The Poetic Edda
Page 4
an age of the axe, an age of the sword,
an age of storms, an age of wolves,
shields will be cloven.
Before the world sinks in the sea,
there will be no man left
who is true to another.
[45] The giants are at play,
and the gods’ fate is kindled
at the blast
of Gjallarhorn:
Heimdall blows that horn hard,
holds it high aloft,
Odin speaks
with Mimir’s head.
[46] The old tree sighs
when the giant shakes it—
Yggdrasil still stands,
but it trembles.
[47] Fenrir howls terribly
before the doors to Hel;
the wolf will break its bonds
and run.
I know much wisdom,
I see deep in the future,
all the way to Ragnarok,
a dark day for the gods.
[48] Hrym advances from the east
with a shield before him,
and the Midgard-serpent
is in a monstrous rage.
{13} The serpent beats the waves,
and the eagle screams eagerly,
splitting corpses with its pale beak.
Naglfar, the giants’ ship, is released.
[49] That ship sails from the east,
bearing giants
over the sea,
and Loki is its captain.
The giants are coming
together with Fenrir,
and Loki too is with them
on that voyage.
[50] What news from the gods?
What news from the elves?
All Jotunheim is roaring,
the Aesir are in counsel,
and the dwarves,
creatures of the mountains,
tremble by their doors of stone.
Have you learned enough yet, Allfather?
[51] Surt comes from the south
with a bright light in his hand,
yes, the sun shines upon
the sword in his grasp.
The mountains collapse,
the trolls fall,
men walk the roads to Hel,
and the skies divide above.
[52] Then comes
the second sorrow of Frigg,
when Odin goes
to fight the wolf,
and Frey goes to fight
the giant Surt.
Then Odin, Frigg’s husband,
will fall to Fenrir.
{14} [53] Then comes the great
son of Odin, Vithar,
to fight, to avenge
his father on the wolf.
He shoves his sword
into the mouth of Fenrir,
all the way to the heart,
and thus is Odin avenged.
[54] Then Thor comes,
Earth’s son,
Odin’s son,
to fight the Midgard-serpent—
the protector of Midgard
will kill that serpent in his rage.
But all humankind
will die out of the world
when Thor falls
after only nine steps,
struck down by the venom
of the honorless serpent.
[55] The sun turns black,
the earth sinks into the sea,
the bright stars
fall out of the sky.
Flames scorch
the leaves of Yggdrasil,
a great bonfire
reaches to the highest clouds.
[56] Fenrir howls terribly
before the doors to Hel;
the wolf will break its bonds
and run.
I know much wisdom,
I see deep in the future,
all the way to Ragnarok,
a dark day for the gods.
{15} [57] I SEE THE EARTH
rise a second time
from out of the sea,
green once more.
Waterfalls flow,
and eagles fly overhead,
hunting for fish
among the mountain peaks.
[58] The Aesir meet
on Ithavoll
and regard
the bones of the Midgard-serpent,
and there they recall
the great events of Ragnarok,
and Odin’s
old wisdom.
[59] There they will find once more
the wonderful
golden game pieces
in the grass,
which they had once played with
in the earliest days.
[60] Fields will bear harvest
without labor,
all sickness will disappear,
Balder will come back.
Hoth and Balder
will live in Odin’s hall,
as well as other gods.
Have you learned enough yet, Allfather?
[61] Then Honir will speak
forth his prophecies,
and the two sons of Odin,
the two brothers,
will inhabit the heavens.
Have you learned enough yet, Allfather?
{16} [62] I see a hall standing there,
more beautiful than sunlight,
thatched with gold,
at Gimle.
There bold men
will dwell
and enjoy cheer
throughout their lives.
[63] Then the dark dragon
will come flying
down from the dark mountains,
that glistening serpent.
Nithhogg will bear corpses
in his wings
as he flies over that valley …
now I must retire.
