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	sæ	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

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

1.

Hljóðs bið ek allar / helgar kindir,

For silence I ask / all children,[1]

• Hljóðs noun sg gen hljóð silence, hearing; biðja (kveðja sér) hljóðs, to beg (ask for) a hearing (Njáll kvaddi sér hljóðs); fá h, to get a hearing; þegja þunnu hljóði, to keep a watchful silence; af hljóði, í hljóði, in all stillness, silently;
• bið verb 1st sg pres ind act biða to wait ; b e-s, to wait for +gen. (þeir biðuðu þeirra), suffer +acc.
• allar adj pl fem voc allr all, entire, whole; hón á allan arf eptir mik, she has all the heritage after me ; af öllum hug, with all (one’s) heart; hvitr a, white all over; bú allt, the whole estate; allan daginn, the whole day; í allri veröld, in the whole world; allan hálfan mánu
• helgar adj f pl heilagr holy
• kindir noun pl voc kind f. kind, race; fyrða (gumna, seggja, skatna, ýta) k, the sons of men, mankind;

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heilagr	helg, heilǫg	helgt, heilagt
accusative	helgan, heilagan	helga, heilaga	helgt, heilagt
dative	helgum, heilǫgum	helgri, heilagri	helgu, heilǫgu
genitive	helgs, heilags	helgrar, heilagrar	helgs, heilags
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgir, heilagir	helgar, heilagar	helg, heilǫg
accusative	helga, heilaga	helgar, heilagar	helg, heilǫg
dative	helgum, heilǫgum	helgum, heilǫgum	helgum, heilǫgum
genitive	helgra, heilagra	helgra, heilagra	helgra, heilagra

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	kind	kindin	kindir, kindr	kindirnar, kindrnar
accusative	kind	kindina	kindir, kindr	kindirnar, kindrnar
dative	kind	kindinni	kindum	kindunum
genitive	kindar	kindarinnar	kinda	kindanna

meiri ok minni / mögu Heimdallar;

great and small, / sons of Heimdallar;

• ok conj ok and; bæði ok, both and (b er hann vitr ok framgjarn);
• meiri comparative degree of mikill
• minni  comparative degree of lítill
• mögu noun pl acc mögr son (mey frumunga fal hann megi Gjúka);

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	meiri	meiri	meira
accusative	meira	meiri	meira
dative	meira	meiri	meira
genitive	meira	meiri	meira
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	meiri	meiri	meiri
accusative	meiri	meiri	meiri
dative	meirum	meirum	meirum
genitive	meiri	meiri	meiri

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mǫgr	mǫgrinn	megir	megirnir
accusative	mǫg	mǫginn	mǫgu	mǫguna
dative	megi	meginum	mǫgum	mǫgunum
genitive	magar	magarins	maga	maganna

viltu, at ek, Valföðr! / vel framtelja

wilt thou, that I, Valfather! / Well recount

• viltu =vilt þú verb 2nd sg pres ind act vilja want
• at conj at A. with dative I. Of motion
• vel adv vel well (taka v við e-m); v í vexti, well-grown, well-shapen ; vera v til e-s, to be kind to one; mér gefr vel at skilja, I understand quite well;
• fram adv fram forward;
• telja verb 1st sg pres subj act telja to count, number

infinitive	vilja
present participle	viljandi
past participle	viljat
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	vil	vilda
2nd-person singular	vill, vilt	vildir
3rd-person singular	vill	vildi
1st-person plural	viljum	vildum
2nd-person plural	vilið	vilduð
3rd-person plural	vilja	vildu
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	vila	vilda
2nd-person singular	vilir	vildir
3rd-person singular	vili	vildi
1st-person plural	vilim	vildim
2nd-person plural	vilið	vildið
3rd-person plural	vili	vildi

forn spjöll fira, / þau er fremst um man.

ancient history of men, / the first I remember?

• forn str n. pl. adj ancient
• spjöll n. noun pl acc spjall saying, tale, esp pl; forn spjöll fira, old tales of men; úrughlýra jó frá ek spjalla, with wet cheeks I asked the steed for news; móðug spjöll, lamentations
• firar m. pl. men; gen. pl. among men, human
• þau acc. n. pl. that
• er pron rel. who, which, that
• man pres. 1sg muna remember

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	forn	forn	fornt
accusative	fornan	forna	fornt
dative	fornum	fornri	fornu
genitive	forns	fornrar	forns
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fornir	fornar	forn
accusative	forna	fornar	forn
dative	fornum	fornum	fornum
genitive	fornra	fornra	fornra

infinitive	muna
present participle	munandi
past participle	munaðr
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	man	munda
2nd-person singular	mant	mundir
3rd-person singular	man	mundi
1st-person plural	munum	mundum
2nd-person plural	munið	munduð
3rd-person plural	muna	mundu
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	muna	mynda
2nd-person singular	munir	myndir
3rd-person singular	muni	myndi
1st-person plural	munim	myndim
2nd-person plural	munið	myndið
3rd-person plural	muni	myndi