Poetic Edda - Thorpe Trans.
49. Hrym steers from the east,
the waters rise,
the mundane snake is coiled
in jötun-rage.
The worm beats the water,
and the eagle screams:
the pale of beak tears carcases;
Naglfar is loosed.
50. That ship fares from the east:
come will Muspell’s
people o’er the sea,
and Loki steers.
The monster’s kin goes
all with the wolf;
with them the brother is
of Byleist on their course.
51. Surt from the south comes
with flickering flame;
shines from his sword
the Val-god’s sun.
The stony hills are dashed together,
the giantesses totter;
men tread the path of Hel,
and heaven is cloven.
52. How is it with the Æsir?
How with the Alfar?
All Jötunheim resounds;
the Æsir are in council.
The dwarfs groan
before their stony doors,
the sages of the rocky walls.
Understand ye yet, or what?
53. Then arises
Hlin´s second grief,
when Odin goes
with the wolf to fight,
and the bright slayer
of Beli with Surt.
Then will Frigg´s
beloved fall.
54. Then comes the great
victor-sire’s son,
Vidar, to fight
with the deadly beast.
He with his hands will
make his sword peirce
to the heart of the giant’s son:
then avenges he his father.
55. Then comes the mighty
son of Hlódyn:
(Odin’s son goes
with the monster to fight);
Midgárd´s Veor in his rage
will slay the worm.
Nine feet will go
Fiörgyn´s son,
bowed by the serpent,
who feared no foe.
All men will
their homes forsake.
56. The sun darkens,
earth in ocean sinks,
fall from heaven
the bright stars,
fire´s breath assails
the all-nourishing tree,
towering fire plays
against heaven itself.
57. She sees arise,
a second time,
earth from ocean,
beauteously green,
waterfalls descending;
the eagle flying over,
which in the fell
captures fish.
58. The Æsir meet
on Ida´s plain,
and of the mighty
earth-encircler speak,
and there to memory call
their mighty deeds,
and the supreme god’s
ancient lore.
59. There shall again
the wondrous
golden tables
in the grass be found,
which in days of old
had possessed
the ruler of the gods,
and Fjölnir´s race.
60. Unsown shall
the fields bring forth,
all evil be amended;
Baldr shall come;
Hödr and Baldr,
the heavenly gods,
Hropt´s glorious dwellings shall inhabit.
Understand ye yet, or what?
61. Then can Hoenir
choose his lot,
and the two brother´s
sons inhabit
the spacious Vindheim.
Understand ye yet, or what?
62. She a hall sees standing
than the sun brighter,
with gold bedecked,
in Gimill:
there shall the righteous
people dwell,
and for evermore
happiness enjoy.
64. Then comes the mighty one
to the great judgement,
the powerful from above,
who rules o’er all.
He shall dooms pronounce,
and strifes allay,
holy peace establish,
which shall ever be.
**********************
65. There comes the dark
dragon flying from beneath,
the glistening serpent,
from Nida-fells.
On his wings bears Nidhögg,
flying oér the plain,
a corpse.
Now she will descend.
<< Previous Page Next Page >>
© 2004-2007 Northvegr.
Most of the material on this site is in the public domain. However, many people have worked very hard to bring these texts to you so if you do use the work, we would appreciate it if you could give credit to both the Northvegr site and to the individuals who worked to bring you these texts. A small number of texts are copyrighted and cannot be used without the author's permission. Any text that is copyrighted will have a clear notation of such on the main index page for that text. Inquiries can be sent to info@northvegr.org. Northvegr™ and the Northvegr symbol are trademarks and service marks of the Northvegr Foundation.
|