And near evening (in the twilight) Must thou come, Odin, If thou wilt talk with a maiden; It will fare badly Unless we alone know Of such unlawful love. I went away; It seemed to me I loved Out of my wise will;[319] I thought I had won All her heart and love. When next I came All the doughty household Was awake; With burning lights And carried torches That way of woe was marked for me. Near morning, When I came again, The household was asleep; A dog I found Tied to the bed Of the good woman. Many a good maiden If thou searchest well Is fickle to men; That I found When I the counsel wise maiden Sought to beguile; Every mocking Showed me the wise maiden, And from that woman nought had I. At home shall a man be merry And cheerful to his guests, Cautious about himself, Of good memory and ready speech, If he wants to be very wise; A good man is often talked of; A great fool is he called Who little can tell; That is the mark of a fool. I visited the old jotun; Now I have come back; Little got I silent there; Many words I spoke for my good In the halls of Suttung. Gunnlod gave me On a golden chair A drink of the costly mead; Ill reward I gave her afterwards For her strong love, For her true love. The point (mouth) of Rati I let make its way And gnaw the rock; Over me and under me Were the ways of jotuns, Thus I risked my head. The trick-bought mead I have enjoyed well; The wise lack little, For Odrerir[320] Has now come up On the skirt of the earth of men.[321] I doubt whether I should yet have come Out of the jötun halls, If I had not had help From Gunnlod, the good maiden Round whom I laid my arm. The next day The Hrim-thussar came, To ask about the purpose of Hár[322] Into his hall; They asked about Bólverk[323] If he was among the gods, Or Suttung had slain him. An oath on the ring,[324] I think, Odin took; Shall his plighted faith be trusted? He defrauded Suttung Of his mead, And made Gunnlod weep.