VI Brynhild

Hér er sagt frá vaknyngu Brynhild af völdum Sigurð. Dæmd af Óðni tyl þess að fara ey lengur tyl orrustu heldur tyl sængu, sór hún þess eyð að gyftast öngvum nema hynnum mesta kappa af þeym öllum. Sigurð bjargar Brynhild úr kastala umkryngdum stöðugum eldyngum og eldy og fallast strax með þeym ástyr. Brynhild byður hann þó að fara og sanna syg enn meyr og koma ey tyl baka fyrr en hann hafy unnyð vyrðyngu allra manna og konungdæmi.

J. R. R. Tolkien
1
Ever wide and wild
the wandering path;
long lay the shadow
of lone rider.
Ever high and high
stood Hindarfell,
mountain mighty
from mist rising.

J. R. R. Tolkien
3
A wall saw Sigurd
of woven shields,
a standard streaming
striped with silver;
a man there war-clad,
mailclad, lying,
with sword beside him,
sleeping deadly.

J. R. R. Tolkien
8
Brynhild
‚Ódin bound me,
Ódin‘s chosen;
no more battle,
to mate doomed me.
An oath I uttered
for ever lasting,
to wed but one,
the World‘s chosen.‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
19
Faith then they vowed
fast, unyielding,
there each to each
in oaths binding.
Bliss there was born
when Brynhild woke;
yet fate is strong
to find its end.

VII GUÐRÚN

Sigurð heldur í land Gjúka Gautakonungs í þjónustu Gautakonungs fellir hann kónga og sigrar lönd fyrir Gjúka en snýr aftur í líflaust land Völsunga og verður konungur. Þegar hann snýr aftur til Gautalands er haldin veisla þar sem Grímhild drottning byrlar honum seiði sem veldur því að hann gleymir Brynhild en verður ástfanginn af Guðrún.

J. R. R. Tolkien
I
Gudrún
´O mother, hear me!
Mirth is darkened,
dreams have troubled me,
dreams of boding.‘
Grímhild
´Dreams come most oft
in dwindling moon,
or weather changing.
Of woe think not!‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
3
A woman wildly
on the wind riding
with a shaft stung him,
shooting pierced him;
at my knees he fell
in night of woe,
my heart too heavy
might I hardly bear.

J. R. R. Tolkien
9
There Grímhild dwelt,
guileful in counsel,
grimhearted queen
grey with wisdom,
with lore of poison,
with chill enchantment
and with changing spells.

J. R. R. Tolkien
11
Silent they sat
when Sigurd entered
Gunnar greeting,
Gjúki hailing.
Gjúki
´Who comes unbidden
in battle‘s harness,
helm and hauberk,
to halls of mine?‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
19
By Gjúki‘s chair
Grímhild hearkened,
of Gudrún thinking
and the golden hoard.
Gunnar and Högni
gladly bade him
in league and love
long to dwell there.

J. R. R. Tolkien
23
Wide and waxed their realm
in world of old;
Dane-king they slew,
doughty princes.
Dread fell on folk;
domm they wielded;
victory rode ever
with Völsung lord.

J. R. R. Tolkien
27
Men learned there lived yet
line of Völsung!
Now of Völsung land
was a Völsung lord.
But the house once high
was hollow, roofless;
the limbs were rotten
of their leafy tree.

J. R. R. Tolkien
29
Grímnir
Where Sigmund drew
sword of Grímnir,
Gram shall shine not.
Go thou, Völsung!
Now king thou art
of kings begotten,
a bride calls thee
over billowing seas.‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
33
(There spake Grímhild to Gjúki‘s ear:)
Grímhild
´How long shall last league unbounden?
Here is worthiest lord
of world‘s renown!
Were a daughter offered,
he would dwell for ever,
our strength in strife,
standing bulwark.‘

VIII SVIKIN BRYNHILD

Með ráðum Grímhildar drottningar ríða Gunnar Gjúkason og fóstbróðir hans Sigurd af stað til þess að finna Brynhild, en hana vildi Grímhild fá sem tengdadóttur sína. Hestur Gunnars getur ekki borið eiganda sinn inn í kastalann þegar á hólminn er komið svo að hann og Sigurd hafa hrossaskipti. En Grani (hestur Sigurd) vill ei bera neinn annan en Sigurd. Þá kastar Grímhild galdri og fer Sigurd í líki Gunnars og gengur til sængur með Brynhild er hélt Sigurd hafa svikið sig.

J. R. R. Tolkien
12
Wide went word
of woman mighty,
of Brynhild queen
bright in splendour.
Grímhild hearkened,
grimly pondered,
of Gunnar thinking
and of Gjúki‘s power.

J. R. R. Tolkien
19
Over fell and lowland
and forest gloomy,
over rocks and rivers
their roads led them.
Golden gables
gleaming saw they;
a light was lifted
o‘er the land afar.

J. R. R. Tolkien
27
Sigurd stood there
on sword leaning;
Brynhild waited
a blade holding.
There helméd maiden
of helméd king
name demanded:
night fell round them.

