Hávamál: Odin hangs on the tree

Veit ek, at ek hekk vindga meiði á nætr allar nío, geiri undaðr ok gefinn Óðni, siálfr siálfom mér, á þeim meiði, er manngi veit, hvers hann af rótom renn.

I know that I hung on a windy tree for nine whole nights, wounded with a spear and given to Odin, myself to myself, on that tree of which no one knows from what roots it runs.

Við hleifi mik seldo né við hornigi; nýsta ek niðr: nam ek upp rúnar, œpandi nam: fell ek aptr þaðan.

They gave me no bread nor any drinking horn; I peered down: I took up the runes, screaming I took them: I fell back from there.

Fimbullióð nío nam ek af inom frægia syni Bǫlþors, Bestlo fǫður, ok ek drykk of gat ins dýra miaðar, ausinn Óðrøri.

Nine mighty songs I learned from the famous son of Bǫlþorn, Bestla's father, and I got a drink of the precious mead, poured from Óðrerir.

Þá nam ek frævaz ok fróðr vera ok vaxa ok vel hafaz; orð mér af orði orz leitaði, verk mér af verki verks leitaði.

Then I began to grow fruitful and wise, and to grow and to thrive; one word led me on from word to word, one deed led me on from deed to deed.

Rúnar munt þú finna ok ráðna stafi, miǫk stóra stafi, miǫk stinna stafi, er fáði fimbulþulr ok gørðo ginnregin ok reist hroptr rǫgna,

Runes you will find and meaningful staves, very great staves, very strong staves, which the mighty sage painted and the great gods made and the sage of the gods carved,

Óðinn með ásom, en fyr álfom Dáinn, Dvalinn dvergom fyrir, Ásviðr iǫtnom fyrir, ek reist siálfr sumar.

Odin among the Æsir, and Dáin for the elves, Dvalin for the dwarves, Ásvið for the giants; I myself carved some.

Veitstu, hvé rísta skal? veitstu, hvé ráða skal? veitstu, hvé fá skal? veitstu, hvé freista skal? veitstu, hvé biðia skal? veitstu, hvé blóta skal? veitstu, hvé senda skal? veitstu, hvé sóa skal?

Do you know how to carve? Do you know how to read? Do you know how to paint? Do you know how to test? Do you know how to ask? Do you know how to sacrifice? Do you know how to send? Do you know how to offer?

Betra er óbeðit, en sé ofblótit: ey sér til gildis giǫf; betra er ósent, en sé ofsóit:

Better not to ask than to over-sacrifice: a gift always looks for repayment; better not to send than to over-offer: (a line is lost.)

Svá Þundr um reist fyr þióða rǫk; þar hann upp um reis, er hann aptr of kom.

So Þund carved before the history of peoples; there he rose up, where he came back.