Poetic Edda Ragnarok

37 A hall she saw standing far from the sun,
on Corpse-strand; its doors look north;
poison-drops fall in through the roof-vents,
the hall is woven of serpents’ spines.

38 There she saw wading in turbid streams
false-oath swearers and murderers,
and the seducer of another man’s close confidante;
there Nidhogg sucks the corpses of the dead—
a wolf tears at men—do you want to know more: and what?

39 In the east sat the old woman in Iron-wood
and gave birth there to Fenrir’s offspring;
one of them in trollish shape
shall be snatcher of the moon.

40 It gluts itself on doomed men’s lives,
reddens the gods’ dwellings with crimson blood;
sunshine becomes black all the next summers,
weather all vicious—do you want to know more: and what?

41 He sat on the mound and struck his harp,
the giantess’s herdsman, cheerful Eggther;
near him crowed in Gallows-wood,
that bright-red rooster who is called Fialar.

42 Golden-comb crowed near the Æsir,
he wakens the warriors at Father of Hosts’ hall;
and another crows below the earth,
a sooty-red cock in the halls of Hel.

43 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.

44 Brother will fight brother and be his slayer,
sister’s sons will violate the kinship-bond;
hard it is in the world, whoredom abounds,
axe-age, sword-age, shields are cleft asunder,
wind-age, wolf-age, before the world plunges headlong;
no man will spare another.

45 The sons of Mim are at play and the Measuring-Tree is kindled
at the resounding Giallar-horn;
Heimdall blows loudly, his horn is in the air.
Odin speaks with Mim’s head.
The ancient tree groans and the giant gets loose,
Yggdrasill shudders, the tree standing upright.

46 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.

47 Hrym drives from the east, heaves his shield before him,
the great serpent writhes in giant rage;
the serpent churns the waves, the eagle shrieks in anticipation,
pale-beaked he rips the corpse, Naglfar breaks free.

48 A ship journeys from the east, Muspell’s troops are coming
over the ocean, and Loki steers.
All the giant-sons advance along with the ravener,
Byleist’s brother goes in company with them.

49 What disturbs the Æsir? What disturbs the elves?
All Giant-land is roaring. The Æsir are in council.
The dwarfs groan before their rocky doors,
wise ones of the mountain wall—do you want to know more: and what?

50 Surt comes from the south with branches-ruin,*
the slaughter-gods’ sun glances from his sword;
rocky cliffs clash together and the troll-women are abroad,
heroes tread the hell-road and the sky splits apart.

51 Then Frigg’s second sorrow comes about
when Odin advances to fight against the wolf,
and Beli’s bright slayer against Surt;
then Frigg’s dear-beloved must fall.

52 Then comes Victory-father’s strong son,
Vidar, to battle the Beast of Slaughter;
With his hand he sends to Loki’s son’s heart
his sword to stab: then his father is avenged.

53 Then comes Hlodyn’s glorious boy:
Odin’s son advances to fight the serpent,
he strikes in wrath Midgard’s-protector,
all men must abandon their homesteads;
nine steps Fiorgyn’s child takes,
exhausted, from the serpent which fears no shame.

54 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.

55 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 Gods, of the victory-gods.

56 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.

57 The Æsir find one another on Idavoll
and they converse about the mighty Earth-girdler,
and Fimbultyr’s ancient runes.

58 There will be found again in the grass
the wonderful golden chequers,
those which they possessed in the bygone days.

59 Without sowing the fields will grow,
all evil will be healed, Baldr will come;
Hod and Baldr will settle down in Hropt’s victory-homesteads,
the slaughter-gods are well—do you want to know more: and what?

60 Then Hænir will choose a wooden slip for prophecy,
and two brothers’ sons build a settlement
in the wide wind-realm—do you want to know more: and what?

61 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.

62 There comes the shadow-dark dragon flying,
the gleaming serpent, up from Dark-of-moon Hills;
Nidhogg flies over the plain, in his pinions
he carries corpses; now she will sink down.


- Poetic Edda, Voluspa


("Surt comes from the south: Surt is a fire-giant, so his kinsman may be fire itself. What is swallowed is unclear—whether the hell-road or Yggdrasill (the Measuring-Tree)—already alight in v. 45." - from the Explanatory Notes section included with the translation)

("branches-ruin: a kenning for fire." - from the Explanatory Notes section included with the translation)