‘As the wolf I walk
wild and lonely,
no father owning,
a flame bearing.’
31
‘A wolf was thy sire –
full well I know it!
Who egged thee eager
to mine undoing?’
‘My sire was Sigmund,
seed of Volsung;
my heart egged me,
my hand answered.’
32
‘Nay! Regin wrought this,
rogue and master!
O son of Sigmund!
sooth I tell thee:
my guarded gold
gleams with evil,
bale it bringeth
to both my foes.’
33
‘Life each must leave
on his latest day,
yet gold gladly
will grasp living!’
‘Fools! saith Fafnir –
with fate of woe
this gold is glamoured.
Grasp not! Flee thou!’
34
‘A fool, saith Sigurd,
could not fend himself
with helm of horror –
hell now seize him!’
In the heather had hidden
as a hare cowering
the fear-daunted smith;
forth now crept he.
35
‘Hail! O Volsung
victory-crowned,
of mortal men
mightiest hero!’
‘In the halls of Odin
more hard to choose!
many brave are born
who blades stain not.’
36
‘Yet glad is Sigurd,
of gold thinking,
as Gram on the grey
grass he wipeth!
‘Twas blood of my brother
that blade did spill,
though somewhat the slaying
I myself must share.’
37
‘Far enow thou fleddest,
when Fafnir came.
This sword slew him,
and Sigurd’s prowess.’
‘This sword I smithied.
Yet would serpent live,
had not Regin’s counsel