{17} Havamal (The Counsel of Odin the One-Eyed)
The text called Havamal (literally “Words of the One-Eyed,” or “Words of the High One,” either way a reference to Odin) appears to be sewn together from perhaps five or six earlier poems; the first, Gestathattr (“The Guest Part”), comprises roughly stanzas 1–81 and is the most famous part of the poem. This might be considered a Norse equivalent of the Book of Proverbs, containing as it does a series of disconnected stanzas encouraging wisdom and moderation in living one’s life. Gestathattr is followed by Domi Othins (“Odin’s Love Adventures”), which contains general advice about love, and two stories told from the perspective of the god as he tries (once succeeding, once failing) to secure the love of giant women (he fails to seduce Billing’s daughter, but he wins over Gunnloth, who gives him the mead of poetry). The poem then segues into Loddfafnismal (“Words for Loddfafnir”) another series of advice stanzas addressed to an unknown character named Loddfafnir. These sections are followed in turn by Runatal (“Tally of the Runes”), in which Odin speaks of the mysterious fashion in which he sacrificed himself to himself for the knowledge of the runic alphabet, and finally the Ljothatal (“Tally of Songs,” st. 146–63), a list of the eighteen magical spells that Odin claims to know. Most stanzas convey one single thought, but some (e.g. st. 75) comprise two or three seemingly unrelated proverbs. The order of stanzas 88 and 89 has been reversed in order to convey their meaning more clearly, but the original numbering is indicated.
Havamal
[1] AT EVERY DOORWAY
before you enter,
you should look around,
you should take a good look around—
for you never know where your enemies
might be seated within.
{18} [2] Hail to a good host!
A guest has come inside, where should he sit?
He is impatient,
standing on the threshold,
ready to try his luck.
[3] He needs a fire,
the one who has just come in,
his knees are shivering.
Food and dry cloth
es
will do him well,
after his journey over the mountains.
[4] He needs water,
the one who has just arrived,
dry clothes, and a warm welcome
from a friendly host—
and if he can get it,
a chance to listen and be listened to.
[5] A man needs wisdom
if he plans to wander widely;
life is easier at home.
He’ll be laughed at
if he sits among the wise
and has nothing to say.
[6] A wise man
is not showy about his wisdom;
he guards it carefully.
He is silent when he comes
to a stranger’s home.
The wise man seldom wanders into harm,
for you can never have
a more faithful friend
than a good supply of wisdom.
[7] The watchful guest,
when he arrives for a meal,
should keep his mouth shut,
{19} listening with his ears
and watching with his eyes—
that’s how the wise get wiser.
[8] A man is happy
if he finds praise and friendship
within himself.
You can never be sure
of where you stand
in someone else’s heart.
[9] A man is happy
if he finds good advice
within himself.
Many men have received
bad advice
by trusting someone else.
[10] A traveler cannot bring
a better burden on the road
than plenty of wisdom.
It will prove better than money
in an unfamiliar place—
wisdom is the comfort of the poor.
[11] A traveler cannot bring
a better burden on the road
than plenty of wisdom,
and he can bring no worse a burden
than too much alcohol.
[12] There is not as much good
as men claim there is
in alcohol for one’s well-being.
A man knows less
as he drinks more,
and loses more and more of his wisdom.
[13] It’s as if a memory-stealing bird
flies overhead while you drink,
and steals your mind away.
{20} I myself have been trapped
in that bird’s feathers,
when I drank at Gunnloth’s home.
[14] I was drunk,
I was too drunk,
at Fjalar’s house.
The best kind of feast
is the one you go home from
with all your wits about you.
[15] A noble man should
be silent, thoughtful,
and bold in battle.
But every man should also
be cheerful and happy,
till the inevitable day of death.
[16] An unwise man
thinks he’ll live forever
if only he can avoid a fight,
but old age
will give him no peace,
even if weapons do.
[17] A foolish man
misuses his mouth—
he talks too much, or says nothing.
As soon as
he gets a drink,
he’ll say anything he knows.
[18] Only a man
who is wide-traveled
and has wandered far
can know something
about how other men think.
Such a man is wise.
[19] Don’t hold on to the mead-horn,
but drink your fair share.
Say something useful or stay quiet.
{21} And no one else
will judge you poorly
if you go to sleep early.
[20] A gluttonous man,
unless he watches himself,
will eat to his own detriment.
Wise men will often
ridicule a fool
on account of his belly.
