1. A word-strife I learned,	most woeful of all,
A speech from the fullness	of sorrow spoken,
When fierce of heart	her sons to the fight
Did Guthrun whet	with words full grim. (*)

2. “Why sit ye idle,	why sleep out your lives,
Why grieve ye not	in gladness to speak?
Since Jormunrek	you sister young
Beneath the hoofs	of horses hath trodden,
(White and black	on the battle-way,
Gray, road-wonted,	the steeds of the Goths.) (*)

3. “Not like are ye	to Gunnar of yore,
Nor have ye hearts	such as Hogni’s was;
Vengeance for her	ye soon would have
If brave ye were	as my brothers of old,
Or hard your hearts	as the Hunnish kings’.” (*)

4. Then Hamther spake,	the high of heart:
“Little the deed	of Hogni didst love,
When Sigurth they wakened	from his sleep;
They bed-covers white	were red with blood
Of thy husband, drenched	with gore from his heart. (*)

5. “Bloody revenge	didst have for thy brothers,
Evil and sore,		when thy sons didst slay;
Else yet might we all	on Jormunrek
Together our sister’s slaying avenge. (*)

6. “-lacuna-
The gear of Hunnish	kings now give us!
Thou hast whetted us so	to the battle of swords.” (*)

7. Laughing did Guthrun	go to her chamber,
The helms of kings	from the cupboards she took,
And mail-coats broad,	to her sons she bore them;
On their horses’ backs	the heroes leaped.

8. Then Hamther spake,		the high of heart:
“Homeward no more		his mother to see
Comes the spear-god, fallen	mid Gothic folk;
One death-draught thou	for us all shalt drink,
For Svanhild then	and thy sons as well.” (*)

9. Weeping Guthrun,	Gjuki’s daughter,
Went sadly before	the gate to sit,
And with tear-stained cheeks		to tell the tale
Of her mighty griefs,	so many in kind.

10. “Three home-fires knew I,	three hearths I knew,
Home was I brought	by husbands three;
But Sigurth only	of all was dear,
He whom my brothers	brought to his death.

11. “A greater sorrow	I saw not nor knew,
Yet more it seemed	I must suffer yet
When the princes great	to Atli gave me. (*)

12. “The brave boys I summoned		to secret speech;
For my woes requital		I might not win
Till off the heads	of the Hniflungs I hewed. (*)

13. “To the sea I went,	my heart full sore
For the Norns, whose wrath	I would now escape;
But the lofty billows	bore me undrowned,
Till to land I came,	so I longer must live.

14. “Then to the bed-	of old was it better!-
Of a king of the folk	a third time I came;
Boys I bore	his heirs to be,
Heirs so young,	the sons of Jonak.

15. “But round Svanhild	handmaidens sat,
She was dearest ever	of all my children;
So did Svanhild	seem in my hall
As the ray of the sun	is fair to see. 

16. “Gold I gave her	and garments bright,
Ere I let her go	to the Gothic folk;
Of my heavy woes	the hardest it was
When Svanhild’s tresses	fair were trodden
In the mire by hoofs	of horses wild. (*)

17. “The sorest it was	when Sigurth mine
On his couch, of victory	robbed, they killed;
And grimmest of all	when to Gunnar’s heart
There crept the bright-hued	crawling snakes. (*)

18. “And keenest of all	when they cut the heart
From the living breast		of the king so brave;
Many woes I remember,	-lacuna- (*)
-lacuna-

19. “Bridle, Sigurth,	thy steed so black,
Hither let run		thy swift-faring horse;
Here there sits not	son or daughter
Who yet to Guthrun	gifts shall give. (*)

20. “Remember, Sigurth,	what once we said,
When together both	on the bed we sat,
That mightily thou	to me wouldst come
From Hel and I	from earth to thee.

21. “Pile ye up, jarls,	the pyre of oak,
Make it the highest	a hero e’er had;
Let the fire burn	my grief-filled breast,
My sore-pressed heart,	till my sorrows melt.” (*)

22. May nobles all	less sorrow know,
And less the woes	of women become,
Since the tale of this	lament is told.