The Renewal

Now do I see the earth anew Rise all green from the waves again; The cataracts fall, and the eagle flies, And fish he catches beneath the cliffs.

The gods in Ithavoll meet together, Of the terrible girdler of earth they talk, [57. With this stanza ends the account of the destruction.

In wondrous beauty once again Shall the golden tables stand mid the grass, Which the gods had owned in the days of old, . . . . . . . . . .

Then fields unsowed bear ripened fruit, All ills grow better, and Baldr comes back; Baldr and Hoth dwell in Hropt's battle-hall, And the mighty gods: would you know yet more?

Then Hönir wins the prophetic wand, . . . . . . . . . . And the sons of the brothers of Tveggi abide In Vindheim now: would you know yet more? [61. The Hauksbok version of the first two lines runs: "The gods shall find there, wondrous fair, The golden tables amid the grass." No lacuna (line 4) is indicated in the manuscripts. Golden tables: cf. stanza 8 and note.

More fair than the sun, a hall I see, Roofed with gold, on Gimle it stands; There shall the righteous rulers dwell, And happiness ever there shall they have.

There comes on high, all power to hold, A mighty lord, all lands he rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

From below the dragon dark comes forth, Nithhogg flying from Nithafjoll; The bodies of men on his wings he bears, The serpent bright: but now must I sink. file:///C|/WINDOWS/Desktop/sacred-texts/neu/poe/poe03.htm (15 of 16) [4/8/2002 10:06:41 PM] Voluspo [64. This stanza is quoted by Snorri. Gimle: Snorri makes this the name of the hall itself, while here it appears to refer to a mountain on which the hall stands. It is the home of the happy, as opposed to another hall, not here mentioned, for the dead. Snorri's description of this second hall is based on Voluspo, 38, which he quotes, and perhaps that stanza properly belongs after 64.