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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Fragments — HSt FragIII

Hallar-Steinn

Edith Marold with the assistance of Vivian Busch, Jana Krüger, Ann-Dörte Kyas and Katharina Seidel, translated from German by John Foulks 2017, ‘ Hallar-Steinn, Fragments’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 202. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1239> (accessed 29 March 2024)

 

Holmleggjar viðr hilmir
hring-Skǫglar mik þǫglan.
 
‘The ruler of the island-bone [ROCK > DWARF = Litr (litr ‘colour’)] of the ring-Skǫgul <valkyrie> [WOMAN] makes me silent.
Svalteigar mun selju
salts Víðblinda galtar
rafkastandi rastar
reyrþvengs muna lengi.
 
‘The thrower of the amber of the salty, cool meadow of the boar of Víðblindi <giant> [(lit. ‘amber-thrower of the salty, cool meadow of the boar of Víðblindi’) WHALE > SEA > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] will for a long time remember the willow of the path of the reed-thong [SNAKE > GOLD > WOMAN].
Þú munt, fúrs, sem fleiri,
flóðs hirði-Sif, tróður,
grǫnn, við gæfu þinni
grjóts Hjaðninga brjótask.
 
‘Slender guarding-Sif <goddess> of the fire of the sea [GOLD > WOMAN], you will struggle against your luck just like other poles of the stones of the Hjaðningar <Heðinn and his followers> [CORPSES > VALKYRIES].
Ek hef óðar lokri,
ǫlstafna, þér skafna,
væn mǫrk, — skala verki
vandr — stefknarrar branda.
 
‘I have smoothed the bows of the refrain-ship [DRÁPA > UPPHAF] for you with the plane of poetry [TONGUE], beautiful forest of ale-prows [DRINKING HORNS > WOMAN]; the poem should not be difficult.
Hart (fló hvast of snertu)
hregg magnaðisk, bragna
(bókar sól) þars búkar,
benvargs, hnigu margir.
 
‘The strong storm of the wound-wolf [SWORD > BATTLE] increased, where many bodies of men sank down; the sun of the book [COLOUR (steinn ‘stone’)] flew sharply in battle.
Flaug, en firnabjúgir,
foldar hnegg at seggjum,
fjarðelds fleygi-Nirðir
fellu skjótt at velli.
 
‘The heart of the earth [STONE] flew at men, and the overly stooping throwing-Nirðir <gods> of fjord-fire [GOLD > GENEROUS MEN] fell quickly on the field.
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