Egil saith that that was then not to be looked for, that he would have might to work then though he sought to: “Yet try this I may”, saith he. Egil had then had a son that was named Gunnar, and that one too had died a little before. And this is the beginning of the song:10
Heavy meseems
Is stirring of tongue now,
’Neath air-weight
Of the ode’s balance.
’Tis not now hopeful
For Odin’s plunder:
From heart’s well
No handy drawing.
’Tis not rais’d easy
(’Cause ruleth here
Heavy sobbings)
From soul’s abode—
The fair thing found
Of Frigg’s kinsfolk,
Borne of yore
From Jotunheim.
Faultless: the one thing
Left for me:
My last, best
Boat unsunken.
The giant’s wound-stream
Waileth under,
Past boat-house door
Of my blood and kin.
For my line
At’s latter end
Standeth, storm-bent
Like forest maples.
’Tis no blithe man,
He that must bear
A dear one’s corpse
From his dwelling down.
Yet for me
A mother’s corpse,
A father dead,
Is first to tell of.
That bear I out
From temple of words,
Timber for song-craft
Speech-beleaféd.
Grim was the breach
The breaker wrought
In the kin-built fence
Of my father’s garth.
I know, unfill’d
And open standeth
My son’s place
That the sea swept bare.
Greatly hath Ran
For-ruin’d me.
I am over-stript
Of loving friends.
The sea hath cut
The cords of mine house,
The hard-spun line
That held from me.
Wot thou, if my wrongs
Could be wreak’d with the sword,
With the Ale-Smith
’T were soon over.
Had I might to fell
The fierce storm’s brother,
’Gainst Aegir’s darling
I’d fare to battle.
Yet had I nothing,
(As I bethought me),
Of might to strive
’Gainst my son’s slayer.
To the common folk’s
Eyes lies bare
The helplessness
Of an old man.
Me hath the sea
Sorely robbéd:
Grim ’tis the death
Of kinsfolk to tell of:
Since for me
My house’s shield
To the way of bliss
From life hath turn’d.
This know I for sure:
In this son of mine
No stuff of an ill man
Was ever waxen.
If the tree had gotten
Grown to’s prime,
To the War-God’s hand
’Should a reach’d at last.
Aye valu’d he most
What his father said,
Though all beside
Should speak against it.
Me he upheld
In mine householding,
And mine estate
Most he strengthen’d.
Oft cometh me
In the light wind
Of the Moon’s bride
My brother lost.
I bethink me of him
When Hild rageth;
Look round for him,
And think on this:
Who else, high-hearted,
His place can fill me,
To stand by me
When mad talk riseth?
Need I that oft
’Gainst thrawart folk:
Wary I wing,
Sith friends are ebbing.
Much hard to find
Is he we may trust in,
’Mid all folk
In Iceland dwelling;
For the good-for-nought
Who a great house wrecketh
Barters for rings
His brother’s corpse.
Find I that oft,
Where fee is bidden
Nay, and that’s said:
That none may get
Right boot for his son
’Less he breed another:
Nor get that man
Who might to other
Stand in the stead
Of a brother born.
It likes me not
Of the common people,
Not though each keep him
Quiet with other.—
—My boy’s come
Where the beë’s path beareth:
My wife’s son,
To seek to his kin.
But ’gainst me still,
With’s mind unmov’d
The Judge of the Froth-mash
Standeth yet.
’Neath unrest’s hood
Hold I may not
Up and aright
My riding thoughts,
Since my son
By the fire of sickness
In hateful wise
From his home was took:
Him that, I wis,
Warded him well
Withouten blemish
From blameful speech.
That mind I too,
That He which holdeth
Converse with men
In the Gods’ home rais’d
Mine house’s ash-tree
From me that grew,
The kindred wood
Of my wife’s kin.
Well stood I
With the Lord of Spears:
I made me trusting
To trow on Him;
Till the Ruler of Wains,
The Awarder of Vict’ry
Cut bonds of our friendship
And flung me off.
Worship I not, then,
Vilir’s Brother,
The Most High God,
Of mine own liking.
Yet Mimir’s Friend hath
To me vouchsaféd
Boot for my bale
That is better, I ween.
Mine Art He gave me,
The God of Battles,
Great Foe of Fenrir,—
A gift all faultless,
And that temper
That still hath brought me
Notable foes
’Mid the knavish-minded.
All’s hard to wield now.
The Wolf’s right Sister
—All-Father’s Foe’s—
On the sea-ness stands.
