"Voluspá (Skaldic Version)" lyrics

[Excerpt from Voluspá]

Hljóðs bið ek allar
helgar kindir,
meiri ok minni
mögu Heimdallar
viltu at ek, Valföðr,
vel framtelja
forn spjöll fíra,
þau er fremst um man.

Ár var alda
þar er Ýmir bygði,
vara sandr né sær
né svalar unnir,
jörð fannsk æva
né upphiminn,
gap var ginnunga,
en gras hvergi.

Brœðr munu berjask
ok at bönum verðask,
munu systrungar
sifjum spilla.
Skelfr Yggdrasils
askr standandi,
ymr it aldna tré,
en jötunn losnar.

Sól tér sortna,
sígr fold í mar,
hverfa af himni
heiðar stjörnur
geisar eimi
ok aldrnari,
leikr hár hiti
við himin sjálfan.

Geyr nú Garmr mjök
fyr Gnípahelli;
festr man slitna,
en freki renna
fjöld veit ek frœða,
fram sé ek lengra,
um ragnarök
römm sigtíva.

Sér hon upp koma
öðru sinni
jörð ór œgi
iðjagrœna;
falla forsar,
flýgr örn yfir,
sá er á fjalli
fiska veiðir.

Sal sér hon standa
sólu fegra
gulli þakðan
á Gimlé,
þar skulu dyggvar
dróttir byggja
ok um aldrdaga
ynðis njóta.

[English translation:]

Hearing I ask from all the tribes
Greater and lesser, the offspring of Heimdall;
Father of the Slain, you wished me well to declare
Living beings’ ancient stories, those I remember
From furthest back

Early in time Ymir made his settlement
There was no sand nor sea nor cool waves;
Earth was nowhere nor the sky above
A void of yawning chaos, grass was there nowhere

The sun turns black, land sinks into the sea
The bright stars vanish from the sky;
Steam rises up in the conflagration
Hot flame plays high against heaven itself

Brother will fight brother and be his slayer
Sister’s sons will violate the kinship-bond
The ancient tree groans and the giant gets loose
Yggdrasill shudders, the tree standing upright

Now Garm bays loudly before Gnipa-cave
The fetter will break and the ravener run free
Much wisdom she knows, I see further ahead
To the mighty Doom of the Gods, of the
Victory-gods

She sees, coming up a second time
Earth from the ocean, eternally green;
The waterfalls plunge, an eagle soars above them
Over the mountain hunting fish

A hall she sees standing, fairer than the sun
Thatched with gold, at Gimle;
There the noble fighting-bands will dwell
And enjoy the days of their lives in pleasure