Poetic Edda/Vafþrúðnismál

by by Unknown

Othin spake:

[1] "Counsel me, Frigg, for I long to fare,

And Vafthruthnir fain would find;

fit wisdom old with the giant wise

Myself would I seek to match."

Frigg spake:

[2] "Heerfather here at home would I keep,

Where the gods together dwell;

Amid all the giants an equal in might

To Vafthruthnir know I none."

Othin spake:

[3] "Much have I fared, much have I found.

Much have I got from the gods;

And fain would I know how Vafthruthnir now

Lives in his lofty hall."

Frigg spake:

[4] "Safe mayst thou go, safe come again,

And safe be the way thou wendest!

Father of men, let thy mind be keen

When speech with the giant thou seekest."

[5] The wisdom then of the giant wise

Forth did he fare to try;

He found the hall | of the father of Im,

And in forthwith went Ygg.

Othin spake:

[6] "Vafthruthnir, hail! | to thy hall am I come,

For thyself I fain would see;

And first would I ask | if wise thou art,

Or, giant, all wisdom hast won."

Vafthruthnir spake:

[7] "Who is the man | that speaks to me,

Here in my lofty hall?

Forth from our dwelling | thou never shalt fare,

Unless wiser than I thou art."

Othin spake:

[8] "Gagnrath they call me, | and thirsty I come

From a journey hard to thy hall;

Welcome I look for, | for long have I fared,

And gentle greeting, giant."

Vafthruthnir spake:

[9] "Why standest thou there | on the floor whilst thou speakest?

A seat shalt thou have in my hall;

Then soon shall we know | whose knowledge is more,

The guest's or the sage's gray."

Othin spake:

[10] "If a poor man reaches | the home of the rich,

Let him wisely speak or be still;

For to him who speaks | with the hard of heart

Will chattering ever work ill."

Vafthruthnir spake:

[11] "Speak forth now, Gagnrath, | if there from the floor

Thou wouldst thy wisdom make known:

What name has the steed | that each morn anew

The day for mankind doth draw?"

Othin spake:

[12] "Skinfaxi is he, | the steed who for men

The glittering day doth draw;

The best of horses | to heroes he seems,

And brightly his mane doth burn."

Vafthruthnir spake:

[13] "Speak forth now, Gagnrath, | if there from the floor

Thou wouldst thy wisdom make known:

What name has the steed | that from East anew

Brings night for the noble gods?"

Othin spake:

[14] "Hrimfaxi name they | the steed that anew

Brings night for the noble gods;

Each morning foam | from his bit there falls,

And thence come the dews in the dales."

Vafthruthnir spake:

[15] "Speak forth now, Gagnrath, | if there from the floor

Thou wouldst thy wisdom make known:

What name has the river | that 'twixt the realms

Of the gods and the giants goes?"

Othin spoke:

[16] "Ifing is the river | that 'twixt the realms

Of the gods and the giants goes;

For all time ever | open it flows,

No ice on the river there is."

Vafthruthnir spake:

[17] "Speak forth now, Gagnrath, | if there from the floor

Thou wouldst thy wisdom make known:

What name has the field | where in fight shall meet

Surt and the gracious gods?"

Othin spake:

[18] "Vigrith is the field | where in fight shall meet

Surt and the gracious gods;

A hundred miles | each way does it measure.

And so are its boundaries set."

Vafthruthnir spake:

[19] "Wise art thou, guest! | To my bench shalt thou go,

In our seats let us speak together;

Here in the hall | our heads, O guest,

Shall we wager our wisdom upon."

Othin spake:

[20] "First answer me well, | if thy wisdom avails,

And thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

In earliest time | whence came the earth,

Or the sky, thou giant sage?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[21] "Out of Ymir's flesh | was fashioned the earth,

And the mountains were made of his bones;

The sky from the frost-cold | giant's skull,

And the ocean out of his blood."

Othin spake:

[22] "Next answer me well, | if thy wisdom avails,

And thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

Whence came the moon, | o'er the world of men

That fares, and the flaming sun?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[23] "Mundilferi is he | who begat the moon,

And fathered the flaming sun;

The round of heaven | each day they run,

To tell the time for men."

Othin spake:

[24] "Third answer me well, | if wise thou art called,

If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

Whence came the day, | o'er mankind that fares,

Or night with the narrowing moon?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[25] "The father of day | is Delling called,

And the night was begotten by Nor;

Full moon and old | by the gods were fashioned,

To tell the time for men."

Othin spake:

[26] "Fourth answer me well, | if wise thou art called,

If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

Whence did winter come, | or the summer warm,

First with the gracious gods?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[27] "Vindsval he was | who was winter's father,

And Svosuth summer begat;"

-lacuna-

-lacuna-

Othin spake:

[28] "Fifth answer me well, | if wise thou art called,

If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

What giant first | was fashioned of old,

And the eldest of Ymir's kin?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[29] "Winters unmeasured | ere earth was made

Was the birth of Bergelmir;

Thruthgelmir's son | was the giant strong,

And Aurgelmir's grandson of old."

