Atlakviða

Gudrún, Giuki’s daughter, avenged her brothers, as is well known. She first killed Atli’s sons, and afterwards Atli himself, and burnt the palace with all the household. On these events was this lay composed.

1

Atli sent riding
a messenger to Gunnar,
a crafty man,
Knefrud was his name.
To Giuki’s courts he came,
and to Gunnar’s hall,
to the seats of state,
and the glad potation:

2

There drank the courtiers
wine in their Valhall –
but the guileful ones silence kept –
the Huns’ wrath they feared.
Then said Knefrud,
with chilling voice: –
the southern warrior
on a high bench sat –

3

“Atli has sent me hither
on his errand riding
on a bit-griping steed,
through the unknown Murkwood,
to pray you, Gunnar!
that to his bench ye come,
with helms of state,
Atli’s home to visit.

4

Shields ye there can choose,
and smooth-shaven spears,
gold-red helms,
and of Huns a multitude,
silver-gilt saddle-cloths,
sarks gory-red,
the dart’s obstruction,
and bit-griping steeds.

5

The plain he will also give you,
the broad Gnítaheid,
whistling javelins,
and gilded prows,
vast treasures,
and Danp’s towns,
with that famed forest,
which men the Murkwood call.”

6

Gunnar his head then turned,
and to Högni said:
“What counselest thou, bold warrior?
now suchlike we hear?
Of no gold I knew
on Gníta’s heath,
to which we possess not
other equal.

7

Seven halls have we
filled with swords,
of each of which
the hilt is gold.
My horse I know the best,
and my sword the keenest;
my bow adorns my seat,
my corslets are of gold,
my helm and shield the brightest,
brought from the hall of Kiar:
mine alone are better
than all the Hunnish ones.

8

What thinkest thou the woman means,
by sending us a ring
in a wolf’s clothing wrapt?
I think that she caution enjoins.
Wolf’s hair I found
twined in the red-gold ring:
wolfish is the way
we on our errand ride.”

9

No sons persuaded Gunnar,
nor other kinsman,
interpreters nor counsellors,
nor those who potent were.
Then spake Gunnar,
as beseemed a king,
great in his mead-hall,
from his large soul:

10

“Rise now up, Fiörnir!
let along the benches pass
the golden cups of heroes,
from the attendants’ hands.

11

The wolf shall rule
the Niflungs’ heritage,
o bearded sages!
if Gunnar perish;
black-coated bears
earth’s fruit tear with their teeth,
to the dogs’ delight,
if Gunnar come not back.”

12

Honoured men,
weeping led
the land’s ruler
from the Huns’ court.
Then said Högni’s
youthful heir:
“Go now, prudent and prosperous,
whither your wishes lead.”

13

The warriors made
their bit-griping steeds
over the mountains fly,
through the unknown Murkwood.
The whole Hunnish forest trembled
wheree’er the warriors rode;
over the shrubless, all-green plains
they sped.

14

Atli’s land they saw,
and the high watch-towers;
Bikki’s people stood
on that lofty fortress;
the south people’s hall
was round with benches set,
with well-bound bucklers,
and white shields,
the javelin’s obstruction.
There Atli drank
wine in his Valhall:
his guards sat without,
Gunnar and his men to watch,
lest they there should come
with yelling dart,
to excite their prince to conflict.

15

Their sister forthwith saw,
when the hall they had entered,
her brothers both –
beer had she little drunken –
“Betrayed art thou now Gunnar!
though strong, how wilt thou contend
with the Huns’ deadly wiles?
Go quickly from this hall!

16

Better hadst thou, Gunnar!
in corslet come,
than with helm of state,
to see the home of Atli;
thou in the saddle wouldst have sat
whole sun-bright days,
and o’er the pallid dead
let the Norns weep,
the Hunnish shield-maids
misery suffer;
but Atli himself thou shouldst
into the serpent-pen have cast;
but now the serpent-pen
is for you two reserved.”

17

“Sister! ‘tis now too late
the Niflungs to assemble,
long ‘tis to seek
the aid of men,
of valiant heroes,
over the rugged fells of Rhine.”

18

Then the Burgundians’ friends
Gunnar seized,
in fetters laid,
and him fast bound.

19

Högni hewed down seven,
with the keen sword,
but the eighth he thrust
into the raging fire.
So should a valiant man
defend himself from foes.

20

Högni had Gunnar’s
hands protected.
The bold chief they asked,
if the Goths’ lord
would with gold
his life redeem?
*        *        *
*        *        *

21

“Högnis heart
in my hand shall lie,
cut bloody from the breast
of the valiant chief,
the king’s son,
with a dull-edged knife.”
*        *        *
*        *        *
They the heart cut out
from Hialli’s breast;
on a dish bleeding laid it,
and to Gunnar bare.

