The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga); with Excerpts from the Poetic Edda, - [e book reading free .txt] 📗

of alien womb Spake out in such wise: "Good help for my kin, Such as foot gives to foot, Or flesh-covered hand Gives unto hand!" "What helping for foot That help that foot giveth, Or for flesh-covered hand The helping of hand?" Then spake Erp Yet once again Mock spake the prince As he sat on his steed: "Fool's deed to show The way to a dastard!" "Bold beyond measure," Quoth they, "is the base-born!" Out from the sheath Drew they the sheath-steel, And the glaives' edges played For the pleasure of hell; By the third part they minished The might that they had, Their young kin they let lie A-cold on the earth. Then their fur-cloaks they shook And bound fast their swords, In webs goodly woven Those great ones were clad; Young they went o'er the fells Where the dew was new-fallen Swift, on steeds of the Huns, Heavy vengeance to wreak. Forth stretched the ways, And an ill way they found, Yea, their sister's son (1) Hanging slain upon tree— Wolf-trees by the wind made cold At the town's westward Loud with cranes' clatter— Ill abiding there long! Din in the king's hall Of men merry with drink, And none might hearken The horses' tramping Or ever the warders Their great horn winded. Then men went forth To Jormunrek To tell of the heeding Of men under helm: "Give ye good counsel! Great ones are come hither, For the wrong of men mighty Was the may to death trodden." "Loud Jormunrek laughed, And laid hand to his beard, Nor bade bring his byrny, But with the wine fighting, Shook his red locks, On his white shield sat staring, And in his hand Swung the gold cup on high. "Sweet sight for me Those twain to set eyes on, Sorli and Hamdir, Here in my hall! Then with bowstrings Would I bind them, And hang the good Giukings Aloft on the gallows!" .............. Then spake Hrothglod From off the high steps, Spake the slim-fingered Unto her son,— —For a threat was cast forth Of what ne'er should fall— "Shall two men alone Two hundred Gothfolk Bind or bear down In the midst of their burg?" ............... Strife and din in the hall, Cups smitten asunder Men lay low in blood From the breasts of Goths flowing. Then spake Hamdir, The high-hearted: "Thou cravedst, O king, From the coming of us, The sons of one mother, Amidmost thine hall— Look on these hands of thine, Look on these feet of thine, Cast by us, Jormunrek, On to the flame!" Then cried aloud The high Gods' kinsman (2) Bold under byrny,— Roared he as bears roar; "Stones to the stout ones That the spears bite not, Nor the edges of steel, These sons of Jonakr!" .............. QUOTH SORLI: "Bale, brother, wroughtst thou By that bag's (3) opening, Oft from that bag Rede of bale cometh! Heart hast thou, Hamdir, If thou hadst heart's wisdom Great lack in a man Who lacks wisdom and lore!" HAMDIR SAID: "Yes, off were the head If Erp were alive yet, Our brother the bold Whom we slew by the way; The far-famed through the world— Ah, the fares drave me on, And the man war made holy, There must I slay!" SORLI SAID: "Unmeet we should do As the doings of wolves are, Raising wrong each 'gainst other As the dogs of the Norns, The greedy ones nourished In waste steads of the world. In strong wise have we fought, On Goths' corpses we stand, Beat down by our edges, E'en as ernes on the bough. Great fame our might winneth, Die we now, or to-morrow,— No man lives till eve Whom the fates doom at morning." At the hall's gable-end Fell Sorli to earth, But Hamdir lay low At the back of the houses.

Now this is called the Ancient Lay of Hamdir.

ENDNOTES: (1) Randver, the son of their sister's husband. (2) Odin, namely. (3) "Bag", his mouth.