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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Lausavísur — Hildibrandr LvVIII (Ásm)

Hildibrandr

Hildibrandr, Lausavísur — Vol. 8 — Peter Jorgensen

Peter Jorgensen (forthcoming), ‘ Hildibrandr, Lausavísur’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3102> (accessed 6 May 2024)

 

Mjök er vandgætt,         hvé verða skal
um borinn öðrum         at banaorði.
Þik Drótt um bar         af Danmörku
en mik sjálfan         á Svíþjóðu.
 
‘It is very difficult to deal with how one must be born to become the slayer of another. Drótt gave birth to you in Denmark and to me myself in Sweden.
Tveir váru þeir,         tír*argjarnir,
Buðlanautar;         nú er brotinn annarr.
Svá höfðu dvergar         dauðir smíðat,
sem engi mun         áðr né síðan.
 
‘They were two, eager for fame, treasures of Buðli <legendary king>; now one is broken. Dwarfs [now] dead had forged [them] in such a way that no one could before or since.
Stendr mér at höfði         hlíf in brotna.
Eru þar talðir         tigir inir átta
manna þeira,         er ek at morði varð.
 
‘The broken shield stands by my head. Eighty men, of whom I was the slayer, are counted there.
Liggr þar inn svási         sonr at höfði
eptir, erfingi,         er ek eiga gat;
óviljandi         aldrs synjaðak.
 
‘The beloved son lies there behind at my head, the heir whom I begot; unwillingly I deprived [him] of life.
Bið ek þik, bróðir,         bænar einnar,
einnar bænar         eigi þú synja.
Mik skaltu verja         váðum þínum,
sem fjörsbani         fár annars mun.
 
‘I ask you one favour, brother, one favour, do not deny me [that]. You must wrap me in your garments, as no life-slayer of another [man] would do.
Nú verð ek liggja         lífs andvani,
mæki undaðr,         þeim er magnar sár.
 
‘Now I must lie bereft of life, wounded by a sword, the one that increases wounds.
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