32.  Weeping Grimhild caught the words, by which to her sons Gudrun foreboded evil, and to her kindred dire misfortunes.  “Lands I will also give thee, people and followers, Vinbiorg and Valbiorg, if thou wilt accept them; for life possess them, and be happy, daughter!”

33.  “Him then I will choose among the kings, and from my relatives reluctantly receive him.  Never will he be to me a welcome consort, nor my brothers’ bale a protection to our sons.”

34.  Forthwith on horseback was each warrior to be seen; but the Walish women were in chariots placed.  For seven days o’er a cold land we rode; but the second seven, we beat the waves; and the third seven, we reached dry land.

35.  There the gate-wards of the lofty burgh the latticed entrance opened, ere the court we entered.

36.  Atli waked me, but I seemed to be full of evil thoughts, for my kinsmen’s death.

37.  “So me just now[85] have the Norns waked,—­a grateful interpretation I fain would have.  Methought that thou, Gudrun!  Giuki’s daughter! with a treacherous sword didst pierce me through.”

38.  “Fire it forebodes,[86] when one of iron dreams, arrogance and pleasure, a woman’s anger.  Against evil I will go burn thee, cure and medicate thee, although to me thou art hateful.”

39.  “Seemed to me here in the garden[87] that young shoots had fallen, which I wished to let grow:  torn up with their roots, reddened with blood, to table they were brought, and offered me to eat.

40.  “Seemed to me that hawks flew from my hand, lacking their quarry, to the house of woes; seemed to me I ate their hearts with honey swollen with blood, with sorrowing mind.

41.  “Seemed to me from my hand whelps I let slip; lacking cause of joy, both of them howled:  seemed to me their bodies became dead carcases:  of the carrion I was compelled to eat.”

42.  “There will warriors[88] round thy couch converse, and of the white-locked ones take off the head; death-doomed they are within a few nights, a little ere day:  thy court will eat of them.”

43.  “Lie down I would not,[89] nor sleep after, obstinate in my fate—­That I will execute!”

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 82:  That is the long fish of the heath, or Ung, a snake or serpent.]

[Footnote 83:  Soot.]

[Footnote 84:  Atli:  Grimhild speaks.]

[Footnote 85:  Atli speaks.]

[Footnote 86:  Gudrun answers.]

[Footnote 87:  Atli speaks.]

[Footnote 88:  Gudrun answers.]

[Footnote 89:  Atll speaks.]

THE THIRD LAY OF GUDRUN.

Atli had a serving-woman named Herkia,[90] who had been his concubine.  She informed Atli that she had seen Thiodrek and Gudrun together; whereat Atli was much afflicted.  Then Gudrun said: 

1.  What ails thee ever, Atli!  Budli’s son!  Hast thou sorrow in thy heart?  Why never laughest thou?  To thy jarls it would seem more desirable, that thou with men wouldst talk, and on me wouldst look.