The son of Eylimi, Hjordis' brother, hight Gripir. He ruled lands and was the wisest of all men and fore- sighted. - Siguršr rode alone and came to Gripir's hall. Siguršr was easy to recognise. He met a man at a point outside before the hall; he named himself Geitir. Then Siguršr spoke to him and asked,
1.
"Who dwells here
in this burg?
What do the thanes
name the folk-king?"
Geitir said:
2.
"Gripir hight
the warriors' steersman,
he who rules fastly
lands and thanes."
Siguršr said:
3.
"Is the wise king
home in the land?
May the ruler come
to speak with me?
An unknown man
needs speech:
I wish swiftly
to find Gripir!"
Geitir said:
4.
"The glad king
shall ask Geitir this,
who the man be
who asks Gripir for speech?"
Siguršr said:
5.
"I hight Siguršr,
Sigmundr's bairn,
and Hjordis is
the helm-ruler's mother!"6.
Then went Geitir
to say to Gripir:
"Outside here is
an unknown man come;
he is noble-like
to look upon;
he wishes, folk-leader,
to have a meeting with you."7.
The drighten of warriors
went out of the hall
and hailed welcome
to the helm-ruler.
"Take you here, Siguršr!
It would have been seemly earlier!
And you, Geitir,
care for Grani yourself!"8.
They took speech
and spoke much,
then when the rede-speakers,
warriors, met.
Siguršr said:
9.
"Say you to me, if you know,
mother's brother:
how shall Siguršr
shape his life?"
Gripir said:
10.
"You shall become
the greatest man under the sun,
and highest born
of all boars,
generous of gold,
but stingy of fleeing,
noble to look on
and spae-wise in words.
Siguršr said:
11.
"Speak you, wise king!
more fully of Siguršr,
wise one, I ask yet,
if you seem to see:
what shall be done
first for luck,
when I go
from your garth?"
Gripir said:
12.
"First, folk-leader,
you shall avenge your father
and avenge all
Eylimi's sorrow;
you shall fell
the hard and brave
sons of Hunding,
you shall have victory."
Siguršr said:
13.
"Say thou, noble king,
to me, your kinsman,
more clearly,
what we two bravely speak of:
see you Siguršr's
keen deeds of bravery,
which fare highest
under heaven's corners?"
Gripir said:
14.
"You shall battle
the gleaming wyrm alone,
he who lies greedy
on Gnita Heath;
you shall become
the bane of both,
of Reginn and Fafnir:
rightly says Gripir."
Siguršr said:
15.
"(My) Wealth must be rich,
if I achieve it so,
battle with men,
as you, wise one, say!
Sense farther
and speak longer:
what shall become
for my life afterwards?"
Gripir said:
16.
"You shall find
Fafnir's dwelling
and take up
the fair wealth,
load the gold
on Grani's back;
you'll ride to Gjuki,
the battle-ready ruler!"
Siguršr said:
17.
"Helm-ruler,
you shall say more,
wise boar,
in soul-rede.
I am Gjuki's guest,
and I go from there -
what must become
for my life afterwards?"
Gripir said:
18.
"The folk-king's daughter
sleeps on the fell,
bright, in a byrnie,
after Helgi's death.;
you must hew
with your keen sword,
with Fafnir's bane
cut the byrnie."
Siguršr said:
19.
"Broken is the byrnie,
the maiden takes speech,
and the wife
is wakened from sleep -
what shall the wise one
choose to speak of with Siguršr,
so that he becomes
a lucky folk-leader?"
Gripir said:
20.
"She shall teach you
runes for your power,
all which men
wish to know,
and to speak
every tongue of men,
hale shall you live
your life with leechcraft, king!"
Siguršr said:
21.
"Now is that ended,
taken are the wisdoms,
and I am prepared
to ride from there.
Sense further
and speak longer:
what more shall
become for my life?"
Gripir said:
22.
"You must find
the dwellings of Heimir
and be the glad guest
of the folk-king.
Siguršr, all that I see
before me has fared to end;
you must ask Gripir
no further!"
Siguršr said:
23.
"Now I shall get sorrow
from the words that you say,
because you see
farther, folk-king.
you think Siguršr's grief
is too great,
because you, Gripir,
will not speak more fully to me."
Gripir said:
24.
"The youth of your life
lies most lightly
before me,
little afterwards;
I, the rede-speaker,
am not able to tell rightly,
nor am I more fore-wise;
at end is all I know!"
Siguršr said:
25.
"I know no man
above the mould,
who sees more forward
than you, Gripir!
you shall not hide it,
although it be ugly,
or unluck be readied
for my lot!"
Gripir said:
26.
"Deeds of shame
are not laid for your life,
noble one!
Know that, atheling!
your name
will be known
while the world lives,
causer-of-battles!"
Siguršr said:
27.
"Worst I think it:
that should part
Siguršr from the folk-leader
when it goes so;
All lies before you -
show you the way,
to me, if you will, famous
mother's-brother!"
Gripir said:
28.
"Now shall all
be said to Siguršr,
because, leader,
you have forced me to this!
You shall know
that I do not lie:
a certain day is
deemed for your death."
Siguršr said:
29.
"I wish not the wrath
of the powerful folk-king,
but rather to get
your good rede, Gripir!
Now will I know openly,
although you do not wish to see:
what Siguršr sees
soon at hand."
Gripir said:
30.
"A woman is with Heimir,
fair to look upon
- the men name her
Brynhildr -
the daughter of Budli,
but the lordly king,
the hardy-souled man, Heimir,
fosters her."