23

Then said Gunnar,
lord of men:
“Here have I the heart
of the timid Hialli,
unlike the heart
of the bold Högni;
for much it trembles
as in the dish it lies:
it trembled more by half,
while in his breast it lay.”

24

Högni laughed,
when to his heart they cut
the living crest-crasher;
no lament uttered he.
All bleeding on a dish they laid it,
and it to Gunnar bare.

25

Calmly said Gunnar,
the warrior Niflung:
“Here have I the heart
of the bold Högni,
unlike the heart
of the timid Hialli;
for it little trembles,
as in the dish it lies:
it trembled less,
while in his breast it lay.

26

So far shalt thou, Atli!
be from the eyes of men
as thou wilt
from the treasures be.
In my power alone
is all the hidden
Niflungs’ gold,
now that Högni lives not.

27

Ever was I wavering,
while we both lived;
now am I so no longer,
as I alone survive.
Rhine shall possess
men’s baleful metal,
the mighty stream, the As-known
Niflungs’ heritage.
In the rolling water
the choice rings shall glitter,
rather than on the hands
of the Huns’ children shine.

28

Drive your wheel-chariots,
the captive is now in bonds.”

29

Atli the mighty,
their sister’s husband,
rode with resounding steeds,
with strife-thorns surrounded.
Gudrún perceived
the heroes’ peril
she from tears refrained,
on entering the hall of tumult.

30

“So be it with thee, Atli!
as toward Gunnar thou hast held
the oft-sworn oaths,
formerly taken –
by the southward verging sun,
and by Sigtý’s hill,
the secluded bed of rest,
and by Ullr’s ring.”
Yet thence the more
did the bit-shaker
the treasure’s guardian,
the warrior chief,
drag to death.

31

The living prince
then did a host of men
into a pen cast down,
which was within
with serpents over-crawled.
But Gunnar there alone
a harp in wrathful mood
with his hand struck:
the strings resounded.
So should a daring chief,
a ring-dispenser,
gold from men withhold.

33

Atli turned
his brass-shod steed,
his home to re-visit,
back from the murder.
Din was in the court
with horses thronged,
men’s weapon-song,
from the heath they were come.

33

Out then went Gudrún,
Atli to meet,
with a golden cup to do
her duty to the king.
“Thou canst, o king!
joyful in thy hall
receive from Gudrún
the arms of the departed.”

34

The drinking-cups of Atli
groaned with wine heavy,
when in the hall together
the Huns were counted.
Long-bearded, bold,
the warriors entered.

35

Hastened the bright-faced dame
to bear their potions to them,
the wondrous lady to the chiefs;
and reluctantly to the pallid Atli
the festal dainties offered,
and uttered words of hate.

36

“Thou, swords’ dispenser! hast
thy two sons’ hearts,
slaughter-gory,
with honey eaten.
I resolved that thou, bold chief!
shouldst of a human dish
eat at thy feasting,
and to the place of honour send it.

37

Henceforth thou wilt not
to thy knees call
Erp and Eitil,
joyous with beer the two:
thou wilt not henceforth see them
from thy middle seat,
gold-dispersing,
javelins shafting,
manes clipping,
or horses urging.”

38

Uproar was on the benches,
portentous the cry of men,
noise beneath the costly hangings.
The children of the Huns wept,
all wept save Gudrún,
who never wept,
or for her bear-fierce brothers,
or her dear sons,
young, simple,
whom she had borne to Atli.

39

Gold scattered
the swan-fair dame;
with ruddy rings
the household gifted.
Fate she let ripen,
but the bright gold flow.
The woman spared not
the treasure-houses.

40

Atli incautious had
himself drunk weary;
weapon he had none,
nor was ‘gainst Gudrún guarded.
Oft had their sport been better,
when they lovingly
embraced each other
before the nobles.

41

With the sword’s point she gave
the bed of blood to drink
with death-bent hand,
and the dogs loosed,
out at the hall-door drove them,
and the lady wakened
the household with burning brand. –
That vengeance she for her brothers took.

42

To fire she then gave all
that were therein,
and from her brothers’ murder
were from the dark den returned.
The old structures fell,
the treasure-houses smoked,
the Budlungs’ dwelling.
Burnt too were the shield-maids
within, their lives cut short;
in the raging fire they sank.

43

Of this enough is said.
No such woman will henceforth
arms again bear,
to avenge her brothers.
That bright woman had
to three kings of men
the death-doom borne,
before she died.

Yet more clearly is this told in ‘Atlamálum inum Grænlenzkum’ (the Grænland lay of Atli).