Atli.

84.  On the pile thou shalt be burnt, but first be stoned; then wilt thou have earned what thou hast ever sought.

Gudrun.

85.  Tell to thyself such griefs early to-morrow:  by a fairer death I will pass to another light.

86.  In the same hall they sat, exchanged hostile thoughts, bandied words of hate:  each was ill at ease.

87.  Hate waxed in a Hniflung, a great deed he meditated; to Gudrun he declared that he was Atli’s deadly foe.

88.  Into her mind came Hogni’s treatment; happy she him accounted, if he vengeance wreaked.  Then was Atli slain, within a little space; Hogni’s son him slew, and Gudrun herself.

89.  The bold king spake, roused up from sleep; quickly he felt the wounds, said he no binding needed.  “Tell me most truly who has slain Budli’s son.  I am hardly treated:  of life I have no hope.”

Gudrun.

90.  I, Grimhild’s daughter, will not from thee hide, that I am the cause that thy life passes away; but partly Hogni’s son, that thy wounds make thee faint.

Atli.

91.  To the slaughter thou hast rushed, although it ill beseemed thee; ’tis bad to circumvent a friend, who well confided in thee.  Besought I went from home, to woo thee, Gudrun!

92.  A widow thou was left, fierce thou wast accounted, which was no falsehood, as we have proved.  Hither home thou earnest, us a host of men attended; all was splendid on our journey.

93.  Pomp of all kinds was there, of illustrious men, beeves in abundance:  largely we enjoyed them.  Of all things there was plenty partaken of by many.

94.  A marriage gift to my bride I gave, treasures for her acceptance, thralls thrice ten, seven fair female slaves:  in such things was honour; silver there was yet more.

95.  All seemed to thee as it were naught, while the lands untouched lay, which Budli had left me.  So didst thou undermine, dist allow me nothing to receive.  Thou didst my mother let often sit weeping:  with heart content I found not one of my household after.

Gudrun.

96.  Now, Atli! thou liest, though of that I little reck.  Gentle I seldom was, yet didst thou greatly aggravate it.  Young brothers ye fought together, among yourselves contended; to Hel went the half from thy house:  all went to ruin that should be for benefit.

97.  Brothers and sisters we were three, we thought ourselves invincible:  from the land we departed, we followed Sigurd.  We roved about, each steered a ship; seeking luck we went, till to the east we came.

98.  The chief king we slew, there a land obtained, the “hersar” yielded to us; that manifested fear.  We from the forest freed him whom we wished harmless, raised him to prosperity who nothing had possessed.

99.  The Hun king[115] died, then suddenly my fortune changed:  great was the young wife’s grief, the widow’s lot was hers.  A torment to me it seemed to come living to the house of Atli.  A hero had possessed me:  sad was that loss!