Sigurðarkviða hin skamma

Sigurðarkviða hin skamma or the Short Lay of Sigurd is an Old Norse poem belonging to the heroic poetry of the Poetic Edda.

According to Henry Adams Bellows, the poem was mainly composed for "vivid and powerful characterization" and not for the telling of a story with which most of the listeners of his time were already quite familiar.

[1] The two brothers gave him many jewels and their sister Guðrún for wife, and they spent time together drinking and talking.

Ein sat hon úti aftan dags, nam hon svá margt um at mælask: "Hafa skal ek Sigurð, - eða þó svelta, - mög frumungan mér á armi.

Orð mæltak nú, iðrumk eftir þess: kván er hans Guðrún, en ek Gunnars; ljótar nornir skópu oss langa þrá.

By herself at the end of day she sat, And in open words her heart she uttered: "I shall Sigurth have, the hero young, E'en though within my arms he die.

"The word I have spoken; soon shall I rue it, His wife is Guthrun, and Gunnar's am I; Ill Norns set for me long desire.

Gótt er at ráða Rínar malmi ok unandi auði stýra ok sitjandi sælu njóta.

The foeman cleft asunder fell, Forward hands and head did sink, And legs and feet did backward fall.

Guthrun soft in her bed had slept, Safe from care at Sigurth's side; She woke to find her joy had fled, In the blood of the friend[12] of Freyr she lay.

[6] She clasped her hands together so hard that Sigurd rose up and asked her not to weep, because her brothers were alive, but their son (Sigmund) was still too young to flee for his life.

Hló þá Brynhildr Buðla dóttir einu sinni af öllum hug, er hon til hvílu heyra knátti gjallan grát Gjúka dóttur.

Þó mun á beinum brenna yðrum færi eyrir, þá er ér fram komið, neitt Menju góð, mín at vitja.

Þar er mær borin, - móðir fæðir, - sú mun hvítari en inn heiði dagr Svanhildr vera, sólar geisla.

[6] Brynhildr said that she remembered how they deceived her, and continued by telling that Gunnarr would desire Oddrún[22] for wife and they would love each other secretly because Atli would not allow them to marry.

However, her and Sigurd's daughter Svanhildr would go far away, and due to Bikki's words, Jörmunrekkr would slay Svanhhildr in wrath.

Between Sigurd and Brynhildr they were to put the sword that lay between them when formerly they were sleeping together and they were called wedded mates.

Því at hánum fylgja fimm ambáttir, átta þjónar, eðlum góðir, fóstrman mitt ok faðerni, þat er Buðli gaf barni sínu.

"Bond-women five shall follow him, And eight of my thralls, well-born are they, Children with me, and mine they were As gifts that Buthli his daughter gave.

"Much have I told thee, and more would say If fate more space for speech had given; My voice grows weak, my wounds are swelling; Truth I have said, and so I die.