The Old Icelandic Rune Poem
Translated by Edred Thorsson
[Money] is the [cause of] strife among kinsmen,
and the fire of the flood-tide,
and the path of the serpent.
gold “leader of the war-band”
[Drizzle] is the weeping of clouds,
and the diminisher of the rim of ice,
and [an object for] the herdsman’s hate.
shadow [should read imber, shower?] “leader”
[Thurs] is the torment of women,
and the sweller in the rocks,
and the husband of Vardh-rúna [a giantess?]
Saturn “ruler of the thing”
[Ase = Ódhinn] is the olden-father,
and Ásgardhr’s chieftain,
and the leader of Valhöll.
Jupiter “point-leader”
[Riding] is a blessed sitting,
and a swift journey,
and the toil of the horse.
journey “worthy man”
[Sore] is the bale of children,
and a scourge,
and the house of rotten flesh.
whip “king” = descendant of good kin
[Hail] is a cold grain,
and a shower of sleet,
and the house of rotten flesh.
hail “battle-leader”
[Need] is the grief of the bondmaid,
and a hard contition to be in.
and toilsome work.
trouble ON níflungr, “descendant of the dead?”
[Ice] is the rind of the river,
and the roof of the waves,
and a danger for fey men.
ice “one who wears the boar-helm”
[Good harvest] is the profit of all men,
and a good summer,
and a ripened field.
year “all-ruler”
[Sun] is the shield of the clouds,
and a shining glory,
and the life-long sorrow [ = destroyer ] of ice.
wheel “descendant of the victorious one”
[Týr] is the one-handed god,
and the leavings of the wolf,
and the ruler of the temple.
Mars “director”
[Birch twig] is a leafy limb,
and a little tree,
and a youthful wood.
silver fir “protector”
[Man] is the joy of man,
and the increase of dust,
and the adornment of ships.
human “generous one”
[Wetness] is churning water,
and a wide kettle,
and the land of fish.
lake “praise-worthy one”
[Yew] is a strung bow,
and brittle iron,
and Farbauti [ = a giant] of the arrow
bow, rainbow “descendant of Yngvi”
and the fire of the flood-tide,
and the path of the serpent.
gold “leader of the war-band”
[Drizzle] is the weeping of clouds,
and the diminisher of the rim of ice,
and [an object for] the herdsman’s hate.
shadow [should read imber, shower?] “leader”
[Thurs] is the torment of women,
and the sweller in the rocks,
and the husband of Vardh-rúna [a giantess?]
Saturn “ruler of the thing”
[Ase = Ódhinn] is the olden-father,
and Ásgardhr’s chieftain,
and the leader of Valhöll.
Jupiter “point-leader”
[Riding] is a blessed sitting,
and a swift journey,
and the toil of the horse.
journey “worthy man”
[Sore] is the bale of children,
and a scourge,
and the house of rotten flesh.
whip “king” = descendant of good kin
[Hail] is a cold grain,
and a shower of sleet,
and the house of rotten flesh.
hail “battle-leader”
[Need] is the grief of the bondmaid,
and a hard contition to be in.
and toilsome work.
trouble ON níflungr, “descendant of the dead?”
[Ice] is the rind of the river,
and the roof of the waves,
and a danger for fey men.
ice “one who wears the boar-helm”
[Good harvest] is the profit of all men,
and a good summer,
and a ripened field.
year “all-ruler”
[Sun] is the shield of the clouds,
and a shining glory,
and the life-long sorrow [ = destroyer ] of ice.
wheel “descendant of the victorious one”
[Týr] is the one-handed god,
and the leavings of the wolf,
and the ruler of the temple.
Mars “director”
[Birch twig] is a leafy limb,
and a little tree,
and a youthful wood.
silver fir “protector”
[Man] is the joy of man,
and the increase of dust,
and the adornment of ships.
human “generous one”
[Wetness] is churning water,
and a wide kettle,
and the land of fish.
lake “praise-worthy one”
[Yew] is a strung bow,
and brittle iron,
and Farbauti [ = a giant] of the arrow
bow, rainbow “descendant of Yngvi”