Page:Völsunga Saga (1888).djvu/305

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THE LAY OF HAMDIR.
247
What askest thou, Gudrun,
To let thee go greeting?

“Weep for thy brethren,
Weep for thy sweet sons,
And thy nighest kinsfolk
Laid by the fight-side!
Yea, and thou Gudrun,
May’st greet for us twain
Sitting fey on our steeds
Doomed in far lands to die.”

From the garth forth they went
With hearts full of fury,
Sorli and Hamdir,
The sons of Gudrun,
And they met on the way
The wise in all wiles:
“And thou little Erp,
What helping from thee?”

He 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?”