[Short Instrumental Intro] [Verse 1] Ek sit á steini við kyrran fjǫrð, sól sígr rauð í sæ. Knǫrr liggr búinn undir klettum, kjǫlr hans bíður djúpsins. Strengr kveðr lágt undir hendi, vindr berr salt um hár mitt. Ek hef séð járn, eld ok haf— nú segi ek frá því, er varð. [Chorus] Sól sígr í sæ, en segl standa enn. Sjórinn veit þat, er menn dylja. Njǫrðr geymi knǫrr, er nótt kemr; Óðinn geymi orð mín. Ef ek kem heim, skal eldrinn heyra. Ef ek fell, skal hafit muna. Sól sígr í sæ, en sǫngr minn ferr frá strǫnd til strandar. [Verse 2] Þá er vér sigldum á svǫrtum sjó, stóð stormr fyrir stafni. Rán rétti hǫnd yfir borðit, Ægir hló undir skipi. Þá sá ek mann við mastrit standa, í grám mǫttli, eineygðan. Hann mælti lágt: “Haldið til norðrs.” Síðan var engi þar. [Chorus] Sól sígr í sæ, en segl standa enn. Sjórinn veit þat, er menn dylja. Njǫrðr geymi knǫrr, er nótt kemr; Óðinn geymi orð mín. Ef ek kem heim, skal eldrinn heyra. Ef ek fell, skal hafit muna. Sól sígr í sæ, en sǫngr minn ferr frá strǫnd til strandar. [Verse 3] Suðr sá ek múra Miklagarðs, marga hjálma við gullin hlið. Keisari gaf oss silfr at launum; vér bárum sár fyrir gjǫf hans. Á vígvelli eitt kveld sá ek konu ríða um reykinn, hjálm á hǫfði, hvítan skjǫld. Engi annarr sá hana. [Instrumental Break — nylon guitar and bowed lyre in quiet counterpoint] [Bridge — voice close; percussion almost disappears] Nú er fjǫrðrinn kyrr, en fjallit eigi. Í fjalli glymr sem járn á steini. Ekr Þórr þar uppi yfir skýjum, eða svarar berg bergi? Ek veit eigi. Skáld veit sjaldan hvar sagan endar ok goðin hefjask. Því held ek streng við hjarta ok læt nóttina dæma. [Final Chorus — fuller ensemble, still grave and restrained] Sól sígr í sæ, en segl standa enn. Sjórinn veit þat, er menn dylja. Njǫrðr geymi knǫrr, er nótt kemr; Óðinn geymi orð vár. Ef vér komum heim, skal eldrinn heyra. Ef vér fǫllum, skal hafit muna. Sól sígr í sæ, en sǫngr várr ferr frá strǫnd til strandar. [Outro — nearly spoken over the opening guitar figure] Nú er sól horfin. Knǫrrinn bíður enn. Ek þegi. Hafit syngr. ———————— English Translation ———————— The Sails Still Stand [Verse 1] I sit on a stone beside the quiet fjord, the red sun sinks into the sea. A knarr lies ready beneath the cliffs, its keel awaits the deep. A string sings softly beneath my hand, the wind carries salt through my hair. I have seen iron, fire, and sea— now I tell of what came to pass. [Chorus] The sun sinks into the sea, but the sails still stand. The sea knows what men conceal. May Njord guard the ship when night comes; may Odin guard my words. If I come home, the fire shall hear. If I fall, the sea shall remember. The sun sinks into the sea, but my song travels from shore to shore. [Verse 2] When we sailed upon the black sea, a storm stood before our prow. Rán stretched her hand over the gunwale; Ægir laughed beneath the ship. Then I saw a man standing beside the mast, in a gray cloak, one-eyed. He said quietly, “Keep north.” After that, no one was there. [Chorus] The sun sinks into the sea, but the sails still stand. The sea knows what men conceal. May Njord guard the ship when night comes; may Odin guard my words. If I come home, the fire shall hear. If I fall, the sea shall remember. The sun sinks into the sea, but my song travels from shore to shore. [Verse 3] Southward I saw the walls of Miklagard, many helmets beside golden gates. The emperor gave us silver as wages; we carried wounds for his gift. One evening on the battlefield I saw a woman riding through the smoke, a helmet on her head, a white shield. No one else saw her. [Bridge] Now the fjord is still, but the mountain is not. In the mountain something rings like iron on stone. Does Thor drive up there above the clouds, or is one cliff answering another? I do not know. A skald seldom knows where the saga ends and the gods begin. So I hold the string against my heart and let the night judge. [Final Chorus] The sun sinks into the sea, but the sails still stand. The sea knows what men conceal. May Njord guard the ship when night comes; may Odin guard our words. If we come home, the fire shall hear. If we fall, the sea shall remember. The sun sinks into the sea, but our song travels from shore to shore. [Outro] Now the sun is gone. The ship still waits. I fall silent. The sea sings.
