ODIN'S RAVEN-

CHANT
1 Alföður orkar, Allfather works,
2 álfar skilja, elves understand,
3 vanir vitu, vanir know,
4 vísa nornir, norns reveal,
5 elur íviðja, íviðja gives birth,
6 aldir bera, men endure,
7 þreyja þursar, thurses wait,
8 þrá valkyrjur. valkyries yearn.

02
1 Ætlun æsir The Æsir suspected
2 illa gátu, an evil scheme,
3 veður villtu wights confounded
the weather with
4 vættar rúnum;
magic;
5 Óðhræris skyldi Urður was appointed
6 Urður geyma, Óðhrærir's keeper,
7 máttk at verja powerful to protect it
from the mightiest
8 mestum þorra.
winter.

03
1 Hverfur því Hugur, Hugur then disappears
2 himna leitar, seeking the heavens,
men's ruin is
3 grunar guma
suspected,
4 grand ef dvelur; if he's delayed;
5 þótti er Þráins Þráinn's thought
6 þunga draumur, is an opressive dream,
7 Dáins dulu Dáinn's dream
8 draumur þótti. was thought enigmatic.

04
1 Dugir með dvergum
2 dvína, heimar
3 niður að Ginnungs
4 niði sökkva;
5 oft Alsviður
6 ofan fellir,
7 oft of föllnum
8 aftur safnar.
05
1 Stendur æva
2 strind né röðull,
3 lofti með lævi
4 linnir ei straumi;
5 mærum dylst
6 í Mímis brunni
7 vissa vera;
8 vitið enn, eða hvað?
06
1 Dvelur í dölum
2 dís forvitin,
3 Yggdrasils frá
4 aski hnigin;
5 álfa ættar
6 Iðunni hétu,
7 Ívalds eldri
8 yngsta barna.
07
1 Eirði illa
2 ofankomu,
3 hárbaðms undir
4 haldin meiði;
The dwarves' powers
dwindle, the worlds
sink down
towards Ginnung's
abyss;
Often Alsviður
fells from above,
often he gathers
the fallen again.
Earth and Sun
cannot stand firm;
malignant winds
do not cease;
hidden in the glorious
well of Mímir
lies all knowledge;
know ye yet, or what?
Dwells in dales
the curious dís,
from Yggdrasill's
ash descended;
of elven kin,
Iðunn was her name,
youngest of Ívald's
elder children.
Ill she endured
the fall from above,
under the hoar-tree's
trunk confined;
5 kunni síst disliked staying
6 að kundar Nörva, at Nörvi's daughter's,
7 vön að værri used to better
8 vistum heima. abodes back home.

08
1 Sjá sigtívar The divinities see
2 syrgja Naumu Nauma grieving
3 viggjar að véum; in the wolf's home;
4 vargsbelg seldu, given a wolf-skin,
she clad herself
5 lét í færast,
therein,
6 lyndi breytti, changed disposition,
7 lék að lævísi, delighted in guile,
8 litum skipti. shifted her shape.

09
1 Valdi Viðrir Viðrir selected
2 vörð Bifrastar Bifröst's guardian
3 Gjallar sunnu to inquire of
the bearer of Gjöll's
4 gátt að frétta,
sun,
5 heims hvívetna whatever she knew
6 hvert er vissi; of the world's affairs;
7 Bragi og Loftur Bragi and Loftur
8 báru kviðu. bore witness.

10
1 Galdur gólu, Sorcery they sang,
2 göndum riðu, wolves they rode,
3 Rögnir og Reginn Rögnir and Reginn,
against the world's
4 að ranni heimis;
house;
5 hlustar Óðinn Óðinn listens
6 Hliðskjálfu í; in Hliðskjálf;
7 leit braut vera
8 langa vegu.
11
1 Frá enn vitri
2 veiga selju
3 banda burður
4 og brauta sinnar;
5 hlýrnis, heljar,
6 heims ef vissi
7 ártíð, æfi,
8 aldurtila.
12
1 Né mun mælti,
2 né mál knátti
3 Gefjun greiða,
4 né glaum hjaldi;
5 tár af tíndust
6 törgum hjarnar,
7 eljunfaldin
8 endurrjóða.
13
1 Eins kemur austan
2 úr Élivágum
3 þorn af akri
4 þurs hrímkalda,
5 hveim drepur dróttir
6 Dáinn allar
7 mæran of Miðgarð
8 með nátt hverri.
watched the travellers'
distant journey.
The wise one asked
the server of mead,
scion of gods
and his road-
companions,
if she knew the origin,
duration, and end
of heaven, of hel,
of the world.
Her mind she spoke
not,
nor was Gefjun able
to utter a word,
nor express any joy;
tears trickled,
from the skull's
shields,
the mighty one
was bereft of power.
As from the East,
out of Élivágar,
comes a thorn from the
field
of the rime-cold giant,
with which Dáinn
smites all men
of glorious Midgard
every night.
 14
1 Dofna þá dáðir, Actions are numbed,
2 detta hendur, the arms slump,
3 svífur of svimi a swoon hovers over
4 sverð áss hvíta; the white god's sword;
5 rennir örvit stupor dispels
the wind of the
6 rýgjar glyggvi,
giantess,
7 sefa sveiflum the mind's workings
8 sókn gjörvallri. of all mankind.

