grass.

_Gerd_.

16. Bid him enter into our hall, and drink of the bright mead;
although I fear it is my brother's slayer who waits without.

17. Who is this of the Alfar's, or of the AEsir's sons, or of the
wise Vanir's? Why art thou come alone, through the hostile fire, our
halls to visit?

_Skirnir_.

18. I am not of the Alfar's, nor of the AEsir's sons, nor of the wise
Vanir's; yet I am come alone, through the hostile fire, your halls to
visit.

19. Apples all-golden I have here eleven: these I will give thee,
Gerd, thy love to gain, that thou mayest say that Frev to thee lives
dearest.

_Gerd_.

20. The apples eleven I never will accept for any mortal's pleasure;
nor will I and Frey, while our lives last, live both together.

_Skirnir_.

21. The ring too I will give thee, which was burnt with the young
son of Odin. Eight of equal weight will from it drop, every ninth
night.

_Gerd_.

22. The ring I will not accept, burnt though it may have been with
the young son of Odin. I have no lack of gold in Gymir's courts; for
my father's wealth I share.

_Skirnir_.

23. Seest thou this sword, young maiden! thin, glittering-bright,
which I have here in hand? I thy head will sever from thy neck, if
thou speakst not favourably to me.

_Gerd_.

24. Suffer compulsion will I never, to please any man; yet this I
foresee, if thou and Gymir meet, ye will eagerly engage in fight.

_Skirnir_.

25. Seest thou this sword, young maiden! thin, glittering-bright,
which I have here in hand? Beneath its edge shall the old Jotun fall:
thy sire is death-doomed.

26. With a taming-wand I smite thee, and I will tame thee, maiden!
to my will. Thou shalt go thither, where the sons of men shall never
more behold thee.

27. On an eagle's mount thou shalt early sit, looking and turned
towards Hel. Food shall to thee more loathsome be than is to any one
the glistening serpent among men.

28. As a prodigy thou shalt be, when thou goest forth; Hrimnir shall
at thee gaze, all beings at thee stare; more wide-known thou shalt
become than the watch among the gods,[37] if thou from thy gratings
gape.

29. Solitude and disgust, bonds and impatience, shall thy tears with
grief augment. Set thee down, and I will tell thee of a whelming flood
of care, and a double grief.

30. Terrors shall bow thee down the livelong day, in the Jotuns'
courts. To the Hrimthursar's halls, thou shalt each day crawl
exhausted, joyless crawl; wa