Siguršr said:
31.
"What is it to me,
though I see a maiden,
fair to look upon,
fostered by Heimir?
that shall you, Gripir,
prepare to say,
because you see all
of ųrlög before us!"
Gripir said:
32.
"She will rob you
of most pleasures,
the fair to look upon,
fostered by Heimir;
you sleep no sleep,
nor judge causes,
the concerns of men,
unless you see the maid."
Siguršr said:
33.
"What tending shall be
laid to Siguršr?
Say you that, Gripir,
if you seem to see!
Shall I buy the maid
with a dowry,
the folk-leader's
fair daughter?"
Gripir said:
34.
"You shall swear
all oaths
full fast;
but few shall you keep:
when you have been Gjuki's
guest one night,
you shall not remember
Hymir's wise foster-daughter."
Siguršr said:
35.
"How is that so, Gripir -
speak this before me! -
see you weakness
in the leader's shaping?
when I shall rend
the contracts with that maid,
whom I had thought to love
with all my soul?"
Gripir said:
36.
"You become so, chieftain,
before another's deceptions,
you shall receive redes
from Grimhildr:
she shall offer you
the bright-headed maid,
her daughter,
and well lure the leader."
Siguršr said:
37.
"Shall I then form kinship with Gunnar,
and go to marry
Gušrun?
Full well-wedded then
the folk-leader
would be,
if sorrows over ill deeds
did not plague me!"
Gripir said:
38.
"Grimhildr shall do
betrayal towards thee,
she shall bid you
to ask for Brynhildr
for the hands of Gunnar,
the Goths' drighten,
you shall promise a swift faring
to the folk-leader's mother."
Siguršr said:
39.
"Ill luck is to hand,
I can see that,
rede fails
Siguršr wholly,
If I shall ask
for the famous maid
for another's hand -
her who I love well!"
Gripir said:
40.
"You shall all swear
oaths together,
Gunnar, and Hogni,
and you, leader, the third,
for you shall change appearances
when you are on the way,
Gunnar and you; Gripir lies not!"
Siguršr said:
41.
"How shall that go?
how shall we exchange
looks and bearing
when we are on the way?
another falsehood
must follow that,
fatal for all:
but speak you, Gripir!"
Gripir said:
42.
"You have Gunnar's looks
and his bearing,
but your speech
and main of soul -
you shall pledge yourself
to the brave
sister of Atli;
the wight sees despite that.
Siguršr said:
43.
"I think that worst:
Siguršr must be
named evil among warriors,
to do so!
I would not wish
to bid with wiles
a bride for the boar,
who I know to be best!"
Gripir said:
44.
"Army's famous edge leader,
you must while
beside the maid
as if she were your mother;
for that your name
shall be known
while the world lives,
folk's leader!"
Siguršr said:
45.
"Shall Gunnarr have
the good woman,
famous among men
- tell me, Gripir! -
although the thane's bride,
keen of thought,
had slept three nights beside me,
such is not thought of!"
Gripir said:
46.
"Together shall both
bridals be drunken,
for Siguršr and Gunnar
in Gjuki's hall.
Then hides are changed
when you come home,
though each, despite that,
has his own thoughts."
Siguršr said:
47.
"How, afterwards,
shall the kinship among
(these) men be joyous?
tell me, Gripir!
shall Gunnarr
be readied
for joy afterward,
or I myself?"
Gripir said:
48.
"You shall remember the oaths,
but you must be silent nevertheless,
you shall not deny Gušrun
your good redes.
but Brynhildr shall think herself
a bride badly given,
the woman seeks
to revenge herself for the wiles.
Siguršr said:
49.
"What shall be offered
to comfort the bride,
when wiles were used
on the wife?
The woman had sworn
oaths from me,
never fulfilled
and little enjoyed!"
Gripir said:
50.
"She shall say
to Gunnar
that you did not keep
your oaths well,
when the noble king,
Gjuki's heir,
had trusted the leader
with all his soul."
Siguršr said:
51.
"What is then, Gripir?
tell me about this!
shall I truly be
as they say?
or does the fame-blessed woman
lie about me
and about herself?
tell you that, Gripir!"
Gripir said:
52.
"The powerful bride shall,
from wrath,
from overwhelming sorrows,
not deal well with you.
You never did harm
against the good one,
though you deceived
the king's wife with wiles."
Siguršr said:
53.
"Shall wise Gunnarr
go at her whetting then,
and Guthormr and Hogni?
shall the sons of Gjuki
redden their edges
against me,
their sibling?
yet tell thou, Gripir!"
Gripir said:
54.
"Then sorrow is
at Gušrun's heart,
when her brothers give rede
towards your bane,
and nothing becomes
her joy afterwards,
the wise wife;
Grimhildr causes that."55.
"Then should you be comforted,
army's edge-leader!
thus must luck be laid
for the leader's life:
no mightier man
shall come on the earth,
under the sun's seat,
than thou, Siguršr, seem!"
Siguršr said:
56.
"Part we hale!
None wins over what is shaped!
Now, Gripir, you have well
done what I bade!
Ready-willing would you
have spoken better
for my life,
if you might have!"
Note: This translation and others in this collection bearing this notice are the sole work of Stephan Grundy and are here with his permission. They are under his copyright. They are freely reproducible and quotable as long as this notice is attached if these are being reproduced or due credit is given to him for his translation if they are being quoted in another work.