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!