Othin spake:

[30] "Sixth answer me well, | if wise thou art called,

If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

Whence did Aurgelmir come | with the giants' kin,

Long since, thou giant sage?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[31] "Down from Elivagar | did venom drop,

And waxed till a giant it was;

And thence arose | our giants' race,

And thus so fierce are we found."

Othin spake:

[32] "Seventh answer me well, | if wise thou art called,

If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

How begat he children, | the giant grim,

Who never a giantess knew?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[33] "They say 'neath the arms | of the giant of ice

Grew man-child and maid together;

And foot with foot | did the wise one fashion

A son that six heads bore."

Othin spake:

[34] "Eighth answer me well, | if wise thou art called,

If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

What farthest back | dost thou bear in mind?

For wide is thy wisdom, giant!"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[35] "Winters unmeasured | ere earth was made

Was the birth of Bergelmir;

This first knew I well, | when the giant wise

In a boat of old was borne."

Othin spake:

[36] "Ninth answer me well, | if wise thou art called

If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:

Whence comes the wind | that fares o'er the waves

Yet never itself is seen?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[37] "In an eagle's guise | at the end of heaven

Hræsvelg sits, they say;

And from his wings | does the wind come forth

To move o'er the world of men."

Othin spake:

[38] "Tenth answer me now, | if thou knowest all

The fate that is fixed for the gods:

Whence came up Njorth | to the kin of the gods,--

(Rich in temples | and shrines he rules,--)

Though of gods he was never begot?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[39] "In the home of the Wanes | did the wise ones create him,

And gave him as pledge to the gods;

At the fall of the world | shall he fare once more

Home to the Wanes so wise."

Othin spake:

[40] "Eleventh answer me well, | -lacuna- [if thou knowest all]

-lacuna- [The fate that is fixed for the gods:]

What men -lacuna- [are they] | in -lacuna- [Othin's] home

Each day to fight go forth?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[41] "The heroes all | in Othin's hall

Each day to fight go forth;

They fell each other, | and fare from the fight

All healed full soon to sit."

Othin spake:

[42] "Twelfth answer me now | how all thou knowest

Of the fate that is fixed for the gods;

Of the runes of the gods | and the giants' race

The truth indeed dost thou tell,

(And wide is thy wisdom, giant!)"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[43] "Of the runes of the gods | and the giants' race

The truth indeed can I tell,

(For to every world have I won;)

To nine worlds came I, | to Niflhel beneath,

The home where dead men dwell."

Othin spake:

[44] "Much have I fared, | much have I found,

Much have I got of the gods:

What shall live of mankind | when at last there comes

The mighty winter to men?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[45] "In Hoddmimir's wood | shall hide themselves

Lif and Lifthrasir then;

The morning dews | for meat shall they have,

Such food shall men then find."

Othin spake:

[46] "Much have I fared, | much have I found,

Much have I got of the gods:

Whence comes the sun | to the smooth sky back,

When Fenrir has snatched it forth?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[47] "A daughter bright | Alfrothul bears

Ere Fenrir snatches her forth;

Her mother's paths | shall the maiden tread

When the gods to death have gone."

Othin spake:

[48] "Much have I fared, | much have I found,

Much have I got of the gods:

What maidens are they, | so wise of mind.

That forth o'er the sea shall fare?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[49] "O'er Mogthrasir's hill | shall the maidens pass,

And three are their throngs that come;

They all shall protect | the dwellers on earth,

Though they come of the giants' kin."

Othin spake:

[50] "Much have I fared, | much have I found,

Much have I got of the gods:

Who then shall rule | the realm of the gods,

When the fires of Surt have sunk?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[51] "In the gods' home Vithar | and Vali shall dwell,

When the fires of Surt have sunk;

Mothi and Magni | shall Mjollnir have

When Vingnir falls in fight."

Othin spake:

[52] "Much have I fared, | much have I found,

Much have I got of the gods:

What shall bring the doom | of death to Othin,

When the gods to destruction go?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[53] "The wolf shall fell | the father of men,

And this shall Vithar avenge;

The terrible jaws | shall he tear apart,

And so the wolf shall he slay."

Othin spake:

[54] "Much have I fared, | much have I found,

Much have I got from the gods:

What spake Othin himself | in the ears of his son,

Ere in the bale-fire he burned?"

Vafthruthnir spake:

[55] "No man can tell | what in olden time

Thou spak'st in the ears of thy son;

With fated mouth | the fall of the gods

And mine olden tales have I told;

With Othin in knowledge | now have I striven,

And ever the wiser thou art."