Stanza 157

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Þat kann ek it tólpta ef ek sé á tré uppi váfa virgilná svá ek ríst ok í rúnum fák at sá gengr gumi ok mælir við mik	I know a twelfth: If a tree bear A man hanged in a halter, I can carve and stain strong runes That will cause the corpse to speak, Reply to whatever I ask.	158. A twelfth I know, | if high on a tree I see a hanged man swing; So do I write | and color the runes That forth he fares, And to me talks.	156. A twelfth I know: if I see in a tree a corpse from a halter hanging, such spells I write, and paint in runes, that the being descends and speaks.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
I know a twelfth: If I see a hanged man swinging high in a tree, I can carve and stain runes, so that the man walks and speaks with me.	That twelfth I know, if on tree I see a hanged one hoisted on high: thus I write and the runes I stain that down he drops and tells me his tale.	I know a twelfth: if up in a tree I see a corpse hanging high, the mighty runes I write and color Make the man come down to talk with me.	159. For the twelfth I know, if on a tree I see a corpse swinging from a halter, I can so grave and in runes depict, that the man shall walk, and with me converse.
Lines 4-5 are probably expanded from a single line.

Stanza 156

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Þat kann ek it ellipta ef ek skal til orrostu leiða langvini undir randir ek gel en þeir með ríki fara heilir hildar til heilir hildi frá koma þeir heilir hvaðan	I know an eleventh: when I lead to battle Old comrades in-arms, I have only to chant it behind my shield, And unwounded they go to war, Unwounded they come from war, Unscathed wherever they are.	An eleventh I know, | if needs I must lead To the fight my long-loved friends; I sing in the shields, | and in strength they go Whole to the field of fight, Whole from the field of fight, And whole they come thence home.	155. An eleventh I know: if haply I lead my old comrades out to war, I sing 'neath the shields, and they fare forth mightily safe into battle, safe out of battle, and safe return from the strife.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
I know an eleventh: If I lead old friends into the fray, I sing under the shield and they fare into battle mighty and whole, they fare from battle whole, they are whole, wherever they go	That eleventh I know, if I am to lead old friends to the fray: under buckler I chant that briskly they fare hale and whole to battle, hale and whole from battle: hale whereever they are.	I know an eleventh: if I lead to war good and faithful friends, under a shield I shout the spell that speeds them -- well they fare in the fight, well they fare from the fight, wherever they go they fare well.	158. For the eleventh I know, if I have to lead my ancient friends to battle, under their shields I sing, and with power they go safe to the fight, safe from the fight; safe on every side they go.
The last line looks like an unwarranted addition, and line 4 may likewise be spurious.

Stanza 155

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Þat kann ek it tíunda ef ek sé túnriðir leika lopti á ek svá vinnk at þeir villir fara sinna heimhama sinna heimhuga	I know a tenth: if troublesome ghosts Ride the rafters aloft, I can work it so they wander astray, Unable to find their forms, Unable to find their homes.	156. A tenth I know, | what time I see House-riders flying on high; So can I work | that wildly they go, Showing their true shapes, Hence to their own homes.	154. A tenth I know: when at night the witches ride and sport in the air, such spells I weave that they wander home out of skins and wits bewildered.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
I know a tenth. If I see ghost-riders sporting in the sky, I can work it that the wild ones fare away. So their shapes (ham) shall fare home, so their spirits fare home.	That tenth I know, if night-hags sporting I scan aloft in the sky: I scare them with spells so they scatter abroad, heedless of their hides, heedless of their haunts.	I know a tenth: any time I see witches sailing the sky the spell I sing sends them off their course; when they lose their skins they fail to find their homes.	157. For the tenth I know, if I see troll-wives sporting in air, I can so operate that they will forsake their own forms, and their own minds.
House-riders: witches, who ride by night on the roofs of houses, generally in the form of wild beasts. Possibly one of the last two lines is spurious.

