Now thought Atli the King that he had gained a mighty2 victory, and spake to Gudrun even as mocking her greatly, or as making himself great before her. “Gudrun,” saith he, “thus hast thou lost thy brethren, and thy very self hast brought it about.”
She answers, “In good liking3 livest thou, whereas thou thrustest these slayings before me, but mayhappen thou wilt5 rue6 it, when thou hast tried what is to come hereafter; and of all I have, the longest-lived matter shall be the memory of thy cruel heart, nor shall it go well with thee whiles I live.”
He answered and said, “Let there be peace betwixt us; I will atone7 for thy brethren with gold and dear-bought things, even as thy heart may wish.”
She answers, “Hard for a long while have I been in our dealings together, and now I say, that while Hogni was yet alive thou mightest have brought it to pass; but now mayest thou never atone for my brethren in my heart; yet oft must we women be overborne by the might of you men; and now are all my kindred dead and gone, and thou alone art left to rule over me: wherefore now this is my counsel that we make a great feast; wherein I will hold the funeral of my brother and of thy kindred withal.”
In such wise did she make herself soft and kind in words, though far other things forsooth lay thereunder, but he hearkened to her gladly, and trusted in her words, whereas she made herself sweet of speech.
So Gudrun held the funeral feast for her brethren, and King Atli for his men, and exceeding proud and great was this feast.
But Gudrun forgat not her woe8, but brooded over it, how she might work some mighty shame against the king; and at nightfall she took to her the sons of King Atli and her as they played about the floor; the younglings waxed heavy of cheer, and asked what she would with them.
“Ask me not,” she said; “ye shall die, the twain of you!”
Then they answered, “Thou mayest do with thy children even as thou wilt, nor shall any hinder thee, but shame there is to thee in the doing of this deed.”
Yet for all that she cut the throats of them.
Then the king asked where his sons were, and Gudrun answered, “I will tell thee, and gladden thine heart by the telling; lo now, thou didst make a great woe spring up for me in the slaying4 of my brethren; now hearken and hear my rede and my deed; thou hast lost thy sons, and their heads are become beakers on the board here, and thou thyself hast drunken the blood of them blended with wine; and their hearts I took and roasted them on a spit, and thou hast eaten thereof.”
King Atli answered, “Grim art thou in that thou hast murdered thy sons, and given me their flesh to eat, and little space passes betwixt ill deed of thine and ill deed.”
Gudrun said, “My heart is set on the doing to thee of as great shame as may be; never shall the measure ill be of full to such a king as thou art.”
The king said, “Worser deeds hast thou done than men have to tell of, and great unwisdom is there in such fearful redes; most meet art thou to be burned on bale when thou hast first been smitten9 to death with stones, for in such wise wouldst thou have what thou hast gone a weary way to seek.”
She answered, “Thine own death thou foretellest, but another death is fated for me.”
And many other words they spake in their wrath10.
Now Hogni had a son left alive, hight Niblung, and great wrath of heart he bare against King Atli; and he did Gudrun to wit that he would avenge11 his father. And she took his words well, and they fell to counsel together thereover, and she said it would be great goodhap if it might be brought about.
So on a night, when the king had drunken, he gat him in bed, and when he was laid asleep, thither12 to him came Gudrun and the son of Hogni.
Gudrun took a sword and thrust it through the breast of King Atli, and they both of them set their hands to the deed, both she and the son of Hogni.
Then Atli the king awoke with the wound, and cried out; “No need of binding13 or salving here! — who art thou who hast done the deed?”
Gudrun says, “Somewhat have I, Gudrun, wrought14 therein, and somewhat withal the son of Hogni.”
Atli said, “Ill it beseemed to thee to do this, though somewhat of wrong was between us; for thou wert wedded15 to me by the rede of thy kin, and dower paid I for thee; yea, thirty goodly knights16, and seemly maidens17, and many men besides; and yet wert thou not content, but if thou should rule over the lands King Budli owned: and thy mother-inlaw full oft thou lettest sit a-weeping.”
Gudrun said, “Many false words hast thou spoken, and of naught18 I account them; oft, indeed, was I fell of mood, but much didst thou add thereto. Full oft in this thy house did frays19 befall, and kin fought kin, and friend fought friend, and made themselves big one against the other; better days had I whenas I abode20 with Sigurd, when we slew21 kings, and took their wealth to us, but gave peace to whomso would, and the great men laid themselves under our hands, and might we gave to him of them who would have it; then I lost him, and a little thing was it that I should bear a widow’s name, but the greatest of griefs that I should come to thee — I who had aforetime the noblest of all kings, while for thee, thou never barest out of the battle aught but the worser lot.”
King Atli answered, “Naught true are thy words, nor will this our speech better the lot of either of us, for all is fallen now to naught; but now do to me in seemly wise, and array my dead corpse22 in noble fashion.”
“Yea, that will I,” she says, “and let make for thee a goodly grave, and build for thee a worthy23 abiding24 place of stone, and wrap thee in fair linen25, and care for all that needful is.”
So therewithal he died, and she did according to her word: and then they cast fire into the hall.
And when the folk and men of estate awoke amid that dread26 and trouble, naught would they abide27 the fire, but smote28 each the other down, and died in such wise; so there Atli the king, and all his folk, ended their life-days. But Gudrun had no will to live longer after this deed so wrought, but nevertheless her ending day was not yet come upon her.
Now the Volsungs and the Giukings, as folk tell in tale, have been the greatest-hearted and the mightiest29 of all men, as ye may well behold30 written in the songs of old time.
But now with the tidings just told were these troubles stayed.
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1
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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2
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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3
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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4
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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6
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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7
atone
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| v.赎罪，补偿 | |
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8
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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9
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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10
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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11
avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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12
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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13
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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14
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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15
wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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17
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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18
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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19
frays
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| n.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的名词复数 )v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的第三人称单数 ) | |
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20
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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21
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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22
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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23
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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24
abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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25
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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26
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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27
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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28
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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29
mightiest
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| adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的 | |
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30
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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