The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun

o’er Gimle shine its tiles of gold,

its halls no grief nor evil hold,

and there shall worthy men and true

in living days delight pursue.

Unsown shall fields of wheat grow white

when Baldur cometh after night;

the ruined halls of Odin’s host,

the windy towers on heaven’s coast,

shall golden be rebuilt again,

all ills be healed in Baldur’s reign.

APPENDIX C

FRAGMENTS OF A HEROIC POEM

OF ATTILA IN OLD ENGLISH

These verses in the old English alliterative metre were composed at some date unknown, but I think it at least very probable that they belong to the same period as all the writings in this book, my father’s earlier years at Oxford after his departure from Leeds.

In content and internal sequence both pieces are closely based on the Old Norse Atlakvi?a. There is more than one copy of each, with minor progressive improvement. In each case I have appended a translation and a few explanatory notes.

I

This text corresponds to the first eight stanzas of Atlakvi?a. It is a part of the Norse poem that poses many difficulties and doubts; and it seems conceivable that my father selected it precisely because it is the beginning of the poem, as if at one time he thought to transform it in this way in its entirety. For the corresponding passage in the Lay of Gudrun see pp.265–67, stanzas 37–44.

?tla Gu?here     ar onsende

cenne ridend – Cneofri? hatte –:

com to geardum Gifecan,     Gu?heres healle;

beornas ymb heor?e     beore gef?gon.

Druncon dryhtguman     on dreorsele,

5

mod mi?ende     meldan s?ton;

Huna hete?anc     h?le? ondreordon.

Secg su?lendisc     sli?an reorde,

Cneofri? ciegde     cuma on healle:

‘Hider on ?rende     ?tla mec sende

10

geond Wistlawudu     wegas uncu?e

mearh ridendne     midlb?tedne;

het inc gretan wel,     Gu?here, beodan

??t git helmum ?eahte     to his ham cwomen.

??r git sceld sculon agan     ond sceaft sme?ne,

15

helm goldhrodene,     Huna m?nigo,

sadol seolforweredne,     serc scynestan,

blancan betstan     bitolh?bbendne,

w?de wealhbeaswe,     ond wacne gar.

Cw?? ??t he giefan wolde     inc Gnitanh??e,

20

weald ?one widan     on geweald sellan,

ofer giellendne gar     ond gylden stefn,

ma?mas micle,     mearce D?nepes,

ond ??t m?re holt – Myrcwudu hatte.’

?a heafod hylde     helm Burgenda,

25

Hagenan s?gde:     ‘?a wit hyra? swelc,

hw?t r?de? unc se rinc,     runbora geonga?

On Gnitanh??e     ic gold ne gefr?gn

??t wit o?res ne ahten     efnmicle sped.

Wit seld agon seofon     sweordum gefylled,

30

?ara sint hiltu gehwilces     heawen of golde;

mearh is min m?rest,     mece betsta,

helm hwitesta     ond hilderand

ahy?ed of horde     hean Caseres –

?onne ealra Huna     an is min betera.’

35

Hagena

‘Hw?t biecnede seo bryd ?a heo unc beag sende,

weargloccum wand?     wearnunge geteah!

?y ic wri?en f?ste     ??r wulfes h?r

hares h??stapan     on hringe fand,

wylfen, ??s ic wene,     bi? uncer wa? heonan.’

40

?tla sent to Gu?here a bold messenger

riding – Cneofri? was his name:

he came to the courts of Gifeca, to the hall of Gu?here;

about the hearth warriors rejoiced in the ale.

The men of that company drank in the gloomy hall,

5

the

meldan

sat hiding their thoughts;

the warriors feared the hatred of the Huns.