VAFTHRUTHNISMOL (THE BALLAD OF VAFTHRUTHNIR)

Othin spake:
1.  “Counsel me, Frigg,   |   for I long to fare,
      And Vafthruthnir fain would find;
    In wisdom old   |   with the giant wise
      Myself would I seek to match.”
Frigg spake:
2.  “Heerfather here   |   at home would I keep,
      Where the gods together dwell;
    Amid all the giants   |   an equal in might
      To Vafthruthnir know I none.”
Othin spake:
3.  “Much have I fared,   |   much have I found,
      Much have I got from the gods;
    And fain would I know   |   how Vafthruthnir now
      Lives in his lofty hall.”
Frigg spake:
4.  “Safe mayst thou go,   |   safe come again,
      And safe be the way thou wendest!
    Father of men,   |   let thy mind be keen
      When speech with the giant thou seekest.”
5.  The wisdom then   |   of the giant wise
      Forth did he fare to try;
    He found the hall   |   of the father of Im,
      And in forthwith went Ygg.
Othin spake:
6.  “Vafthruthnir, hail!   |   to thy hall am I come,
      For thyself I fain would see;
    And first would I ask   |   if wise thou art,
      Or, giant, all wisdom hast won.”
Vafthruthnir spake:
7.  “Who is the man   |   that speaks to me,
      Here in my lofty hall?
    Forth from our dwelling   |   thou never shalt fare,
      Unless wiser than I thou art.”
Othin spake:
8.  “Gagnrath they call me,   |   and thirsty I come
      From a journey hard to thy hall;
    Welcome I look for,   |   for long have I fared,
      And gentle greeting, giant.”
Vafthruthnir spake:
9.  “Why standest thou there   |   on the floor whilst thou
    speakest?
      A seat shalt thou have in my hall;
    Then soon shall we know   |   whose knowledge is more,
      The guest’s or the sage’s gray.”
Othin spake:
10. “If a poor man reaches   |   the home of the rich,
      Let him wisely speak or be still;
    For to him who speaks   |   with the hard of heart
      Will chattering ever work ill.”
Vafthruthnir spake:
11. “Speak forth now, Gagnrath,   |   if there from the floor
      Thou wouldst thy wisdom make known:
    What name has the steed   |   that each morn anew
      The day for mankind doth draw?”
Othin spake:
12. “Skinfaxi is he,   |   the steed who for men
      The glittering day doth draw;
    The best of horses   |   to heroes he seems,
      And brightly his mane doth burn.”
Vafthruthnir spake:
13. “Speak forth now, Gagnrath,   |   if there from the floor
      Thou wouldst thy wisdom make known:
    What name has the steed   |   that from East anew
      Brings night for the noble gods?”
Othin spake:
14. “Hrimfaxi name they   |   the steed that anew
      Brings night for the noble gods;
    Each morning foam   |   from his bit there falls,
      And thence come the dews in the dales.”
Vafthruthnir spake:
15. “Speak forth now, Gagnrath,   |   if there from the floor
      Thou wouldst thy wisdom make known:
    What name has the river   |   that ’twixt the realms
      Of the gods and the giants goes?”
Othin spake:
16. “Ifing is the river   |   that ’twixt the realms
      Of the gods and the giants goes;
    For all time ever   |   open it flows,
      No ice on the river there is.”
Vafthruthnir spake:
17. “Speak forth now, Gagnrath,   |   if there from the floor
      Thou wouldst thy wisdom make known:
    What name has the field   |   where in fight shall meet
      Surt and the gracious gods?”
Othin spake:
18. “Vigrith is the field   |   where in fight shall meet
      Surt and the gracious gods;
    A hundred miles   |   each way does it measure,
      And so are its boundaries set.”
Vafthruthnir spake:
19. “Wise art thou, guest!   |   To my bench shalt thou go,
      In our seats let us speak together;
    Here in the hall   |   our heads, O guest,
      hall we wager our wisdom upon.”
Othin spake:
20. “First answer me well,   |   if thy wisdom avails,
      And thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    In earliest time   |   whence came the earth,
      Or the sky, thou giant sage?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
21. “Out of Ymir’s flesh   |   was fashioned the earth,
      And the mountains were made of his bones;
    The sky from the frost-cold   |   giant’s skull,
      And the ocean out of his blood.”
Othin spake:
22. “Next answer me well,   |   if thy wisdom avails,
      And thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    Whence came the moon,   |   o’er the world of men
      That fares, and the flaming sun?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
23. “Mundilferi is he   |   who begat the moon,
      And fathered the flaming sun;
    The round of heaven   |   each day they run,
      To tell the time for men.”
Othin spake:
24. “Third answer me well,   |   if wise thou art called,
      If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    Whence came the day,   |   o’er mankind that fares,
      Or night with the narrowing moon?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
25. “The father of day   |   is Delling called,
      And the night was begotten by Nor;
    Full moon and old   |   by the gods were fashioned,
      To tell the time for men.”
Othin spake:
26. “Fourth answer me well,   |   if wise thou art called,
      If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    Whence did winter come,   |   or the summer warm,
      First with the gracious gods?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
27. “Vindsval he was   |   who was winter’s father,
      And Svosuth summer begat;”
    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   |   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
      .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
Othin spake:
28. “Fifth answer me well,   |   if wise thou art called,
      If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    What giant first   |   was fashioned of old,
      And the eldest of Ymir’s kin?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
29. “Winters unmeasured   |   ere earth was made
      Was the birth of Bergelmir;
    Thruthgelmir’s son   |   was the giant strong,
      And Aurgelmir’s grandson of old.”
