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Poetic Edda

1.[1] Great the evils  once that grew,With the dawning sad  of the sorrow of elves;In early morn  awake for menThe evils that grief  to each shall bring.
2.[2] Not now, nor yet  of yesterday was it,Long the time  that since hath lapsed,So that little there is  that is half as old,Since Guthrun, daughter  of Gjuki, whettedHer sons so young  to Svanhild's vengeance.
3.[3] "The sister ye had  was Svanhild called,And her did Jormunrek  trample with horses,White and black  on the battle-way,Gray, road-wonted,  the steeds of the Goths.
4.[4] "Little the kings  of the folk are ye like,For now ye are living  alone of my race.
  1. ↑ This stanza looks like a later interpolation from a totally unrelated source. Sorrow of elves: the sun; cf. Alvissmol, 16 and note.
  2. ↑ Some editors regard lines 1-2 as interpolated, while others question line 3. Guthrun, etc.: regarding the marriage of Jonak and Guthrun (daughter of Gjuki, sister of Gunnar and Hogni, and widow first of Sigurth and then of Atli), and the sons of this marriage, Hamther and Sorli (but not Erp), cf. Guthrunarhvot, introductory prose and note.
  3. ↑ Svanhild and Jormunrek: regarding the manner in which Jormunrek (Ermanarich) married Svanhild, daughter of Sigurth and Guthrun, and afterwards had her trodden to death by horses, cf. Guthrunarhvot, introductory note. Lines 3-4 are identical with lines 5-6 of Guthrunarhvot, 2.
  4. ↑ These two lines may be all that is left of a four-line stanza.

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