Völuspá 3

3.

Ár var alda / þar er Ýmir bygði,

In times of old / then Ymir build,

  • ár adv early, anciently
  • var past vera be
  • alda noun pl gen öld, ǫld f. time, age, period
  • þar adv. there
  • bygði 3sg. past byggja live, dwell, settle, build
infinitive vera
present participle verandi
past participle verit
indicative present past
1st-person singular em var
2nd-person singular ert vart
3rd-person singular er, es var
1st-person plural erum várum
2nd-person plural eruð váruð
3rd-person plural eru váru
feminine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative ǫld ǫldin aldir aldirnar
accusative ǫld ǫldina aldir aldirnar
dative ǫldu, ǫld ǫldunni, ǫldinni ǫldum ǫldunum
genitive aldar aldarinnar alda aldanna
infinitive byggja
present participle byggjandi
past participle bygðr
indicative present past
1st-person singular byggi bygða
2nd-person singular byggir bygðir
3rd-person singular byggir bygði
1st-person plural byggjum bygðum
2nd-person plural byggið bygðuð
3rd-person plural byggja bygðu

vara sandr né sær / né svalar unnir,

was no sand or sea, / nor gelid waves,

  • vara with suffixed neg. vara was not vera
  • sandr noun sg nom sandr sand
  • né … né … nor … nor …
  • sær sea, ocean
  • svalr adj. cool cold
  • unnir =unnar noun pl nom unnr f. wave
masculine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative sandr sandrinn sandar sandarnir
accusative sand sandinn sanda sandana
dative sandi sandinum sǫndum sǫndunum
genitive sands sandsins sanda sandanna
masculine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative sær særinn sævir sævirnir
accusative sæinn sævi sævina
dative sævi, sæ sævinum, sænum sævum sævunum
genitive sævar sævarins sæva sævanna
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative svalr svǫl svalt
accusative svalan svala svalt
dative svǫlum svalri svǫlu
genitive svals svalrar svals
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative svalir svalar svǫl
accusative svala svalar svǫl
dative svǫlum svǫlum svǫlum
genitive svalra svalra svalra
feminine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative unnr unnrin unnar unnarnar
accusative unni unnina unnar unnarnar
dative unni unninni unnum unnunum
genitive unnar unnarinnar unna unnanna

jörð fannsk æva / né upphiminn,

earth existed not, / nor upper heaven,

  • jörð f. earth, ground
  • fansk mediopassive past 3sg. finna find
  • æva adv. never
  • upp adv. up, upward
  • himinn m. heaven sky
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative jörð jörðin jarðir jarðirnar
accusative jörð jörðina jarðir jarðirnar
dative jörð jörðinni jörðum jörðunum
genitive jarðar jarðarinnar jarða jarðanna
infinitive finnask
present participle finnandisk
past participle fundizk
indicative present past
1st-person singular finnumk fundumk
2nd-person singular finnsk fannzk
3rd-person singular finnsk fannsk
1st-person plural finnumsk fundumsk
2nd-person plural finnizk funduzk
3rd-person plural finnask fundusk
masculine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative himinn himinninn himnar himnarnir
accusative himin himininn himna himnana
dative himni himninum himnum himnunum
genitive himins himinsins himna himnanna

gap var ginnunga, / en gras hvergi.

gap was yawning, / but grass nowhere.

  • en conj en but; in a contrastive sense
  • gras noun sg nom gras n. grass, herbage, herb
  • hvergi adv nowhere
neuter singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative gras grasit grǫs grǫsin
accusative gras grasit grǫs grǫsin
dative grasi grasinu grǫsum grǫsunum
genitive grass grassins grasa grasanna

Völuspá 2

2.

Ek man jötna / ár um borna,

I remember Jotnar / early born,

  • man verb 1st sg pres ind act muna to remember
  • jǫtuna acc pl jǫtunn m giant
  • ár adv early, anciently
  • um prep. +acc about around
  • borinn past participle of bera
masculine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative jǫtunn jǫtunninn jǫtnar jǫtnarnir
accusative jǫtun jǫtuninn jǫtna jǫtnana
dative jǫtni jǫtninum jǫtnum jǫtnunum
genitive jǫtuns jǫtunsins jǫtna jǫtnanna

Strong declension of borinn

singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative borinn borin borit
accusative borinn borna borit
dative bornum borinni borinu
genitive borins borinnar borins
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative bornir bornar borin
accusative borna bornar borin
dative bornum bornum bornum
genitive borinna borinna borinna

þá er forðum / mik fœdda höfðu;

those who in old / foster me have;

  • þá pron. m. pl
  • forðum adv. once, formerly
  • mik acc. ek 
  • fœdda acc fem past part.
infinitive fœða
present participle fœðandi
past participle fœddr
infinitive hafa
present participle hafandi
past participle hafðr
indicative present past
1st-person singular hefi hafða
2nd-person singular hefir hafðir
3rd-person singular hefir hafði
1st-person plural hǫfum hǫfðum
2nd-person plural hafið hǫfðuð
3rd-person plural hafa hǫfðu

níu man ek heima, / níu íviðjur,

nine homes I remember, / nine wooded rooms,

  • man verb 1st sg pres ind act muna to remember
  • heima noun pl acc heimr a place of abode, a region or world
  • íviðjur giantesse, ogress, í-viðr, thus meaning “one in the woods”
feminine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative íviðja íviðjan íviðjur íviðjurnar
accusative íviðju íviðjuna íviðjur íviðjanar
dative íviðju íviðjunni íviðjum íviðjunum
genitive íviðju íviðjunnar íviðjna íviðjnanna

mjötvið mæran / fyr mold neðan.

wise tree bright / before ground below

  • fyr =fyrir prep. +acc./dat. before, against
  • mold noun sg acc mold f. mould, earth (hlóðu síðan at grjóti ok jósu at moldu) ;
  • mæran acc. m. sg. mærr famous, glorious
  • neðan adv. beneath, below
  • mjötviðr =Yggdrasill
  • mjǫt n. pl. right measure
  • viðr m. wood
neuter plural
indefinite definite
nominative mjǫt mjǫtin
accusative mjǫt mjǫtin
dative mjǫtum mjǫtunum
genitive mjǫta mjǫtanna
masculine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative viðr viðrinn viðir viðirnir
accusative við viðinn viðu viðuna
dative viði viðinum viðum viðunum
genitive viðar viðarins viða viðanna
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative mærr mær mært
accusative mæran mæra mært
dative mærum mærri mæru
genitive mærs mærrar mærs
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative mærir mærar mær
accusative mæra mærar mær
dative mærum mærum mærum
genitive mærra mærra mærra