Othin spake:
30. “Sixth answer me well,   |   if wise thou art called,
      If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    Whence did Aurgelmir come   |   with the giants’ kin,
      Long since, thou giant sage?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
31. “Down from Elivagar   |   did venom drop,
      And waxed till a giant it was;
    And thence arose   |   our giants’ race,
      And thus so fierce are we found.”
Othin spake:
32. “Seventh answer me well,   |   if wise thou art called,
      If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    How begat he children,   |   the giant grim,
      Who never a giantess knew?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
33. “They say ’neath the arms   |   of the giant of ice
      Grew man-child and maid together;
    And foot with foot   |   did the wise one fashion
      A son that six heads bore.”
Othin spake:
34. “Eighth answer me well,   |   if wise thou art called,
      If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    What farthest back   |   dost thou bear in mind?
      For wide is thy wisdom, giant!”
Vafthruthnir spake:
35. “Winters unmeasured   |   ere earth was made
      Was the birth of Bergelmir;
    This first knew I well,   |   when the giant wise
      In a boat of old was borne.”
Othin spake:
36. “Ninth answer me well,   |   if wise thou art called,
      If thou knowest it, Vafthruthnir, now:
    Whence comes the wind   |   that fares o’er the waves
      Yet never itself is seen?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
37. “In an eagle’s guise   |   at the end of heaven
      Hræsvelg sits, they say;
    And from his wings   |   does the wind come forth
      To move o’er the world of men.”
Othin spake:
38. “Tenth answer me now,   |   if thou knowest all
      The fate that is fixed for the gods:
    Whence came up Njorth   |   to the kin of the gods,—
    (Rich in temples   |   and shrines he rules,—)
      Though of gods he was never begot?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
39. “In the home of the Wanes   |   did the wise ones create him,
      And gave him as pledge to the gods;
    At the fall of the world   |   shall he fare once more
      Home to the Wanes so wise.”
Othin spake:
40. “Eleventh answer me well,   |   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
        .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
    What men .  .  .  .  .  .   |   in .  .  .  .  .  . home
      Each day to fight go forth?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
41. “The heroes all   |   in Othin’s hall
      Each day to fight go forth;
    They fell each other,   |   and fare from the fight
      All healed full soon to sit.”
Othin spake:
42. “Twelfth answer me now   |   how all thou knowest
      Of the fate that is fixed for the gods;
    Of the runes of the gods   |   and the giants’ race
      The truth indeed dost thou tell,
      (And wide is thy wisdom, giant!)”
Vafthruthnir spake:
43. “Of the runes of the gods   |   and the giants’ race
      The truth indeed can I tell,
      (For to every world have I won;)
    To nine worlds came I,   |   to Niflhel beneath,
      The home where dead men dwell.”
Othin spake:
44. “Much have I fared,   |   much have I found,
      Much have I got of the gods:
    What shall live of mankind   |   when at last there comes
      The mighty winter to men?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
45. “In Hoddmimir’s wood   |   shall hide themselves
    Lif and Lifthrasir then;
    The morning dews   |   for meat shall they have,
      Such food shall men then find.”
Othin spake:
46. “Much have I fared,   |   much have I found,
      Much have I got of the gods:
    Whence comes the sun   |   to the smooth sky back,
      When Fenrir has snatched it forth?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
47. “A daughter bright   |   Alfrothul bears
      Ere Fenrir snatches her forth;
    Her mother’s paths   |   shall the maiden tread
      When the gods to death have gone.”
Othin spake:
48. “Much have I fared,   |   much have I found,
      Much have I got of the gods:
    What maidens are they,   |   so wise of mind,
      That forth o’er the sea shall fare?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
49. “O’er Mogthrasir’s hill   |   shall the maidens pass,
      And three are their throngs that come;
    They all shall protect   |   the dwellers on earth,
      Though they come of the giants’ kin.”
Othin spake:
50. “Much have I fared,   |   much have I found,
      Much have I got of the gods:
    Who then shall rule   |   the realm of the gods,
      When the fires of Surt have sunk?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
51. “In the gods’ home Vithar   |   and Vali shall dwell,
      When the fires of Surt have sunk;
    Mothi and Magni   |   shall Mjollnir have
      When Vingnir falls in fight.”
Othin spake:
52. “Much have I fared,   |   much have I found,
      Much have I got of the gods:
    What shall bring the doom   |   of death to Othin,
      When the gods to destruction go?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
53. “The wolf shall fell   |   the father of men,
      And this shall Vithar avenge;
    The terrible jaws   |   shall he tear apart,
      And so the wolf shall he slay.”
Othin spake:
54. “Much have I fared,   |   much have I found,
      Much have I got from the gods:
    What spake Othin himself   |   in the ears of his son,
      Ere in the bale-fire he burned?”
Vafthruthnir spake:
55. “No man can tell   |   what in olden time
      Thou spak’st in the ears of thy son;
    With fated mouth   |   the fall of the gods
      And mine olden tales have I told;
    With Othin in knowledge   |   now have I striven,
      And ever the wiser thou art.”