ceaseless guarding
gold and silver
greedy-hearted;
but fell Fáfnir
folk all name him
of dragons direst,
dreaming evil.’
Regin 6 ‘Dragons all are dire
to the dull-hearted;
yet venom feared not
V?lsung’s children.’
Sigurd ‘Eager thou urgest me,
though of age untried –
tell me now truly
why thou tauntest me!’
*
Regin 7 ‘The falls of Andvari
frothed and spouted
with fish teeming
in foaming pools.
There Otr sported,
mine own brother;
to snare salmon
sweet he thought it.
8 With stone smote him,
stripped him naked,
a robber roving
ruthless-handed;
at Hreidmar’s house
hailed my father,
that fairest fell
for food offered.
9 There wrought Regin
by the red embers
rough iron hewing
and runes marking;
there Fáfnir lay
by the fire sleeping,
fell-hearted son,
fiercely dreaming.
(Hreidmar) 10 “Redgolden rings,
ransom costly,
this fell must fill,
this fur cover.”
From the foaming force
as a fish netted
was Dwarf Andvari
dragged and plundered.
11 All must Andvari,
all surrender,
light rings and heavy,
or life itself.
In Hreidmar’s house
heaped he laid them,
gold ring on gold,
a great weregild.
(Regin & Fáfnir) 12 “Shall not brethren share
in brother’s ransom
their grief to gladden? –
gold is healing.”
(Hreidmar) “The wreathéd rings
I will rule alone,
as long as life is
they leave me never!”
13 Then Fáfnir’s heart
fiercely stung him;
Hreidmar he hewed
in his house asleep.
Fáfnir’s heart
as a fire burneth:
part nor portion
he pays to Regin.
14 In dragon’s likeness
darkling lies he;
deep his dungeons,
and dread he knows not.
A helm of horror
his head weareth
on Gnitaheiei
grimly creeping.’
Sigurd 15 ‘With kin unkindly
wert thou cursed Regin!
His fire and venom
affright me not!
Yet why thou eggest me,
I ask thee still –
for father’s vengeance,
or for Fáfnir’s gold?’
Regin 16 ‘A sire avenged
were sweet to Regin;
the gold thy guerdon,
the glory thine.
A sword for Sigurd
will the smith fashion,
the blade most bitter
ever borne to war.’
*
17 The forge was smoking,
the fire smouldered.
Two swords there fashioned
twice he broke them:
hard the anvil
hewed he mightily –
sword was splintered,
smith was angered.
Sigurd 18 ‘Sigrlinn, say me,
was sooth told me
of gleaming shards
of Grímnir’s sword?
Sigmund’s son
now seeks them from thee –
now Gram shall Regin
guileless weld me!’
19 The forge was flaring,
the fire blazing:
a blade they brought him
with blue edges;
they flickered with flame,
as it flashed singing –
the cloven anvil
clashed asunder.
20 The Rhine river
ran by swiftly;
there tufts of wool
on the tide he cast.
Sharp it shore them
in the sheer water:
glad grew Sigurd,
Gram there brandished.
Sigurd 21 ‘Where lies the heath
and hoard golden?
Now rede me Regin
of roads thither!’
Regin ‘Far lies Fáfnir
in the fells hiding –
a horse must thou have,
high and sturdy.’
22 In Busiltarn ran
blue the waters,
green grew the grass
for grazing horse.
A man them minded
mantled darkly,
hoary-bearded,
huge and ancient.
23 They drove the horses
into deep currents;
to the bank they backed
from the bitter water.
But grey Grani
gladly swam there:
Sigurd chose him,
swift and flawless.
Man 24 ‘In the stud of Sleipnir,
steed of ódin,
was sired this horse,
swiftest, strongest.
Ride now! ride now!
rocks and mountains,
horse and hero,
hope of ódin!’
*
25 Gand rode Regin
and Grani Sigurd;
the waste lay withered,
wide and empty.
Fathoms thirty fell
the fearful cliff
whence the dragon bowed him
drinking thirsty.
26 In deep hollow
on the dark hillside
long there lurked he;
the land trembled.
Forth came Fáfnir,
fire his breathing;
down the mountain rushed
mists of poison.
27 The fire and fume
over fearless head
rushed by roaring;
rocks were groaning.
The black belly,
bent and coiling,
over hidden hollow
hung and glided.
28 Gram was brandished;
grimly ringing
to the hoary stone
heart it sundered.
In Fáfnir’s throe
were threshed as flails
his writhing limbs
and reeking head.
29 Black flowed the blood,
belching drenched him;
in the hollow hiding
hard grew Sigurd.
Swift now sprang he
sword withdrawing:
there each saw other
with eyes of hate.
Fáfnir 30 ‘O man of mankind!
What man begot thee?
Who forged the flame
for Fáfnir’s heart?’
Sigurd ‘As the wolf I walk
wild and lonely,
no father owning,
a flame bearing.’
Fáfnir 31 ‘A wolf was thy sire –
full well I know it!
Who egged thee eager
to mine undoing?’
Sigurd ‘My sire was Sigmund,
seed of V?lsung;
my heart egged me,
my hand answered.’
Fáfnir 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.’
Sigurd 33 ‘Life each must leave
on his latest day,
yet gold gladly
will grasp living!’
Fáfnir ‘Fools! saith Fáfnir –
with fate of woe
this gold is glamoured.
Grasp not! Flee thou!’
Sigurd 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.
Regin 35 ‘Hail! O V?lsung
victory-crownéd,
of mortal men
mightiest hero!’
Sigurd ‘In the halls of ódin
more hard to choose!
many brave are born
who blades stain not.’
Regin 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.’
Sigurd 37 ‘Far enow thou fleddest,
when Fáfnir came.
This sword slew him,
and Sigurd’s prowess.’
Regin ‘This sword I smithied.
Yet would serpent live,
had not Regin’s counsel
wrought his ending!’
Sigurd 38 ‘Nay, blame not thyself,
backward helper!
Stout heart is better
than strongest sword.’
Regin ‘Yet the sword I smithied,
the serpent’s bane!
The bold oft are beaten
who have blunt weapons.’
39 Thus heavy spake Regin
Ridil unsheathing,
fell Fáfnir’s heart
from the flesh cleaving.
Dark blood drank he
from the dragon welling;
deep drowsing fell
on dwarvish smith.
Regin 40 ‘Sit now, Sigurd!
Sleep o’ercomes me.
Thou Fáfnir’s heart
at the fire roast me.
His dark thought’s dwelling
after drink potent
I fain would eat,
feast of wisdom.’
41 Sharp spit shaped he;
at shining fire
the fat of Fáfnir there frothed and hissed.
To tongue he touched
testing finger –
beasts’ cry he knew,
and birds’ voices .
*
first bird 42 ‘A head shorter
should hoary liar
go hence to nether hell!
The heart of Fáfnir
I whole would eat
if I myself were Sigurd.’
second bird 43 ‘Who a foe lets free
is fool indeed,
when he was bane of brother!
I alone would be lord
of linkéd gold,
if my w