Poetic Edda - Cottle Trans.
ODIN
On such as these, 'tis well you know,
Partial I my gifts bestow.
Thee I hous'd in depths profound,
(5) Eight winters underneath the ground: ---
There infants on their mothers hung;
And there didst thou bring forth thy young.
Best employ I could divine,
For soul effeminate like thine.
LOK
You, on distant travel bent,
Halting thro' Samseya went:
There from door to door you stray'd,
In Fortune-teller's garb array'd.
What better fate could Gods divine,
For soul deceitful such as thine?
(6) FRIGGA
The time forbids to listen more,
Where Odin halted --- monsters bore.
Cease in anger to relate,
What in former days your fate.
Wise men hold the present fast,
And bid oblivion hide the past.
LOK
Cease, good Frigga! cease thy pother ---
Worthy child of worthy mother.
Thou in unselected arms
Hast lavishly bestow'd thy charms.
Thee to th' altar (7) Vidrer led;
But you led others to his bed.
FRIGGA
From Hela's realms, were Balder here,
He'd discipline thy tongue with fear:
These sacred walls were weak to charm,
The force of his vindictive arm.
LOK
Urge me no further with disdain; ---
Ungrateful truth can I explain:
I round Balder's shoulders threw,
(8) The shades that hid him from thy view.
(9) FREYA
Lok! tis folly to relate,
Crimes from thee that take their date.
Frigga vainly boasts no power,
Yet Frigga knows each fateful hour.
LOK
Freya! you in beauty shine,
But store of virtue is not thine:
Ev'ry Asi here can boast,
Some favor at thy husband's cost.
FREYA
Gall drops from thy tongue distil,
That will in time procure thee ill.
Asi sons, with one consent,
Wish thee from the banquet sent!
LOK
Freya, peace! each spell is thine,
That blackest sorcery can divine.
(10) Thou against thy brother's life,
Raised'st the Gods to mortal strife.
NIORDER
(11) Parum noxæ habet,
Etsi custodes velamentorum
Sibi parent amasium, vel quemcunque.
Istud monstri est simile, quod
Deus pathicus huc intro advenit,
Atque is liberos peperit.
LOK
Tace Niörde!
Tu eras iu orientem hinc,
Obses missus a diis;
Hymeris filiæ utebantur
Te pro lotii alvealo
Atque tibi in os immejebant.
NIORDER
That day I never shall repent,
When to the east an hostage sent:
For there an offspring blest my loves ---
A Prince whom ev'ry God approves.
LOK
Niörder! cease thy silly prate,
Or other follies I'll relate:
A sister you to incest won,
And thence a viler race begun.
(12) TYR
Of all the illustrious princes round,
Freyer to none is second found:
He dries the weeping virgin's tear;
He bids the vanquish'd cease to fear;
To oppress the poor, his soul disdains;
And frees the captive from his chains.
LOK
I charge thee, Peace! for ill you know
To compromise 'twixt foe and foe:
Remember once your hand was bit,
By Fenrir in an angry fit.
TYR
I suffer'd in a hand at most;
But you your reputation lost:
Villain! you the wolf applaud,
That threatens death to ev'ry God.
LOK
Cease thy lying, sland'rous tongue!
Thy wife to me produc'd a son:
Nor could'st thou, Impotent! obtain,
Redress to wipe away the stain.
FREYER
(13) I see the wolf, whom Gods afflict,
Where rivers meet the ocean, sit:
Persisting in malicious hate;
This, architect of guile! thy fate.
LOK
Gymer's daughter you deceiv'd,
Who, Skirner's lying threats, believ'd;
But there, to thy eternal cost,
For love, the mystic falchion lost.
The sons of Mispell, like a flood,
Soon shall sweep the gloomy wood;
No weapon then shall grace thy hand,
Their furious inroads to withstand.
BEYGGUER
If from those natal honors sprung,
That grace Niorder's valiant son:
Thy chatt'ring, (14) crow-like, guilty head,
Like pulpy marrow should be spread:
And ev'ry bone within thy skin,
Small as the path-way dust be seen.
LOK
What does that dwarfish mescreant say?
Go to the larder, speed thy way;
Gorge on each dainty; lick each plate;
But shun to taste my bitter hate:
For Freyer each base office fill ---
And servile labor at his mill.
BEYGGUER
Beygguer's my name, and 'tis my pride,
At feasts convivial to preside
Chief of the train, to Gods who bear,
Cups that liquidate all care.
