I österled [English translation]

Brave men fared eastwards,

Keen men and hands aboard the ship.

Over widest ocean a flying knarr,¹

Cleft waves and stomped in the wind.

The hull steadily progressing over perilous seas,

Weighs heavy but spacious on deck.

Thus they went to sea in the awakening spring,

Just when the ice had melted along the coast.

Father do you see, brother do you see,

Longships sighted from north,

Or knarr with a load full of gold.

Comes sorrow or laughter,

Will their night be lonely,

Let us hear what dangers there have been!

From the Sweonas'² ground eastward they went,

Did they travel through bay or the isthmus?

Domesnäs with dangerous reefs under surface,

Surely the sea-horse was guided by stars!

Over waterfall they pulled, went by the edge and pulled,

Where muscles turned into wind in sails.

Man the ship for battle, Man the ship for storm,

Then stand on the spot you were commanded!

So to Särkland³ afar through rivers in east,

Over Gårdarike's⁴ water they floated forward.

Semgallen⁵ there and in Holmgård⁶ they saw travelers upon deck.

Thereto Miklagård⁷ by the strait was mentioned.

Shifted gold away in Greece, and took service as Varangian⁸,

Suits some well but many died there.

So for far-traveled men stones and fair pile were raised by kin,

In remembrance and in reminiscence of their folks.

• Artist:Ultima Thule