second I rede thee, | to swear no oath If true thou knowest it not; Bitter the fate | of the breaker of troth, And poor is the wolf of his word.

Stanza 24Then third I rede thee, | that thou at the Thing Shalt fight not in words with fools; For the man unwise | a worser word Than he thinks doth utter oft.

Stanza 25Ill it is | if silent thou art, A coward born men call thee, And truth mayhap they tell; Seldom safe is fame, Unless wide renown be won; On the day thereafter | send him to death, Let him pay the price of his lies.

Stanza 26Then fourth I rede thee, | if thou shalt find A wily witch on thy road, It is better to go | than her guest to be, Though night enfold thee fast.

Stanza 27Eyes that see | need the sons of men Who fight in battle fierce; Oft witches evil | sit by the way, Who blade and courage blunt.

Stanza 28Then fifth I rede thee, | though maidens fair Thou seest on benches sitting, Let the silver of kinship | not rob thee of sleep, And the kissing of women beware.

Stanza 29Then sixth I rede thee, | if men shall wrangle, And ale-talk rise to wrath, No words with a drunken | warrior have, For wine steals many men's wits.

Stanza 30Brawls and ale | full oft have been An ill to many a man, Death for some, | and sorrow for some; Full many the woes of men.

Stanza 31Then seventh I rede thee, | if battle thou seekest With a foe that is full of might; It is better to fight | than to burn alive In the hall of the hero rich.

Stanza 32Then eighth I rede thee, | that evil thou shun, And beware of lying words; Take not a maid, | nor the wife of a man, Nor lure them on to lust.

Stanza 33Then ninth I rede thee: | burial render If thou findest a fallen corpse, Of sickness dead, | or dead in the sea, Or dead of weapons' wounds.

Stanza 34A bath shalt thou give them | who corpses be, And hands and head shalt wash; Wipe them and comb, | ere they go in the coffin, And pray that they sleep in peace.

Stanza 35Then tenth I rede thee, | that never thou trust The word of the race of wolves, (If his brother thou broughtest to death, Or his father thou didst fell;) Often a wolf | in a son there is, Though gold he gladly takes.

Stanza 36Battle and hate | and harm, methinks, Full seldom fall asleep; Wits and weapons | the warrior needs If boldest of men he would be.

Stanza 37Then eleventh I rede thee, | that wrath thou shun, And treachery false with thy friends; Not long the leader's | life shall be, For great are the foes he faces.