Ik êdilena hebbe· aldsedzen hêred

thet fîand hêde twelef· farande setted

stiûrelâse on strâme· stallâse wêron

waterlâse on wêge· wêpherta bisetten

hopelâse on heve· herdtholiande.

Trâst in nêde· trachtadon swîthe

himelward stemma· hebbande semin.

Hwâ was thet god· hwâ hêrede thâm

the glîsandere egge· goldbrechtere mith

stiôrede stevene· stêdigum werthe

hêligum lande· and hove axa

hwēr Êsa wei· âsega bistôpen?

Hwâ godum under· glîande wêpne

thene huvel thanna hiû· hlemme swēra

â ondbindand· and êwen riucht

water lîvendich· wîdere erthe?

Lêsede hî lâre· lêrede bi walla

thet webb warlda· wordum timbrand

alderlâs werde· endelâse burna.

Âsegena êrist· êsa on himile

Fôsite formêst· felefiâ hêra

stilla strîda· stalle frâna

fram glîsanda sele· on goda felde

hleste ûs bilêf· hlûdere sunder bêre

lâre ûs lêr· lerninge erken

diâpeweven têknar· dâgolere wesinge

fêitha undertiuch· and fîanda hat

minrere nîtha· mêre stiôra

sôth ûs in swîge· swîklâse retha

fêra ûs wale· thet finden wî riucht

and alle unriuchte thing· âmmêr formîthen

Balderes bern· brecht riuchtere

thû nêdtriûwe· and Nêtha mâch

holda Hâga· hêliges blôdes

sâ mei â walla· êwalange.

Translation:

I have heard the ancient tales of ancestors

that an enemy had set twelve adrift –

rudderless on the current, they were steadless;

waterless on the wave, they owned weeping hearts,

hopeless on the sea, hard-suffering.

They eagerly desired help in hardship,

heavenwards lifting voices together.

Who was the god who heard them,

who with gold-bright, gleaming edge

steered the stem to a steady island,

to a holy land and the court of the axe

where law-speakers trod the path of the gods?

Who among gods with the glowing weapon

hewed the hill with a heavy blow,

releasing water and eternal law,

living water from wide earth?

He loosed lore, he taught by the well,

the weave of worlds into words building,

ageless truth at endless wellspring.

First of lawspeakers of the gods in heaven,

Fôsite foremost, many-cattled lord

stiller of strifes, firm judge

from glistening hall on the gods’ field

grant us a hearing apart from the loud uproar,

teach us lore, pure learning,

deep-woven tokens of secret being,

feuds quieten and foes’ hate

diminisher of enmity, glorious steersman

in silence tell us truth that does not forsake,

lead us well so that we may find right,

and always avoid all unright things

bold one’s child, bright judge,

thou true-in-need and keen one’s boy,

kinsman of the High One’s holy blood,

so may law well up for long ages!