Niflheimur [English translation]

Like a winter king in a cave of ice,

Níðhöggr1 slithers out from Nábítsvellur2.

Frost giants accompany him on the black ice.

Gleaming Northern Lights over the sky of Niflheim3,

a crushing silence is rather dependable.

Yes, there is nothing here but tranquility and ice.

In this place, pain keeps

thousands cold, for certain.

The world freezes from ground to sky,

ice sleeps through centuries here.

Thousands wail as the wind whines,

and the storm leaves barren lands behind it.

The ice is cracked and it spews forth death.

Sleep. Sleep.

Enticing veils of mist on the air.

Here it is ice which dictates to [the] nations.

Men and brothers of Múspell4 die here.

Sleep. Sleep.

A new day rises.

Ice sleeps here.

Into Niflheim, there go the damned,

A day has risen but it's dark everywhere.

My little daughter, what have I done to you?

Thaw spouts from Hvergelmir5 with fear and terror

and there, everyone lives on the run.

No fog appears at midnight.

Sleep. Sleep.

There soar the wights6 on spread out wings.

We are imprisoned there as if in poor condition

and tightly bound in icy chains.

Sleep. Sleep.

A new day rises.

Ice sleeps here.

It was a relief when my daughter died,

sleep as if frozen and find your peace,

my embracing arms shield from cold and snow.

1. A serpent/ dragon which torments the dead in Niflheim and gnaws at the base of Yggradsil.2. I cannot find any info on where or what this is! Comments with info/ suggestions welcome.3. The realm of ice, where those who did not die heroic deaths go to be tortured by the goddess Hel.4. The realm of fire.5. A stream which runs out of Niflheim.6. Magical beings of Norse mythology, and one of the main subject's of Skálmöld's previous album to this one, Með Vættum.

• Artist:Skálmöld
• Album:Vögguvísur Yggdrasils