1. Of old the gods made feast together, And drink they sought ere sated they were; Twigs they shook, and blood they tried: Rich fare in Aegir's hall they found.

2. The mountain-dweller sat merry as boyhood, But soon like a blinded man he seemed; The son of Ygg gazed in his eyes: "For the gods a feast shalt thou forthwith get."

3. The word-wielder toil for the giant worked, And so revenge on the gods he sought; He bade Sif's mate the kettle bring: "Therein for ye all much ale shall I brew."

4. The far-famed ones could find it not, And the holy gods could get it nowhere; Till in truthful wise did Tyr speak forth, And helpful counsel to Hlorrithi gave.

5. "There dwells to the east of Elivagar Hymir the wise at the end of heaven; A kettle my father fierce doth own, A mighty vessel a mile in depth."

6. Thor: "May we win, dost thou think, this whirler of water?" Tyr: "Aye, friend, we can, if cunning we are."

7. Forward that day with speed they fared, From Asgarth came they to Egil's home; The goats with horns bedecked he guarded; Then they sped to the hall where Hymir dwelt.

8. The youth found his grandam, that greatly he loathed,

9. And full nine hundred heads she had; But the other fair with gold came forth, And the bright-browed one brought beer to her son.

10. "Kinsman of giants, beneath the kettle Will I set ye both, ye heroes bold; For many a time my dear-loved mate To guests is wrathful and grim of mind."

11. Late to his home the misshapen Hymir, The giant harsh, from his hunting came; The icicles rattled as in he came, For the fellow's chin-forest frozen was.

12. "Hail to thee, Hymir! good thoughts mayst thou have; Here has thy son to thine hall now come; (For him have we waited, his way was long;) And with him fares the foeman of Hroth, The friend of mankind, and Veur they call him.

13. "See where under the gable they sit! Behind the beam do they hide themselves." The beam at the glance of the giant broke, And the mighty pillar in pieces fell.

14. Eight fell from the ledge, and one alone, The hard-hammered kettle, of all was whole; Forth came they then, and his foes he sought, The giant old, and held with his eyes.

15. Much sorrow his heart foretold when he saw The giantess' foeman come forth on the floor; Then of the steers did they bring in three; Their flesh to boil did the giant bid.

16. By a head was each the shorter hewed, And the beasts to the fire straight they bore; The husband of Sif, ere to sleep he went, Alone two oxen of Hymir's ate.

17. To the comrade hoary of Hrungnir then Did Hlorrithi's meal full mighty seem; "Next time at eve we three must eat The food we have s the hunting's spoil."

18. Fain to row on the sea was Veur, he said, If the giant bold would give him bait.

19. Hymir: "Go to the herd, if thou hast it in mind, Thou slayer of giants, thy bait to seek; For there thou soon mayst find, methinks, Bait from the oxen easy to get."

20. Swift to the wood the hero went, Till before him an ox all black he found; From the beast the slayer of giants broke The fortress high of his double horns.

21. Hymir: "Thy works, methinks, are worse by far,

22. Thou steerer of ships, than when still thou sittest."

23. The lord of the goats bade the ape-begotten Farther to steer the steed of the rollers; But the giant said that his will, forsooth, Longer to row was little enough.

24. Two whales on his hook did the mighty Hymir Soon pull up on a single cast; In the stern the kinsman of Othin sat, And Veur with cunning his cast prepared.

25. The warder of men, the worm's destroyer, Fixed on his hook the head of the ox; There gaped at the bait the foe of the gods, The girdler of all the earth beneath.

19 more verses…