Deathly Chill

Like a snake, or a cold river

It slithers across my hand.

Like the frost, it makes me quiver

But I beckon it back again.

For such secrets, does death linger

Bold like none and brave as Hel.

Wanting all the while to whisper

Things nobody else can tell.

Take me forward, slide me backward

Through the time of no between.

I am mortal, yet a vessel 

Of the shadows unforseen.

Gipsie Lee

Poetic Wisdom: translating Odin's Runatals (continued)

Auden's translation of Odin's (pronounced the same) poem most known as "The Windy Tree"

Learned I grew then, lore-wise,
Waxed and throve well:
Word from word gave words to me,
Deed from deed gave deeds to me

Odin is here taking the circumstances he has just encountered and using them to produce wisdom.  What he has gone through has not been in vain; it is a story he can now tell.  It is a lesson he can now teach.  And then there are the runes themselves...and his attentive worshippers.
Auden's translation of Odin's work in italics, mine below.

Runes you will find, and readable staves,

Very strong staves,

Very stout staves,

Staves that Bolthor stained,

Made by mighty powers,

Graven by the prophetic god. Odin is credited with creating the runic language.  As his avid captors listen, he shows them the significance of the wood, rocks and symbols upon them that he was so vexed with finding. For the gods, by Odhinn, for the Elves by Dain, By Dvalin, too, for the dwarves, By Asvid for the hateful giants, And some I carved myself. Now in this stanza Odin admits he hasn't been the sole creator of these divining tools.  He also relates the existence of other powerful beings who use them as well and know how to make them.  Note the use of the Odhinn - which is a Scotch Gaelic variant of Odin, given as a clue to who his worshipers were. Some runes he ordered carved, and some he carved himself.