After Brynhildr's death two bale-fires were made, one for Siguršr, and that burned first, but Brynhildr was burned on the other, and she was in a wagon which was adorned with gold cloth. So it is said, that Brynhildr drove with the wagon on the Hel-road and fared to a dwelling where a certain giantess lived.
The giantess said,
1.
"You shall not go
on this path
My garth
is supported on stone!
It were better for you
to spread a tapestry to weave,
rather than to visit
another's husband!2.
"Why should you visit
from Welsh-land,
constant-headed one,
my house?
Var of gold, you have,
if you desire to know,
- mild one - nothing
but men's blood on your hands!"
Brynhildr said:
3.
"Brandish (it) not at me,
bride from the stone,
although I was
at viking!
I must seem
the better of us,
where men
ken our clans."
The giantess said:
4.
"You were Bušli's daughter,
Brynhildr,
born for the worst
luck in the world:
you have destroyed
Gjuki's bairns,
and broken
their good dwelling."
Brynhildr said:
5.
"I shall say to you,
wise, from the wagon,
if you desire to know,
greatly witless one,
how Gjuki's heirs
made me
love-robbed
and oath-broken!6.
"All in Hlymdales
called me
Hildr-under-Helm,
whoever knew.7.
[...]8.
"The soul-full king
took our hides,
eight sisters,
born under oak;
I was twelve winters old,
if you desire to know,
when I gave oaths
to the young leader.9.
"Then I caused the old one
of the Gothic folk,
Helm-Gunnarr, to go
to Hel most swiftly;
I gave victory
to Audha's young brother:
Óšķnn became greatly angry
with me for that.10.
"He laid me about with shields
in Skatalund,
red and white,
rims touching;
then he bade
break my sleep
whoever in the land
had never known how to fear.11.
"(He) let burn high around my hall,
southwards,
the war-of-all-woods;
he bade one thane
to ride over that,
he who brought me
that gold which lay
under Fafnir.12.
"The good gold-dealer
rode Grani,
there where my foster-father
steered the benches;
He alone seemed better
than all there,
viking-of-Danes,
in the host.13.
"We two slept, and in comfort,
in one bed,
as if he were born
my brother;
neither of us
might lay
our hand over the other
in eight nights.14.
"Yet Gušrun,
Gjuki's daughter,
brandished at me
that I had slept in Siguršr's arms;
then I became wise about this,
as I had not wished to,
that they had deceived me
into man-taking!15.
"With pressing sorrow
for a long time must all
women and men living
be raised up!
We two should have
spent life together,
Siguršr!
Sink thou, giantesses' get!"
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.