Yet will I glad,
With a good will,
And without grief,
Abide Hell’s coming.
Egil began to be brisk as it went forward with working of the song. And when the song was ended, then said he it over to Asgerd and Thorgerd and them of his household. Rose he then up out of his bed, and sat him in his high seat. This song called he Sons’ Wreck.
Thereafter let Egil hold funeral for his sons after the ancient manner. But when Thorgerd fared home, then Egil led her on her way with gifts.
Egil dwelt at Burg a long tide, and became an old man; but it is not said that he had dealings at law with men here in the land. Nought is said, neither, of holmgangs of his or warlike dealings after he settled down here in Iceland. So say men, that Egil fared not abroad out of Iceland since these tidings came to pass that were now aforesaid; and that had most to do with this, that Egil might not be in Norway because of those guilts, as before was said, that the Kings thought they had against him. A household had he of the greatest largesse, because there lacked not of fe
e. He had, too, a good frame of mind for this.
King Hakon Athelstane’s-Fosterling ruled over Norway a long while; but the latter part of his life, then came the sons of Eric to Norway and strove for the realm of Norway with Hakon the King, and they had battles together, and Hakon had ever the victory. Their latest battle had they in Hordaland, in Stord at Fitiar.11 There gat King Hakon the victory, and therewithal his bane-wound. After that, took those sons of Eric kingdom in Norway.
Arinbiorn the Hersir was with Harald Ericson and became his counsellor, and had of him exceeding great revenues. He was overseer of his host and of the warding of the land. Arinbiorn was a great man of war and a victorious. He had to revenue the Firthfolk.
Egil Skallagrimson heard these tidings, that a shifting of Kings was come about in Norway, and that withal, that Arinbiorn was then come into Norway to his own home, and was then in great esteem. Then wrought Egil a song upon Arinbiorn, and this is the beginning thereof:12
I am pat of speech
For praising of princes,
But slow-spoke
Of the stingy-minded;
Open-mouth’d
Of war-lord’s deeds,
But tongue-tied
’Mid tittle-tattle.
With scoffs dower’d
’Gainst scandal-bearers,
I am free of speech
For friends of mine.
Sought have I many
Seats of the great,
With the pure mind
Of poesy.
Had I of old
The Yngling’s child’s,
The rich King’s,
Wrath upon me.
Over my dark hair
Daring’s hood
Drew I, and home
To the Hersir sought I,
There where all-wielder
’Neath helm of awing,
As folk-lord, over
The land did sit.
Steer’d the King
With stern intent
From York-town
The dank demesne.
That was a moonlight
Nought to trust to,
Nor without terror,
On Eric’s brow;
When the moon of his forehead,
Worm-glance darting,
Shone from all-wielder’s
Flaming eyen.
Yet bolster-hire
Of Him that is make
Of the fish of the wildwood
Durst I to lord bear,
So as Ygg’s cup
O’er-brimming came
Unto the mouths
Of each man’s ears.
Nor fair of shape
To folk beseeméd
Skald-fee I won
From house’s ruler,
Then when my wolf-grey
Knob of hats
As price of my song
From prince I gat.
That took I;
But with noddle follow’d
The darkling pits
Of my drooping brows,
And that mouth
Which for me did bear
Mine HEAD-RANSOM
’Fore prince’s knee.
There stood for me,
Than many better,
The treasure-bestower
On t’other side:
True friend of mine
That I’d learnt to trust to,
In glory enhancéd
At every rede:
Arinbiorn,
Who alone us kept,
Of kempés foremost,
From King’s hatreds;
The ruler’s friend,
Who never yet
Brake faith in the war-wont
Prince’s garth.
And.........
.........let
The much-advancer
Of deeds of mine,
As.........
..................
That it should be in
Kindred’s….
Friendship’s thief
I were justly naméd,
And hope-belier
Of Odin’s cup,
Of praise-song unworthy,
A promise-breaker—
Made I not payment
For that upholding.
Now is that seen
Where set I shall,
Steep for the scaling
Of skalds’ footsteps,
Before men’s eyes
In their multitude,
Praise-song of mighty
Offspring of Hersirs.
Easy of shaping
With my voice-plane
Is the praise-timber
Of son of Thorir
—Of mine own friend—
’Cause chosen lieth
Two things or three
Upon my tongue.
That tell I first,
Which most men wot,
And the common sort
Do seek with their ears:
How bounteous-minded
Beseem’d to men
The Bear of the Table
Of Birches’ Dread.
