I met Narfi when the night was over,
by the gates1of Niflheim2.
He rode a pitch black horse,
the breeze grew colder.3
He looked at us with piercing eyes,
the place was surrounded by spirits and ghosts.
His strength was spent and courage faltering,
the frost bit us.
Loki wants to crush your leg and your mind,4
little help you’ll get from your weapons and defenses.
Listen now, you who hear what I say:
Loki’s children5are dangerous.
He knows the place that ices over and freezes,
Hel6is his sister.
He said that he now wanted to warn me
against going
down to her who rules Niflheim,
forces and tortures and starves and sacrifices.
Soon I might meet such distress,
as to make Brynhildr7cry.
Artful and clever they sneak around,
coax you around the Bæjartjörn8.
Listen now, you who hear what I say:
Loki’s children are dangerous.
They wish to harm you from a hiding place,
wild animals prove to be vengeful.
Listen now, you who hear what I say:
Loki’s children are dangerous.
They want you to grieve, they are distrustful/loath.
Frigg9will fall silent and Hörn10will turn pale.
Listen now, you who hear what I say:
Loki’s children are dangerous.
Loki wants to crush your leg and your mind,
little help you’ll get from your weapons and defences.
Listen now, you who hear what I say:
Loki’s children are dangerous.
1. or “inside the gates”2. Niflheim (Icelandic Niflheimur) = the place where all the dead go who don’t get chosen for their bravery in a fight3. Niflheim is considered a place of eternal coldness.4. Loki wants to see you kneel in front of him.5. Most of Loki’s children are monstrous, like the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, the Fenris-wolf, the sea snake Jörmungandr/Miðgarðsormr and so on.6. Hel = another child of Loki’s, half blue-black half white, or half rotten; (She was so ugly in appearance that the other gods could not bear to look at her, and that’s why she was told to hide forever and became the ruler of Niflheim.)7. Brynhildr (Icelandic Brynhildur) = one of the goriest, most ruthless valkyries8. Bæjartjörn = the central square of Asgard, the home of the gods9. Frigg = the wife of Odin; goddess of the home, marriage and love, and she knows the future, yet never speaks of it10. Hörn = a battle-ready goddess who receives half of the slain (the other half going to Odin’s place)