Stanza 154

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Þat kann ek it níunda ef mik nauðr um stendr at bjarga fari mínu á floti vind ek kyrri vági á ok svæfik allan sæ	I know a ninth: when need I have To shelter my ship on the flood, The wind it calms, the waves it smoothes And puts the sea to sleep,	155. A ninth I know, | if need there comes To shelter my ship on the flood; The wind I calm | upon the waves, And the sea I put to sleep.	153. A ninth I know: when need befalls me to save my vessel afloat, I hush the wind on the stormy wave, and soothe all the sea to rest.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
I know a ninth. If need arises, to save my ship on the flood, I can still the wind, and calm the waves, put the entire sea to sleep.	That ninth I know: if need there be to guard a ship in a gale, the wind I can calm, and the waves also, and wholly soothe the sea.	I know a ninth: if I ever need to save my ship in a storm, it will quiet the wind and calm the waves, soothing the sea.	156. For the ninth I know, if I stand in need my bark on the water to save, I can the wind on the waves allay, and the sea lull.
How many lives could have been saved if we had this knowledge today?

stanza 153

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Þat kann ek it átta er öllum er nytsamligt at nema hvars hatr vex með hildings sonum þat má ek bœta brátt	I know an eighth: that all are glad of, Most useful to men: If hate fester in the heart of a warrior, It will soon calm and cure him.	154. An eighth I know, | that is to all Of greatest good to learn; When hatred grows | among heroes' sons, I soon can set it right.	152. An eighth I know: which all can sing for their weal if they learn it well; where hate shall wax 'mid the warrior sons, I can calm it soon with that song.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
I know an eighth. It is useful for all who know it, Whenever hatred flares up among warriors’ sons, I am able to quell it.	That eighth I know which to all men is needful, and good to know: when hatred runs high, heroes among, their strife i can settle full soon.	I know an eighth which no one on earth could fail to find useful: when hatred waxes among warriors the spell will soothe them.	155. For the eighth I know, what to all is useful to learn: where hatred grows among the sons of men - that I can quickly assuage.
How many wars could we end with this power?

Stanza 152

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Þat kann ek it sjaunda ef ek sé hávan loga sal um sessmögum brennrat svá breitt at ek honum bjargigak þann kann ek galdr at gala	I know a seventh: If I see the hall Ablaze around my bench mates, Though hot the flames, they shall feel nothing, If I choose to chant the spell.	153. A seventh I know, | if I see in flames The hall o'er my comrades' heads; It burns not so wide | that I will not quench it, I know that song to sing.	151. A seventh I know: if I see a hall high o'er the bench-mates blazing, flame it ne'er so fiercely I still can save it, -- I know how to sing that song.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
I know a seventh. If I see a fire high on the hall around my bench companions, I can help them by singing the spell.	That seventh I know, if o'er sleepers' heads I behold a hall on fire: however bright the blaze I can beat it down-- that mighty spell I can speak.	I know a seventh: if I see flames high around a hall, no matter how far the fire has spread my spell can stop it.	154. For the seventh I know, if a lofty house I see blaze o’er its inmates, so furiously it shall not burn that I cannot save it. That song I can sing.
In today's fire-wrought landscape that is America, how cool would this spell be?

Stanza 151

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Þat kann ek it sétta ef mik særir þegn á rótum rams viðar ok þann hal er mik heipta kveðr þann eta mein heldr en mik	I know a sixth: it will save me if a man Cut runes on a sapling' s Roots With intent to harm; it turns the spell; The hater is harmed, not me.	152. A sixth I know, | if harm one seeks With a sapling's roots to send me; The hero himself | who wreaks his hate Shall taste the ill ere I.	150. A sixth I know: when some thane would harm me in runes on a moist tree's root, on his head alone shall light the ills of the curse that he called upon mine.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
I know a sixth. If some thane attacks me, with the wood of a young root, he who says he hates me will get hurt, but I will be unharmed.	that sixth I know, if me someone wounds with runes on gnarled root written, or rouses my wrath by reckless speech: him blights shall blast, not me.	I know a sixth: if someone would harm me by writing runes on a tree root, the man who wished I would come to woe will meet misfortune, not I.	153. For the sixth I know, if one wounds me with a green tree’s roots; also if a man declares hatred to me, harm shall consume them sooner than me.
The sending of a root with runes written thereon was an excellent way of causing death. So died the Icelandic hero Grettir the Strong.