Notes:
5. "Eight winters." --- There is no vestige remaining of Northern antiquities, which throws light on this circumstance. [Back]
6. Frigga. --- She is the same with the Grecian Venus. Dies Veneris was called after her name, Frigga's day or Friday: Her husband also, which was Odin, has a day appropriated to him, originally called Woden's-day, but now Wednesday. [Back]
7. Vidrer. --- One of the names of Odin. [Back]
8. "The shades," --- Alluding to the circumstance of his having persuaded Hoder to fling the mistletoe at Balder, by which he was tranfixed and killed. [Back]
9. "Freya." --- She is the most illustrious of the Goddesses next to Frigga. She married a person named Oder, and brought him a daughter named Nossa, so very handsome, that whatever is beautiful or precious is called by her name. But Oder left her in order to travel into remote countries. Since that time Freya continually weeps, and her tears are drops of pure gold. She has a great variety of names; for having gone over many countries in search of her husband, each people gave her a different name: some calling her Vanadis, or the Goddess of Hope, &c. &c. She wears a rich chain of Gold. [Back]
10. "Thou against." --- There is nothing in history that explains this circumstance. [Back]
11. "Parum noxæ." --- The sentiments and expressions of this and the following verse would not admit with propriety of an English version; and as the original would be unintelligible to the generality of readers, they are given in latin. [Back]
12. Tyr, a Warrior and Deity, protector of champions and brave men. He ranks among the bravest of the Gods, so that it is proverbial to say of a man who surpasses others in valor, that he "is as brave as Tyr:" The Gods one day persuaded the Wolf Fenrir, their enemy, to permit himself to be chained; but he fearing that they would never afterwards unloose him, persisted in his refusal, till Tyr put his hand by way of pledge, into the mouth of the monster. The Gods not judging it proper to redeem the pledge by unchaining the wolf, he bit off the God's hand, severing it at that part, which has been ever since called, "Ulflither," or the "Wolf's joint." From that time this God has but one hand. His remarkable prudence has given occasion to this form of expression, such a one is "sagacious as Tyr." He does not like to see men live in peace. [Back]
13. "I see the wolf." --- This story is told in the Edda of Snorro. The Gods bred up the Wolf Fenrir, but none among them durst approach to give him food except Tyr. When they perceived that he grew prodigiously in strength and size, and were warned by the oracles that he should one day become fatal to them; they determined to make strong iron fetters for him. They presented them to the Wolf, desiring him to put them on; to shew his strength in endeavouring to break them. The monster perceiving that this enterprize would not be very difficult, permitted the Gods to do what they would; and then violently exerting himself, burst the chains, and set himself at liberty. The Gods made still stronger chains, and persuaded him to be bound a second time. The wolf saw plainly that they could not be broken so easy as the first; but finding himself increase in strength, and knowing that he could never become famous without running some risk, voluntarily submitted to be chained. As soon as this was done, he shook himself, rolled upon the ground, dashed his chains against the earth, and at last burst his fetters, which he made to fly in pieces all around him. After this the Gods despaired of ever being able to bind the wolf: whereupon the universal Father sent Skirner, the messenger of the God Freyer, into the country of the black Genii, to a dwarf; to engage him to make a new bandage to confine Fenrir. This bandage (formed according to Goranson of six materials, namely, the noise made by cats feet; of a woman's beard; of the roots of mountains; of the nerves of bears; of the breath of fishes; and the spittle of birds,) was perfectly smooth, and to all appearance like a common string. When it was brought to the Gods, they were very thankful; and taking the wolf with them into a certain island in a lake, they shewed him the string, and entreated that he would try to break it. They took it themselves one after the other, and attempted to exploit in vain; and then told him, that there was none beside himself, who could accomplish such an enterprize. The wolf seeing it so slight, mistrusted some artifice, and refused to be bound. The Gods redoubled their persuasions, and at length, the wolf that he might not seem a coward, submitted to be bound; on this condition however, that one of them should put his hand in his mouth as a pledge of security. The wolf could not extricate himself, and the Gods were exceedingly diverted, all except Tyr, who lost his hand by the bargain. The Gods seeing him fast bound, took the end of the string, and drew it through the middle of a large rock, which they sunk deep into the earth. To make his confinement still more sure, they tied the end of the cord, which came through the rock, to a great stone, which they sunk still deeper. The wolf opening wide his tremendous jaws, endeavoured to devour them; but the Gods thrust into his mouth a sword, which pierced his under jaw. The howlings which he then made were horrible; and since that time, the foam flows continually from his mouth in such abundance, that it forms a river called Vam or The Vices. At the twilight of the Gods, and not before, will he break his chain. [Back]
14. "Crow like."--- The crow has ever been esteemed the most petulant, and quarrelsome of birds, and therefore was a very applicable epithet for Lok. [Back]
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