15
Thus the gods
1 Jamt þótti Jórunn
perceived
2 jólnum komin, the state of Jórunn,
3 sollin sútum, swollen with sorrow,
when no answer came
4 svars er ei gátu;
forth;
they grew more
5 sóttu því meir
persistent
as response was
6 að syn var fyrir,
denied,
7 mun þó miður but all their words
8 mælgi dugði. were to no avail.

16
1 Fór frumkvöðull Went forth the leader
2 fregnar brauta, of the expedition,
3 hirðir að Herjans guardian of Herjan's
4 horni Gjallar; Gjallarhorn;
5 Nálar nefa chose as companion
6 nam til fylgis, the kinsman of Nál,
7 greppur Grímnis Grímnir's poet
8 grund varðveitti. guarded the ground.
 17
1 Vingólf tóku Arrived at Vingólf
2 Viðars þegnar, Viðar's thains,
3 Fornjóts sefum by Fornjót's sons
4 fluttir báðir; both transported;
5 iðar ganga, they walk within,
6 æsi kveðja greet the Æsir
7 Yggjar þegar forthwith at Yggur's
8 við ölteiti. merry ale-feast:

18
1 Heilan Hangatý, "Hale be, Hangatýr,
2 heppnastan ása, happiest of Æsir,
3 virt öndvegis may you preside over
the mead at the high-
4 valda báðu;
seat!"
5 sæla að sumbli "Sit, gods, in delight
6 sitja día, at the drinking-feast;
may you, with
7 æ með Yggjungi
Yggjungur,
8 yndi halda. enjoy eternal bliss!"

19
1 Bekkjarsett Seated on benches
2 að Bölverks ráði at Bölverk's bidding
3 sjöt Sæhrímni the tribe of gods
were with Sæhrímnir
4 saddist rakna;
sated;
5 Skögul að skutlum Skögul, at the tables,
6 skaptker Hnikars with horns meted out
7 mat af miði Mímir's mead
8 Mímis hornum. from Hnikar's vat.

20
1 Margs of frágu Much was asked
2 máltíð yfir during the banquet
of Heimdallur by the
3 Heimdall há goð,
gods,
of Loki by the
4 hörgar Loka,
goddesses,
whether the woman
5 spár eða spakmál
had spoken
6 sprund ef kenndi, prophecies or wisdom;
7 undorn of fram, all day they asked
until twilight
8 unz nam húma.
approached.

21
1 Illa létu Badly, they deemed,
2 orðið hafa had gone amiss
3 erindisleysu their futile errand
4 oflítilfræga; of little glory;
5 vant að væla it would prove hard
6 verða myndi, to find the ploy needed
7 svo af svanna to get an answer
8 svars of gæti. from the woman.

22
1 Ansar Ómi, Ómi answers,
2 allir hlýddu: all listened:
3 "Nótt skal nema "Night is the time
4 nýræða til; for new advice;
5 hugsi til myrgins think until morning
6 hver sem orkar each that is able
7 ráð til leggja to provide counsel
for the Æsir's
8 rausnar ásum!"
benefit!".

23
1 Rann með röstum Ran along the eddies
2 Rindar móður
3 fóðurlarður
4 fenris valla;
5 gengu frá gildi
6 goðin, kvöddu
7 Hropt og Frigg,
8 sem Hrímfaxa fór.
24
1 Dýrum settan
2 Dellings mögur
3 jó fram keyrði
4 jarknasteinum;
5 mars of Manheim
6 mön af glóar,
7 dró leik Dvalins
8 drösull í reið.
25
1 Jörmungrundar
2 í jódyr nyrðra
3 und rót yztu
4 aðalþollar
5 gengu til rekkju
6 gýgjur og þursar,
7 náir, dvergar
8 og dökkálfar.
26
1 Risu raknar,
2 rann álfröðull,
3 norður að Niflheim
4 njóla sótti;
of Rindur's plains
the wolf's tired
food supply;
the gods left
the feast and saluted
Hroptur and Frigg,
as Hrímfaxi ascended.
Delling's son
urged on his horse,
well adorned
with precious stones;
the horse's mane glows
above Man-world,
the steed in his chariot
drew Dvalin's
playmate.
At Jörmungrund's
northern border,
under the outermost
root
of the noble tree,
went to their couches
giantesses and giants,
dead men, dwarves,
and dark-elves.
The gods arose,
álfröðull ran,
njóla advanced
north towards
 Niflheimur;
5 upp nam Árgjöll Úlfrún's son
6 Úlfrúnar niður, lifted up Árgjöll,
7 hornþytvaldur the mighty hornblower
8 Himinbjarga. in Himinbjörg.