[21] Even cows know
when they should go home
and leave behind the fields,
but an unwise man
does not know
the measure of his own appetite.
[22] A stupid man
and an undisciplined one
laughs at everything.
He hasn’t learned
a lesson that would do him good:
he himself isn’t flawless.
[23] A fool
stays awake all night
worrying about everything.
He’s fatigued
when the morning comes,
and his problems remain unsolved.
[24] An unwise man
thinks anyone who laughs with him
is his friend.
He doesn’t understand
that the wise are mocking him,
even when he overhears them.
[25] An unwise man
thinks anyone who laughs with him
is his friend,
{22} but he won’t find these friends
when he goes to court—
no one will speak on his behalf.
[26] A stupid man
thinks he knows everything
if he gets himself in a tough corner.
But he doesn’t even know
what he’ll answer,
if men ask him questions.
[27] It’s best for a fool
to keep his mouth shut
among other people.
No one will know
he knows nothing,
if he says nothing.
Ill-informed people
are also the ones
who don’t know when to stop talking.
[28] You will seem wise
if you know the answer,
and know how to explain it.
People are not able
to keep a secret
of what they hear about other people.
[29] You will hurt yourself
with all your talking
if you never close your mouth.
A hasty tongue,
unless it’s disciplined,
often earns its owner punishment.
[30] No one should
ridicule anyone else,
even if he owes him money.
Many a man seems wise
if he is never questioned,
but he may prove otherwise.
{23} [31] A man may seem wise
if he pokes fun at another
when the other man is away.
But the man who talks
behind another man’s back
is a fool, even if his listeners laugh.
[32] Many men
are kind,
but can be driven to fight.
There will always
be conflict between men:
where there’s more than one, there’s a fight.
[33] You should eat
your meals early,
unless you’re visiting a friend.
A hungry man
sits and gets sluggish,
and his wits are impaired.
[34] It’s a long and crooked walk
to a bad friend,
even if he lives nearby.
But it’s an easy road
to a good friend,
no matter how long the journey.
[35] You should keep moving.
You should never be a guest forever
in any one place.
Your welcome will wear out
if you stay too long
beneath another’s roof.
[36] It’s better to have a home,
even if it’s little—
everyone should call somewhere “home.”
Even if you own just tw
o goats
beneath a faulty roof,
that’s still better than begging.
{24} [37] Better to have a home,
even if it’s little—
everyone should call somewhere “home.”
Your heart will be wounded
if you have to beg for every meal
from somebody else.
[38] Never go
even a single step
without a weapon at your side;
you never know
when you might find yourself
in need of a spear.
[39] I have never met a man so generous
nor so hospitable
that he would not welcome repayment,
nor have I met a man
so giving that he’d turn down
a thing offered in return.
[40] Do not be so sparing
in using your money
that you don’t use it for your own needs.
Often what you save for your children
will end up in the hands of your enemies—
many things will go worse than you expect.
[41] Friends should provide their friends
with weapons and clothing;
this kind of generosity shows.
Generous mutual giving
is the key
to lifelong friendship.
[42] Be a friend
to your friend,
and repay each gift with a gift.
Repay laughter
with laughter,
repay treachery with treachery.
{25} [43] Be a friend
to your friend
and also to his friend,
but never be a friend
to the enemy
of your friend.
[44] If you have a good friend,
and really trust him,
and want good to come of your friendship,
you should speak your mind with him,
exchange gifts,
visit him often.
[45] But if you have another friend,
and you mistrust him
but want to benefit from him, nonetheless—
you should speak to him kindly,
flatter him,
and repay his treachery with your own.
[46] This same friend,
if you mistrust him,
and suspect him to be false in his words:
you should talk with him,
laugh with him,
but repay just what he gives you.
[47] I was young once,
I walked alone,
and I became lost on my way.
I felt like I was rich
when I met another traveler—
people’s joy is in other people.
[48] Kind, brave people
live best,
they never nurture a grudge.
It’s unwise
to spend your life worrying,
dreading your responsibilities.
{26} [49] I gave my clothes
to two scarecrows,
once when I walked in a field.
They thought they were human
as soon as they had clothes on;
a naked man feels ashamed.
[50] A fir-tree decays,