THE COMPARATIVe VǪLUSPÁ
Stanzas 13-15
Joseph S. Hopkins for Mimisbrunnr.info, August 2022
The present page consists of an entry of Mimisbrunnr.info’s The Comparative Vǫluspá. The Mimisbrunnr.info team designed The Comparative Vǫluspá as a resource to assist in the study of both the poem and its English language translations. You can read about the project’s approach and goals here.
The Comparative Vǫluspá features six public domain English editions of Vǫluspá presented in reverse chronological order, specifically those of Lee M. Hollander (first edition, 1928), Henry Adams Bellows (1923), Olive Bray (1908), Guðbrandur Vigfússon and York Powell (1883), Benjamin Thorpe (1866), and Sharon Turner (1836). We precede these with Gustav Neckel’s 1914 Old Norse edition of the poem, which is also in the public domain in the United States, and which we’ve used as a basis for the project’s stanza order.
Please note that if this is your first encounter with the poem, The Comparative Vǫluspá can serve as an introduction, but you stand to benefit from Carolyne Larrington’s revised edition (2014) as your foundation. Not only do Larrington’s notes reflect contemporary scholarship but her revised edition contains two separate translations of the poem from two notably different manuscripts of the poem. Translators often combine these manuscripts and this can lead to significant confusion for non-specialists.
STANZA 13:
Fíli, Kíli, Fundinn
x. Neckel’s Old Norse edition, 1914:
Fíli, Kíli, Fundinn, Náli,
Hepti, Víli, Hanarr, Svíurr,
Frár, Hornbori, Frægr ok Lóni,
Aurvangr, Jari, Eikinskialdi.
Fili, Kíli, Fundin, Náli,
Heptifili, Hannar, Svíur,
Frár, Hornbori, Fræg and Lóni,
Aurvang, Iari, Eikinskialdi.
Fili, Kili, Fundin, Nali,
Heptifili, Hannar, Sviur,
Frar, Hombori, Fraeg and Loni,
Aurvang, Jari, Eikinskjaldi.
Fili, Kili, Fundin, Nali,
Heptifili, Hannar, Sviur,
Frar, Hornbori, Fraeg and Loni,
Aurvang, Jari, Oaken-shield.
c. Guðbrandur Vigfússon & York Powell, 1883:
Not included in translation. See Guðbrandur & York Powell 1883: 79.
Fili, Kili, Fundin, Nali,
Hepti, Vili, Hanar, Svîor,
Billing, Bruni, Bild, Bûri,
Frâr, Hornbori, Fræg and Lôni,
Aurvang, Iari, Eikinskialdi.
a. Turner, 1836:
Fili; Kili; Fundinn; Nali;
Heiti; Vili; Hanar; Svior;
Frar; Hornbore; Flogur; Lone;
Aurvangar, and Eikenskialldi.
STANZA 14:
Mál er, dverga
x. Neckel’s Old Norse edition, 1914:
Mál er, dverga í Dvalins liði
lióna kindom til Lofars telia,
þeir er sótto frá salar steini
aurvanga siǫt til Jǫrovalla.
The dwarfs I tell now in Dválin’s host,
down to Lofar, for listening wights—
they who hied them from halls of stone
over sedgy shores to sandy plains.
The race of the dwarfs in Dvalin's throng
Down to Lofar the list must I tell;
The rocks they left, and through wet lands
They sought a home in the fields of sand.
d. Bray, 1908:
‘Tis time to number in Dallier’s song-mead
all the dwarf-kind of Lofar’s race,—
who from earth’s threshold, the Plains of Moisture,
sought below the Sandy-realms.
c. Guðbrandur Vigfússon & York Powell, 1883:
It is time to count up the generations of the company
of Dwale [the Dwarves] to Lofar,
those Dwarves that went from Rock-halls,
the seat of Loam-garden, to Ioroplain.
Time 'tis of the dwarfs in Dvalin's band,
to the sons of men, to Lofar up to reckon,
those who came forth from the world's rock,
earth's foundation, to Iora's plains.
It is time that the dwarfs
From the family of Daulin
Should be reckoned by the kindreds of people,
For an auspicious year;
They go out from the rocks above ground,
To the seats of the husbandmen;
The sea of the ploughs.
STANZA 15:
Þar var Draupnir
x. Neckel’s Old Norse edition, 1914:
Þar var Draupnir ok Dólgþrasir,
Hár, Hauspori, Hlévangr, Glói,
Skirvir, Virvir, Skafiðr, Ái,
There was Draupnir and Dolgthrasir,
Hór and Haugspori, Hlévang, Glóin,
Dóri, Óri, Duf, Andvari,
Skirfir, Virfir, Skáfith, Áï,
There were Draupnir and Dolgthrasir,
Hor, Haugspori, Hlevang, Gloin,
Dori, Ori, Duf, Andvari,
Skirfir, Virfir, Skafith, Ai.
d. Bray, 1908:
There were Draupnir and Dolgthrasir,
Har and Haugspori, Hlevang, Gloin,
Dori, Ori, Duf, Andvari,
Skirfir, Virfir, Skafid, Ai.
c. Guðbrandur Vigfússon & York Powell, 1883:
There was Dripper, etc.
There were Draupnir, and Dôlgthrasir,
Hâr, Haugspori, Hlævang, Glôi,
Skirvir, Virvir, Skafid, Ai,
Alf and Yngvi, Eikinskialdi,
There was Draupner and Dolgkrasir:
Hair; Haugspere; Hlevangur; Gloe;
Skryver; Virvir; Skafidur; Ai;
Alfur; Ingve of Eikinskialldr;