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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Lausavísur — Angantýr LvVIII (Heiðr)

Angantýr Arngrímsson

Angantýr Arngrímsson, Lausavísur — Vol. 8 — Hannah Burrows

Hannah Burrows (forthcoming), ‘ Angantýr Arngrímsson, 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=3136> (accessed 27 April 2024)

 

1.
Hervör, dóttir,         hví kallar svá?
Full feiknstafa         ferr þú þér at illu.
Ær ertu orðin         ok örvita;
villhyggjandi,         vekr dauða menn.
 
‘Hervǫr, daughter, why do you call thus? Full of curses, you carry on to your detriment. You have become mad and unhinged; reasoning astray, you wake dead men. ’
2.
Grófat mik faðir         né frændr aðrir.
Þeir höfðu Tyrfing         tveir, er lifðu;
varð þó eigandi         einn um síðir.
 
‘A father did not bury me, nor other kinsmen. The two who lived had Tyrfingr, though one became the owner in the end. ’
3.
Hnigin er helgrind,         haugar opnaz,
allr er í eldi         eybarmr at sjá.
Atalt er úti         um at lítaz;
skyntu, mær, ef þú mátt,         til skipa þinna.
 
‘Hel’s gate is fallen, mounds open, one can see the whole island-edge on fire. Outside it is terrible to look around; hurry, girl, if you can, to your ships. ’
4.
Segi ek þér, Hervör,         — hlýttu til meðan,
vísa dóttir, —         þat er verða mun.
Sjá mun Tyrfingr,         ef þú trúa mættir,
ætt þinni, mær,         allri spilla.
 
‘I tell you, Hervǫr, what will happen; listen a while, daughter of a prince. That Tyrfingr will destroy all your family, girl, if you are able to believe it. ’
5.
Muntu son geta,         þann er síðan mun
Tyrfing hafa         ok trúa magni.
Þann munu Heiðrek         heita lýðar;
sá mun ríkstr alinn         und röðuls tjaldi.
 
‘You will give birth to a son, who will have Tyrfingr later, and trust in its might. People will call him Heiðrekr; he will be born most powerful under the tent of the sun [SKY/HEAVEN]. ’
6.
Kveðkat ek þik, mær ung,         mönnum líka,
er þú um hauga         hvarfar á nóttum
gröfnum geiri         ok með Gota málmi,
hjálmi ok með brynju,         fyrir hallar dyrr.
 
‘I would not declare you, young girl, [to be] like humans, when you wander around the mounds at night, with engraved spear and with the metal of the Goths, with helmet and with mail-shirt, before the doors of the hall. ’
7.
Liggr mér und herðum         Hjálmars bani;
allr er hann útan         eldi sveipinn.
Mey veit ek enga         moldar hvergi,
at þann hjör þori         í hendr nema.
 
‘The slayer of Hjálmarr [= Tyrfingr] lies under my shoulders; on the outside it is all encircled by fire. I know no girl anywhere on earth who would dare to take that sword in her hands. ’
8.
Heimsk ertu, Hervör,         hugar eigandi,
er þú at augum         í eld hrapar.
Heldr vil ek selja þér         sverð ór haugi,
mær in unga;         mákat ek þér synja.
 
‘You are foolish, Hervǫr, [but] in possession of courage, since you rush into the fire with your eyes open. I will rather give you the sword from the mound, young woman; I cannot refuse you. ’
9.
Veizt eigi þú,         — vesöl ertu mála,
fullfeikn kona —         hví þú fagna skalt.
Sjá mun Tyrfingr,         ef þú trúa mættir,
ætt þinni, mær,         allri spilla.
 
‘You do not know why you must rejoice; you are wretched in your utterances, destructive woman. That Tyrfingr will destroy all your family, girl, if you are able to believe it. ’
10.
Þú skalt eiga         ok una lengi;
hafðu á hulðu         Hjálmars bana.
Takattu á eggjum,         eitr er í báðum;
sá er manns mjötuðr         meini verri.
 
‘You shall own and enjoy [it] for a long time; keep the slayer of Hjálmarr [= Tyrfingr] in its sheath. Do not touch the edges, poison is in both; that is the ruin of a man, worse than disease. ’
11.
Far vel, dóttir,         fljótt gæfa ek þér
tólf manna fjör,         ef þú trúa mættir,
afl ok eljun,         alt it góða,
þat er synir Arngríms         at sik leifðu.
 
‘Farewell, daughter, I would readily give you the life of twelve men, if you are able to believe it, strength and energy, all the good that the sons of Arngrímr left after them. ’
12.
It eruð heilir         harðir komnir
ór hlynviði         …
fallnir eru ykrir         förunautar.
 
‘You two unharmed [men] have come bold from the maple-wood …; your travelling companions have fallen. ’
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