ALVISSMOL (THE BALLAD OF ALVIS)

Alvis spake:
1.  “Now shall the bride   |   my benches adorn,
      And homeward haste forthwith;
    Eager for wedlock   |   to all shall I seem,
      Nor at home shall they rob me of rest.”
Thor spake:
2.  “What, pray, art thou?   |   Why so pale round the nose?
      By the dead hast thou lain of late?
    To a giant like   |   dost thou look, methinks;
      Thou wast not born for the bride.”
Alvis spake:
3.  “Alvis am I,   |   and under the earth
      My home ’neath the rocks I have;
    With the wagon-guider   |   a word do I seek;
      Let the gods their bond not break.”
Thor spake:
4.  “Break it shall I,   |   for over the bride
      Her father has foremost right;
    At home was I not   |   when the promise thou hadst,
      And I give her alone of the gods.”
Alvis spake:
5.  “What hero claims   |   such right to hold
      O’er the bride that shines so bright?
    Not many will know thee,   |   thou wandering man!
      Who was bought with rings to bear thee?”
Thor spake:
6.  “Vingthor, the wanderer   |   wide, am I,
      And I am Sithgrani’s son;
    Against my will   |   shalt thou get the maid,
      And win the marriage word.”
Alvis spake:
7.  “Thy good-will now   |   shall I quickly get,
      And win the marriage word;
    I long to have,   |   and I would not lack,
      This snow-white maid for mine.”
Thor spake:
8.  “The love of the maid   |   I may not keep thee
      From winning, thou guest so wise,
    If of every world   |   thou canst tell me all
      That now I wish to know.
9.  “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the earth,   |   that lies before all,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
10. “‘Earth’ to men, ‘Field’   |   to the gods it is,
      ‘The Ways’ is it called by the Wanes;
    ‘Ever Green’ by the giants,   |   ‘The Grower’ by elves,
      ‘The Moist’ by the holy ones high.”
Thor spake:
11. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the heaven,   |   beheld of the high one,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
12. “‘Heaven’ men call it,   |   ‘The Height’ the gods,
      The Wanes ‘The Weaver of Winds’;
    Giants ‘The Up-World,’   |   elves ‘The Fair-Roof,’
      The dwarfs ‘The Dripping Hall.’”
Thor spake:
13. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the moon,   |   that men behold,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
14. “‘Moon’ with men, ‘Flame’   |   the gods among,
      ‘The Wheel’ in the house of hell;
    ‘The Goer’ the giants,   |   ‘The Gleamer’ the dwarfs,
      The elves ‘The Teller of Time.’”
Thor spake:
15. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the sun,   |   that all men see,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
16. “Men call it ‘Sun,’   |   gods ‘Orb of the Sun,’
      ‘The Deceiver of Dvalin’ the dwarfs;
    The giants ‘The Ever-Bright,’   |   elves ‘Fair Wheel,’
      ‘All-Glowing’ the sons of the gods.”
Thor spake:
17. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the clouds,   |   that keep the rains,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
18. “‘Clouds’ men name them,   |   ‘Rain-Hope’ gods call them,
      The Wanes call them ‘Kites of the Wind’;
    ‘Water-Hope’ giants,   |   ‘Weather-Might’ elves,
      ‘The Helmet of Secrets’ in hell.”
Thor spake:
19. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the wind,   |   that widest fares,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
20. “‘Wind’ do men call it,   |   the gods ‘The Waverer,’
      ‘The Neigher’ the holy ones high;
    ‘The Wailer’ the giants,   |   ‘Roaring Wender’ the elves,
      In hell ‘The Blustering Blast.’”
Thor spake:
21. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the calm,   |   that quiet lies,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
22. “‘Calm’ men call it,   |   ‘The Quiet’ the gods,
      The Wanes ‘The Hush of the Winds’;
    ‘The Sultry’ the giants,   |   elves ‘Day’s Stillness,’
      The dwarfs ‘The Shelter of Day.’”
Thor spake:
23. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the sea,   |   whereon men sail,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
24. “‘Sea’ men call it,   |   gods ‘The Smooth-Lying,’
      ‘The Wave’ is it called by the Wanes;
    ‘Eel-Home’ the giants,   |   ‘Drink-Stuff’ the elves,
      For the dwarfs its name is ‘The Deep.’”
Thor spake:
25. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the fire,   |   that flames for men,
      In each of all the worlds?”
Alvis spake:
26. “‘Fire’ men call it,   |   and ‘Flame’ the gods,
      By the Wanes is it ‘Wildfire’ called;
    ‘The Biter’ by giants,   |   ‘The Burner’ by dwarfs,
      ‘The Swift’ in the house of hell.”
Thor spake:
27. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the wood,   |   that grows for mankind,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
28. “Men call it ‘The Wood,’   |   gods ‘The Mane of the Field,’
      ‘Seaweed of Hills’ in hell;
    ‘Flame-Food’ the giants,   |   ‘Fair-Limbed’ the elves,
      ‘The Wand’ is it called by the Wanes.”
Thor spake:
29. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the night,   |   the daughter of Nor,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
30. “‘Night’ men call it,   |   ‘Darkness’ gods name it,
      ‘The Hood’ the holy ones high;
    The giants ‘The Lightless,’   |   the elves ‘Sleep’s Joy,’
      The dwarfs ‘The Weaver of Dreams.’”
Thor spake:
31. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the seed,   |   that is sown by men,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
32. “Men call it ‘Grain,’   |   and ‘Corn’ the gods,
      ‘Growth’ in the world of the Wanes;
    ‘The Eaten’ by giants,   |   ‘Drink-Stuff’ by elves,
      In hell ‘The Slender Stem.’”
Thor spake:
33. “Answer me, Alvis!   |   thou knowest all,
      Dwarf, of the doom of men:
    What call they the ale,   |   that is quaffed of men,
      In each and every world?”
Alvis spake:
34. “‘Ale’ among men,   |   ‘Beer’ the gods among,
      In the world of the Wanes ‘The Foaming’;
    ‘Bright Draught’ with giants,   |   ‘Mead’ with dwellers in hell,
      ‘The Feast-Draught’ with Suttung’s sons.”
Thor spake:
35. “In a single breast   |   I never have seen
      More wealth of wisdom old;
    But with treacherous wiles   |   must I now betray thee:
      The day has caught thee, dwarf!
      (Now the sun shines here in the hall.)”