J. R. R. Tolkien
28
Sigurd
‚Gunnar Gjúki‘s son
greets and hails thee.
As my queen shalt thou ride
my quest fulfilling.‘
As on swaying seas
a swan glimmering
sat she sore troubled
seeking counsel:

J. R. R. Tolkien
29
Brynhild
‚What shall I answer
in hour o‘ershadowed,
Gunnar, Gunnar,
with gleaming eyes?‘
Sigurd
‚Redgolden rings,
Rhineland treasure,
mighty brideprice
shall be meted thee!‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
31
Sigurd
‚Yea, swords hast thou reddened,
swords yet shalt wield;
and oaths hast thou sworn,
and oaths shalt keep.
Thy wall is ridden,
thy wavering fire:
thou art doomed him to wed
who dared to pass.‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
34
Sigurd
‚Wake thou! wake thou!
Wide is daylight.
I ride to my realm
to array the feast.‘
Brynhild
‚Gunnar, Gunnar,
with gleaming eyes,
on day appointed
I shall drink with thee.‘

IX DEILD

Í brúðkaupi Brynhild segir Guðrún henni frá því að það hafi ei verið Gunnar sem sem stokkið hafi í gegnum eldinn í seinna skiptið og er hringur Andvara því til sönnunar en honum stal Sigurd aftur af Brynhild og gaf Gudrún. Brynhild reiðist og gjá myndast milli Gunnar, Sigurd, Brynhild og Gudrún. Að lokum er Sigurd drepinn í svefni en Brynhild endar líf sitt.

J. R. R. Tolkien
1
On day appointed
dawn rose redly,
sun sprang fiery
southward hasting.
Bridal to Brynhild
blissful drank he,
Gunnar Gjúki‘s son,
gold unsparing.

J. R. R. Tolkien
3
By Gudrún‘s side,
Gjúki‘s daughter,
she saw him seated –
a silence fell.
As stone graven
stared she palely,
as cold and still
as carven stone.

J. R. R. Tolkien
10
Gudrún
Andvari‘s ring,
old, enchanted,
is on Brynhild‘s hand
bound in token.
Did Gunnar give me
the gleaming ring
from thy hand he drew,
now here on mine!‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
12
Dim fell evening,
dusk was starless;
her mind was as night
as she mourned alone;
alone, lightless,
made lamentation:
Brynhild
‚Fell! fell the fates
that forged our days!

J. R. R. Tolkien
22
Sigurd
‚Hail, O sunlight
and sun‘s rising!
Sleep no longer
and sorrow cast thou!‘
Brynhild
‚I slept on mountain,
I sleep no more!
Accursed be thy words,
cruel forswearer!‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
24
Sigurd
‚Yet glory no less
hath Gjúkiðs son,
my blood-brother,
best renownéd.
Well he loves thee,
lord unfearing -
look now and learn
light yet shineth!‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
28
Gudrún I curse
for cruel reproach
of bed broken
and body broken
and body yielded.
Thy glory alone
seems good to thee;
of all women the worst
thou weenest me.‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
34
Sigurd
‚Yet Gunnar would I slay,
Gudrún forsake,
from death thee to keep,
our doom o‘ercoming!‘
Brynhild
‚I am wife of one,
I wed no other.
No lord will I love,
and least Sigurd!‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
38
(Then spake Gunnar gloomy hearted)
Gunnar
‚What hope of healing
harm‘s amending?
Shall we gold offer,
gold and silver?‘
Sigurd
‚Gold and silver
let Gunnar offer!
Her lord alone
her leech must be.‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
41
Brynhild
From the bed parting,
at thy board humbled
I will leave thee alone
to laughter of men,
if life thou allowest
to liege forsworn,
if thou slay not Sigurd,
thy sister‘s lord.‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
48
Gunnar
‚Brynhild, Brynhild,
I better hold her
than all women,
than all treasure.
I will life sooner leave
than lose her now,
than live lonely
for laughter of man.

J. R. R. Tolkien
52
Gold he promised him
and great lordship;
his bastard blood
burned with hunger.
Snake‘s flesh they took,
seethed it darkly,
wolf-meat gave him,
wine enchanted.

J. R. R. Tolkien
56
Sword touched Sigurd
swart-red flushing;
white blanched the knuckles
on hilt clenching:
Sigurd
‚Thou drunken dog,
doom hangs nigh thee!
Now slink to kennel!
Sleep may mend thee.‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
61
In sweet embrace
to sleep she went,
to grief unending
Gudrún wakened,
to her bliss drowning
in blood flowing.
in flowing blood
of fairest lord.

J. R. R. Tolkien
71
(Högni only
withheld her not:)
Högni
‚Little would I hinder
her last journey,
so she bide in that land
never born again.
Crooked came she forth
from curséd womb
to man‘s evil
and our mighty woe.‘

J. R. R. Tolkien
80
In the day of Doom
he shall deathless stand
who death tasted
and dies no more,
the serpent-slayer,
seed of Ódin:
not shall all end,
not Earth perish.

„Völsungakviða en nýja“ er ágæt, minnir mann á gamla ljóðformið sem er á suman hátt betra en hefðbundið. Ef að þú ætlar að lesa þessa bók mæli ég með því að lesa sögu Sigurðar Fáfnisbana fyrst en henni eru gerð mjög góð skil í bókinni „Goð og Garpar“. Ég hafði lesið söguna fyrir nokkru og fundist hún skemmtileg en þessi kvæði koma henni á allt annað plan. Maður kemst meira inn í söguna, augnablikið og lifir sig meira inn í hana og gerir eftirminnilegri eftir því.