Poetic Edda - Bellows Trans.
Fragment of "The Short Voluspo"
When Baldr o'er the hill of death was bowed;
And this to avenge was Vali swift,
When his brother's slayer soon he flew.
2. The father of Baldr was the heir of Bur,
-lacuna-
3. Freyr's wife was Gerth, the daughter of Gymir,
Of the giants' brood, and Aurbotha bore her;
To these as well was Thjazi kin,
The dark-loving giant; his daughter was Skathi.
4. Much have I told thee, and further will tell;
There is much that I know;- wilt thou hear yet more?
5. Heith and Hrossthjof, the children of Hrimnir,
-lacuna-
6. The sybils arose from Vitholf's race,
From Vilmeith all the seers are,
And the workers of charms are Svarthofthi's children,
And from Ymir sprang the giants all.
7. Much have I told thee, and further will tell;
There is much that I know;- wilt thou hear yet more?
8. One there was born in the bygone days,
Of the race of the gods, and great was his might;
Nine giant women, at the world's edge,
Once bore the man so mighty in arms.
9. Gjolp there bore him, Greip there bore him,
Eistla bore him, and Eyrgjafa,
Ulfrun bore him, and Angeyja,
Imith and Atla, and Jarnsaxa.
10. Strong was he made with the strength of earth,
With the ice-cold sea, and the blood of swine.
11. One there was born, the best of all,
And strong was he made with the strength of earth;
The proudest is called the kinsman of men
Of the rulers all throughout the world.
12. Much have I told thee, and further will tell;
There is much that I know;- wilt thou hear yet more?
13. The wolf did Loki with Angrbotha win,
And Sleipnir bore he to Svathilfari;
The worst of marvels seemed the one
That sprang from the brother of Byleist then.
14. A heart ate Loki;- in the embers it lay,
And half-cooked found he the woman's heart;-
With child from the woman Lopt soon was,
And thence among men came the monsters all.
15. The sea, storm-driven, seeks heaven itself,
O'er the earth it flows, the air grows sterile;
Then follow the snows and the furious winds,
For the gods are doomed, and the end is death.
16. Then comes another, a greater than all,
Though never I dare his name to speak;
Few are they now that farther can see
Than the moment when Othin shall meet the wolf.
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