1. I have heard it told	in olden tales
How a maiden came	to Morningland;
No one of all	on earth above
To Heithrek’s daughter	help could give.

2. This Oddrun learned,		the sister of Atli,
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.

3. She 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 stead	the saddle she took;
Hear now the speech	that first she spake:

4. “What news on earth,		- lacuna- 
Or what has happened	in Hunland now?”

A serving-maid spake:
5. “Here Borgny lies	in bitter pain,
Thy friend, and, Oddrun,	thy help would find.”

Oddrun spake:
6. “Who worked this woe	for the woman thus,
Or why so sudden	is Borgny sick?”
(Ed. or “What warrior now	hath worked this woe?”)

The serving-maid spake:
7. “Vilmund is he,	the heroes’ friend,
Who wrapped the woman	in bedclothes warm,
(For winters five,	yet her father knew not).”

8. Then no more 	they spake, methinks;
She went at the knees	of the woman to sit;
With magic Oddrun	and mightily Oddrun
Chanted for Borgny	potent charms.
At last were born	a boy and girl,
Son and daughter	of Hogni’s slayer;
Then speech the woman	so weak began,
Nor said she aught	ere this she spake:
(Ed. or “Born of the sister	of Hogni’s slayer.”)

9. “So may the holy	ones thee help,
Frigg and Freya	and favouring gods,
As thou hast saved me	from sorrow now.”

Oddrun spake:
10. “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 share the wealth	the warriors had.)

Borgny spake:
11. “Wild art thou, Oddrun,	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.”

Oddrun spake:
12. “I remember the evil	one eve thou spakest,
When a draught I gave	to Gunnar then;
Thou didst say that never	such a deed
By maid was done	save by me alone.”

13. Then the sorrowing woman	sat her down
To tell the grief	of her troubles great.

14. “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.

15. “These were the words	the weary king,
Ere he died,	spake last of all;
He bade me with red gold	dowered be,
And to Grimhild’s son	in the South be wedded.

16. “But Brynhild the helm	he bade to wear,
A wish-maid bright	he said she should be;
For a noble maid	would never be born
On earth, he said, 	if death should spare her.

17. “At her weaving Brynhild	sat in her bower,
Lands and folk	alike she had;
The earth and heaven		high resounded
When Fafnir’s slayer		the city saw.

18. “Then battle was fought	with the foreign swords,
And the city was broken	that Brynhild had;
Not long thereafter,	but all too soon,
Their evil wiles	full well she knew.

19. “Woeful for this	her vengeance was,
As so we learned	to our sorrow all;
In every land	shall all men hear
How herself at Sigurth’s	side she slew.

20. “Love to Gunnar	then I gave,
To the breaker of rings,	as Brynhild might;
To Atli rings		so red they offered,
And mighty gifts	to my brother would give.

21. “Fifteen dwellings	fain would he give
For me, and the burden	that Grani bore;
But Atli said	he would never receive
Marriage gold		from Gjuki’s son.

22. “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.

23. “Atli 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.

24. “Soon his men	did Atli send,
In the murky wood	on me to spy;
Thither they came	where they should not come,
Where beneath one cover	close we lay.
“To the warriors ruddy	rings we offered,
That nought to Atli	e’er they should say;
But swiftly home	they hastened thence,
And eager all	to Atli told.

25. “But close from Guthrun	kept they hid
What first of all	she ought to have known.
- lacuna -
- lacuna - 

26. “Great was the clatter	of gilded hoofs
When Gjuki’s sons	through the gateway rode;
The heart they hewed	from Hogni then,
And the other they cast	in the serpents’ cave.

27. “The hero wise	on his harp then smote,
- lacuna -
For help from me	in his heart yet hoped
The high-born king,	might come to him.

28. “Alone was I gone	to Geirmund then,
The draught to mix	and ready to make;
Sudden I heard	from Hlesey clear
How in sorrow the strings	of the harp resounded.

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 Atli’s home.

30. “Then crawling the evil	woman came,
Atli’s mother- 	may she ever rot!
And hard she bit	to Gunnar’s heart,
So I could not help	the hero brave.

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.

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,-
Oddrun’s lament	is ended now.”