Frá Vǫlundi
Níðuðr hét konungr í Svíþjóð.
Hann átti tvá sonu ok eina dóttur;
hon hét Bǫðvildr.
Brœðr váru þrír, synir Finnakonungs.
Hét einn Slagfiðr, annarr Egill, þriði Vǫlundr.
Þeir skriðu ok veiddu dýr.
Þeir kvómu í Úlfdali ok gerðu sér þar hús.
Þar er vatn er heitir Úlfsjár.
Snemma of morgin fundu þeir á vatnsstrǫndu konur þrjár, ok spunnu lín.
Þar váru hjá þeim álptarhamir þeira;
þat váru valkyrjur.
Þar váru tvær dœtr Hlǫðvés konungs, Hlaðguðr svanhvít ok Hervǫr alvitr;
in þriðja var Ǫlrún Kjársdóttir af Vallandi.
Þeir hǫfðu þær heim til skála með sér.
Fekk Egill Ǫlrúnar, en Slagfiðr Svanhvítrar, en Vǫlundr Alvitrar.
Þau bjoggu sjau vetr.
Þá flugu þær at vitja víga ok kómu eigi aptr.
Þá skreið Egill at leita Ǫlrúnar, en Slagfiðr leitaði Svanhvítrar, en Vǫlundr sat í Úlfdǫlum.
Hann var hagastr maðr, svá at menn viti, í fornum sǫgum.
Níðuðr konungr lét hann hǫndum taka, svá sem hér er um kveðit:
Frá Vǫlundi ok Níðaði
Nidud hed en konge i Svíthjod.
Han havde to sønner og én datter,
hun hed Bodvild.
Der var tre brødre, sønner af Finnekongen.
Den ene hed Slagfinn, den anden Egil, den tredje Volund.
De fór paa ski og jaged dyr.
De kom til Ulvdale og byggede sig der hus.
Der er et vand, som heder Ulvsjø.
Aarle en morgen fandt de paa stranden tre kvinder, og de spandt lin.
Der laa hos dem deres svanehamme.
Det var valkyrjer.
Der var to døtre af kong Hlodve, Hladgunn svanhvit og Hervor alvitr,
den tredje var Olrun, Kiar’s datter af Valland.
De førte dem hjem med sig til skaalebygningen.
Egil egtede Olrun, Slagfinn Svanhvit og Volund Alvitr.
De levede sammen syv aar.
Da fløi de at gjeste kampene og kom ikke tilbage.
Da fór Egil paa sine ski at søge efter Olrun, og Slagfinn søgte efter Svanhvit; men Volund sad igjen i Ulvdale.
Han var den hændigste mand, som folk ved om i gamle sagn.
Kong Nidud lod ham gribe, som det her er kvædet derom.
Om Volund og Nidud
There was a king in Sweden named Nithuth.
He had two sons and one daughter;
her name was Bothvild.
There were three brothers, sons of a king of the Finns:
one was called Slagfith, another Egil, the third Völund.
They went on snowshoes and hunted wild beasts.
They came into Ulfdalir and there they built themselves a house;
there was a lake there which is called Ulfsjar.
Early one morning they found on the shore of the lake three women, who were spinning flax.
Near them were their swan-garments,
for they were Valkyries.
Two of them were daughters of King Hlothver, Hlathguth the Swan-White and Hervor the All- Wise,
and the third was Olrun, daughter of Kjar from Valland.
These did they bring home to their hall with them.
Egil took Olrun, and Slagfith Swan- White, and Volund All-Wise.
There they dwelt seven winters;
but then they flew away to find battles, and came back no more.
Then Egil set forth on his snowshoes to follow Olrun, and Slagfith followed Swan-White, but Völund stayed in Ulfdalir.
He was a most skillful man, as men know from old tales.
King Nithuth had him taken by force, as the poem here tells.
