1. Maids from the south through Myrkwood flew, Fair and young, their fate to follow; On the shore of the sea to rest them they sat, The maids of the south, and flax they spun.

2. Hlathguth and Hervor, Hlothver's children, And Olrun the Wise Kjar's daughter was.

3. One in her arms took Egil then To her bosom white, the woman fair.

4. Swan-White second,— swan-feathers she wore, And her arms the third of the sisters threw Next round Volund's neck so white.

5. There did they sit for seven winters, In the eighth at last came their longing again, (And in the ninth did need divide them). The maidens yearned for the murky wood, The fair young maids, their fate to follow.

6. Volund home from his hunting came, From a weary way, the weather-wise bowman, Slagfith and Egil the hall found empty, Out and in went they, everywhere seeking.

7. East fared Egil after Olrun, And Slagfith south to seek for Swan-White; Volund alone in Ulfdalir lay,

8. Red gold he fashioned with fairest gems, And rings he strung on ropes of bast; So for his wife he waited long, If the fair one home might come to him.

9. This Nithuth learned, the lord of the Njars, That Volund alone in Ulfdalir lay;

10. By night went his men, their mail-coats were studded, Their shields in the waning moonlight shone.

11. From their saddles the gable wall they sought, And in they went at the end of the hall; Rings they saw there on ropes of bast, Seven hundred the hero had.

12. Off they took them, but all they left Save one alone which they bore away.

13. Volund home from his hunting came, From a weary way, the weather-wise bowman; A brown bear's flesh would he roast with fire; Soon the wood so dry was burning well, (The wind-dried wood that Volund's was).

14. On the bearskin he rested, and counted the rings, The master of elves, but one he missed; That Hlothver's daughter had it he thought, And the all-wise maid had come once more.

15. So long he sat that he fell asleep, His waking empty of gladness was; Heavy chains he saw on his hands, And fetters bound his feet together.

16. Volund: "What men are they who thus have laid Ropes of bast to bind me now?"

17. Then Nithuth called, the lord of the Njars: "How gottest thou, Volund, greatest of elves, These treasures of ours in Ulfdalir?"

18. Volund: "The gold was not on Grani's way,

19. Far, methinks, is our realm from the hills of the Rhine; I mind me that treasures more we had When happy together at home we were."

20. Without stood the wife of Nithuth wise, And in she came from the end of the hall; On the floor she stood, and softly spoke: "Not kind does he look who comes from the wood."

21. King Nithuth gave to his daughter Bothvild the gold ring that he had taken from the bast rope in Volund's

22. house, and he himself wore the sword that Volund had had. The queen spake:

23. "The glow of his eyes is like gleaming snakes, His teeth he gnashes if now is shown The sword, or Bothvild's ring he sees; Let them straightway cut his sinews of strength, And set him then in Saevarstath."

24. So was it done: the sinews in his knee-joints were cut, and he was set in an island which was near the mainland, and was called Saevarstath. There he smithied for the king all kinds of precious things. No man dared to go to him, save only the king himself. Volund spake:

25. "At Nithuth's girdle gleams the sword That I sharpened keen with cunningest craft, (And hardened the steel with highest skill;) The bright blade far forever is borne, (Nor back shall I see it borne to my smithy;) Now Bothvild gets the golden ring (That was once my bride's,— ne'er well shall it be.)"

27 more verses…