1. Svipdag: "Wake thee, Groa! wake, mother good! At the doors of the dead I call thee; Thy son, bethink thee, thou badst to seek Thy help at the hill of death."

2. Groa: "What evil vexes mine only son, What baleful fate hast thou found, That thou callest thy mother, who lies in the mould, And the world of the living has left?"

3. Svipdag: "The woman false whom my father embraced Has brought me a baleful game; For she bade me go forth where none may fare, And Mengloth the maid to seek."

4. Groa: "Long is the way, long must thou wander, But long is love as well; Thou mayst find, perchance, what thou fain wouldst have, If the fates their favor will give."

5. Svipdag: "Charms full good then chant to me, mother, And seek thy son to guard; For death do I fear on the way I shall fare, And in years am I young, methinks."

6. Groa: "Then first I will chant thee the charm oft-tried, That Rani taught to Rind; From the shoulder whate'er mislikes thee shake, For helper thyself shalt thou have.

7. "Then next I will chant thee, if needs thou must travel, And wander a purposeless way: The bolts of Urth shall on every side Be thy guards on the road thou goest.

8. "Then third I will chant thee, if threatening streams The danger of death shall bring:

9. Yet to Hel shall turn both Horn and Ruth, And before thee the waters shall fail.

10. "Then fourth I will chant thee, if come thy foes On the gallows-way against thee: Into thine hands shall their hearts be given, And peace shall the warriors wish.

11. "Then fifth I will chant thee, if fetters perchance Shall bind thy bending limbs: O'er thy thighs do I chant a loosening-charm, And the lock is burst from the limbs, And the fetters fall from the feet.

12. "Then sixth I will chant thee, if storms on the sea Have might unknown to man: Yet never shall wind or wave do harm, And calm is the course of thy boat.

13. "Then seventh I chant thee, if frost shall seek To kill thee on lofty crags: The fatal cold shall not grip thy flesh, And whole thy body shall be.

14. "Then eighth will I chant thee, if ever by night Thou shalt wander on murky ways: Yet never the curse of a Christian woman From the dead shall do thee harm.

15. "Then ninth will I chant thee, if needs thou must strive With a warlike giant in words: Thy heart good store of wit shall have, And thy mouth of words full wise.

16. "Now fare on the way where danger waits, Let evils not lessen thy love! I have stood at the door of the earth-fixed stones, The while I chanted thee charms.

17. "Bear hence, my son, what thy mother hath said, And let it live in thy breast; Thine ever shall be the best of fortune, So long as my words shall last."

18. Before the house he beheld one coming To the home of the giants high.

19. Svipdag: "What giant is here, in front of the house, And around him fires are flaming?"

20. Fjolsvith: "What seekest thou here? for what is thy search? What, friendless one, fain wouldst thou know? By the ways so wet must thou wander hence, For, weakling, no home hast thou here."

21. Svipdag: "What giant is here, in front of the house, To the wayfarer welcome denying?"

22. Fjolsvith: "Greeting full fair thou never shalt find, So hence shalt thou get thee home.

23. "Fjolsvith am I, and wise am I found, But miserly am I with meat; Thou never shalt enter within the house,— Go forth like a wolf on thy way!"

24. Svipdag: "Few from the joy of their eyes will go forth, When the sight of their loves they seek; Full bright are the gates of the golden hall, And a home shall I here enjoy."

25. Fjolsvith: "Tell me now, fellow, what father thou hast, And the kindred of whom thou camst."

51 more verses…