THE COMPARATIVe VǪLUSPÁ
Stanzas 4-6
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 4:
Áðr Burs synir
x. Neckel’s Old Norse edition, 1914:
Áðr Burs synir biǫðom um ypþo,
þeir er miðgarð, mæran, skópo:
sól skein sunnan á salar steina,
þa var grund gróin grœnom lauki.
Was the land then lifted aloft by Bur's sons
who made Midgarth, the matchless earth;
shone from the south the sun on dry land,
on the ground then grew the greensward soft.
Then Bur's sons lifted the level land,
Mithgarth the mighty there they made;
The sun from the south warmed the stones of earth.
And green was the ground with growing leeks.
ere the sons of the god had uplifted the world-plain,
and fashioned Midgarth, the glorious Earth,
Sun shone from the south, on the world's bare stones—
then was Earth o’ergrown with herb of green.
c. Guðbrandur Vigfússon & York Powell, 1883:
ere that the sons of Bor, who made the blessed earth,
raised the flat ground.
Then the Sun shone forth from the south on the dwelling-stones,
and the fields were mantled with green herbs.
before Bur's sons raised up heaven's vault,
they who the noble mid-earth shaped.
The sun shone from the south over the structure's rocks:
then was the earth begrown with herbage green.
a. Turner, 1836:
Before Bur had raised up the meadows,
And had enlarged Midgard,
The sun shone round the south,
And the ground produced its green fruits.
STANZA 5:
Sól varp sunnan
x. Neckel’s Old Norse edition, 1914:
Sól varp sunnan, sinni mána,
hendi inni hœgri um himiniǫður;
sól þat ne vissi, hvar hon sali átti,
stiǫrnor þat ne visso, hvar þær staði átto,
máni þat ne vissi, hvat hann megins átti.
From the south the sun, by the side of the moon,
heaved his right hand over heaven's rim;
the sun knew not what might he had,
the moon knew not what might he had,
the stars knew not what stead they held.
The sun, the sister of the moon, from the south
Her right hand cast over heaven's rim;
No knowledge she had where her home should be,
The moon knew not what might was his.
The stars knew not where their stations were.
d. Bray, 1908:
Sun, Moon’s companion, out of the south
her right hand flung round the rim of heaven.
Sun knew not yet where she had her hall;
nor knew the stars where they had their place;
nor ever the Moon what might he owned.
c. Guðbrandur Vigfússon & York Powell, 1883:
Then the Sun from the south, with the Moon her fellow,
cast her right hand on the edge of Heaven
[entered the gates of the horizon].
The Sun knew not her inn, nor the Moon his domain,
nor the Stars their place.
The sun from the south, the moon's companion,
her right hand cast about the heavenly horses.
The sun knew not where she a dwelling had,
the moon knew not what power he possessed,
the stars knew not where they had a station.
The sun was his noon, threw out the moon
With his rang hand, over the steeds of heaven.
The sun knew not where should be his palaces:
The moon knew not where should be her home:
The stars knew not where would be their station.
STANZA 6:
Þá gengo regin
x. Neckel’s Old Norse edition, 1914:
Þá gengo regin ǫll á rǫkstóla,
ginnheilog goð, ok um þat gættoz:
nótt ok niðiom nǫfn um gáfo,
morgin héto ok miðian dag,
undorn ok aptan, árom at telia.
Then gathered together the gods for counsel,
the holy hosts, and held converse;
to night and new-moon their names they gave,
the morning named, and midday also,
forenoon and evening, to order the year.
Then sought the gods their assembly-seats,
The holy ones, and council held;
Names then gave they to noon and twilight,
Morning they named, and the waning moon.
Night and evening, the years to number.
d. Bray, 1908:
Then went all the Powers to their thrones of doom—
the most holy gods— and o’er this took counsel:
to Night and the New-Moons names they gave:
they named the Morning, and named the Mid-day,
Afternoon, Evening, —to count the years.
c. Guðbrandur Vigfússon & York Powell, 1883:
Then all the Powers, the most high gods,
assembled to their judgment-seats
and took counsel together,
giving names to Night and the New Moons
[phases of Moons]:
they called Morningtide and Midday,
Afternoon and Eventide by their names;
for the counting of seasons.
Then went the powers all to their judgment-seats,
the all-holy gods, and thereon held council:
to night and to the waning moon gave names;
morn they named, and mid-day,
afternoon and eve, whereby to reckon years.
Then all the Deities moved to their royal stools:
The stupendously-holy Gods consider these things:
They gave names to the night and to the twilight,
They called the morning and mid-day so;
And bade the rise and the course of the year to begin.