1. In olden days, when eagles screamed, And holy streams from heaven's crags fell, Was Helgi then, the hero-hearted, Borghild's son, in Bralund born.

2. 'Twas night in the dwelling, and Norns there came, Who shaped the life of the lofty one; They bade him most famed of fighters all And best of princes ever to be.

3. Mightily wove they the web of fate, While Bralund's towns were trembling all; And there the golden threads they wove, And in the moon's hall fast they made them.

4. East and west the ends they hid, In the middle the hero should have his land; And Neri's kinswoman northward cast A chain, and bade it firm ever to be.

5. Once sorrow had the Ylfings' son, And grief the bride who the loved one had borne.

6. * * * * * *

7. Quoth raven to raven, on treetop resting, Seeking for food, "There is something I know.

8. "In mail-coat stands the son of Sigmund, A half-day old; now day is here; His eyes flash sharp as the heroes' are, He is friend of the wolves; full glad are we."

9. The warrior throng a ruler thought him, Good times, they said, mankind should see; The king himself from battle-press came, To give the prince a leek full proud.

10. Helgi he named him, and Hringstathir gave him, Solfjoll, Snaefjoll, and Sigarsvoll, Hringstoth, Hotun, and Himinvangar, And a blood-snake bedecked to Sinfjotli's brother.

11. Mighty he grew in the midst of his friends, The fair-born elm, in fortune's glow; To his comrades gold he gladly gave, The hero spared not the blood-flecked hoard.

12. Short time for war the chieftain waited, When fifteen winters old he was; Hunding he slew, the hardy wight Who long had ruled o'er lands and men.

13. Of Sigmund's son then next they sought Hoard and rings, the sons of Hunding; They bade the prince requital pay For booty stolen and father slain.

14. The prince let not their prayers avail, Nor gold for their dead did the kinsmen get; Waiting, he said, was a mighty storm Of lances gray and Othin's grimness.

15. The warriors forth to the battle went, The field they chose at Logafjoll;

16. Frothi's peace midst foes they broke, Through the isle went hungrily Vithrir's hounds.

17. The king then sat, when he had slain Eyjolf and Alf, 'neath the eagle-stone; Hjorvarth and Hovarth, Hunding's sons, The kin of the spear-wielder, all had he killed.

18. Then glittered light from Logafjoll, And from the light the flashes leaped;

19. High under helms on heaven's field; Their byrnies all with blood were red, And from their spears the sparks flew forth.

20. Early then in wolf-wood asked The mighty king of the southern maid, If with the hero home would she Come that night; the weapons clashed.

21. Down from her horse sprang Hogni's daughter,— The shields were still,— and spake to the hero: "Other tasks are ours, methinks, Than drinking beer with the breaker of rings.

22. "My father has pledged his daughter fair As bride to Granmar's son so grim; But, Helgi, I once Hothbrodd called As fine a king as the son of a cat.

23. "Yet the hero will come a few nights hence, Unless thou dost bid him the battle-ground seek, Or takest the maid from the warrior mighty."

24. Helgi: "Fear him not, though Isung he felled, First must our courage keen be tried, Before unwilling thou fare with the knave; Weapons will clash, if to death I come not."

25. Messengers sent the mighty one then, By land and by sea, a host to seek, Store of wealth of the water's gleam, And men to summon, and sons of men.

41 more verses…