To all the host
How the world of men
With wealth he dowereth;
They have enrich’d
The Bear of the Stone,
Both Frey and Niord,
With fee’s abundance.
Yea, at the house of
Hroald’s head-stem
Streams wealth o’ermounting
To hands of men;
There’s riding of friends
From all the ways
Over the wind-bowl’s
Wide bottom.
Like as a prince
He hath gotten
A draw-rope unto
Hearing-baskets;
Lov’d of the Gods
’Mid the throng of men;
Friend of Vethorm;
Weaklings’ defender.
That winneth he
Which the most of men
Fail of, albeit
Fee they’ve gotten;
I mean, short’s not the going
’Twixt great men’s houses,
Nor easy shafting
Of all men’s spears.
Ne’er went one out
From Arinbiorn,
Forth of his long-built
Bedstead-ship,
With scorn led forth
Nor with scathing words
Nor dwelling-stead
Of spear empty.
He is grim toward fee
Who dwells in the Firths;
That one’s right dour
Toward Draupnir’s scions;
An adversary
To sons of stealers:
To rings a terror:
A treasure-slayer.
Still hath he had
His whole life long
Full.........
Of peace-breakings.
That were not good,
If the gold-waner
Should on the mews’-path,
Much-beridden
Of Rokkvi’s steed,
Have strewn to waste
Those many gains
That to me he wrought.
I was waking betimes:
I bare words together,
With the morning’s work
Of the servant of speech
Pil’d I a praise-howe
That long shall stand
Not easy-broken
In Bragi’s mead.
There was a man named Einar. 13 He was the son of Helgi, the son of Otter, the son of Biorn the Easterner who took land in Broadfirth. Einar was brother of Osvif the Wise.14 Einar was straightway in his youthful age big and strong and the greatest man at feats of strength. He took to working of songs straightway when he was young, and was a man ready to learn. That was one summer at the Althing, that Einar went to the booth of Egil Skallagrimson, and they took to words, and speedily it came to this in their talk that they discoursed of skaldshi
p. To either of them such-like discoursing seemed delightful. After that, Einar was wont oft-times to go to talk with Egil; there began to be there great friendship. Einar had a little while before come home from faring abroad. Egil asked Einar much of tidings from the east, and of his friends: so too of those who he thought he knew were unfriends of his. He asked much too about the great men. Einar asked Egil too, in return, of those tidings that aforetime were come about in Egil’s journeys and his mighty works; and that talk seemed good to Egil, and it made good telling. Einar asked Egil where he had been so bested that he had most tried himself, and bade him say to him that.
Quoth Egil:15
Battled I one ’gainst eight,
Ay, with eleven twice.
So brought we food for beast:
Their bane was I alone.
Swapp’d we hard with hate
With horrible shield-knives:
Let I o’er Embla’s ash
The sword-fire cast,
Egil and Einar spake to friendship betwixt them at parting. Einar was long in the outlands with men of high estate. Einar was an open-handed man, and oftenest had little money, but he was a lordly man and a good fellow: he was of the bodyguard of Earl Hakon Sigurdson.16
In that time there was in Norway great unpeace and battles betwixt them, Earl Hakon and the sons of Eric, and now one now the other were packed out of the land. King Harald Ericson fell south in Denmark at the Neck in the Limfirth, and he was betrayed.17 There battled he against Harald Knutson, that was called Gold-Harald; against him and Earl Hakon. There fell then too, with Harald the King, Arinbiorn the Hersir that before was spoke of.
And when Egil heard tell of Arinbiorn’s fall, then quoth he: 18
Minish’d are those who minish’d
The mew-field’s day,—O where now
Shall I find men as bounteous?—
Thing-brighteners of Ingvi:
They that on hawk’s high-fell
Hail’d for me with limbeck’s
Snow for earth’s girdle
Island-nail’d with words.
Einar Helgison the skald was called Jingle-scale. He wrought a drapa upon Earl Hakon that is called Gold-lack,19 and that was for a very long time that the Earl would not listen to the song, because he was wroth with Einar.
Then quoth Einar:20
Made I the ale of Odin,
While others slept; for captain
That sits o’er earth, all eager
Wrought I—I’m sorry for it!
Little methought (with longing
The lord sought I) ’twas likely
To strong prince, treasure-scatterer,
This skald should seem the worst.
And yet again quoth he:21
Seek we that earl that heart takes
To eke with swords the wolf’s feast:
To twi-row’d bark repair we
Of ring-shielded Sigvaldi.
Drop hand with me he will not,
That wound-serpent swayer,