ESk Geisl 53VII
Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 53’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 50.
text and translation
Myndi mest und fjǫndum
Miklagarðr ok jarðir
(hryggs dugði lið) liggja
(lagar eldbrota) veldi,
nema rǫnd í byr branda
(barðraukns) fáir harða
(rǫðuls bliku vôpn í veðri)
Væringjar framm bæri.
Mest veldi, Miklagarðr ok jarðir, myndi liggja und fjǫndum — lið {hryggs {lagar eld}brota} dugði —, nema harða fáir Væringjar bæri rǫnd framm í {byr branda}; vôpn bliku í {veðri {rǫðuls {barðraukns}}}.
‘Most of the kingdom, Constantinople and the territories, would have lain under enemies — the army of the sorrowful breaker of the flame of the sea [(lit. ‘sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea’) GOLD > GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king] did well —, except that a very few Varangians pushed [their] shields forward in the fair breeze of swords [BATTLE]; weapons gleamed in the storm of the sun of the prow-ox [SHIP > SHIELD > BATTLE].’
notes and context
readings
- [2] ‑garðr: garðs Bb
- [2] jarðir: jarðar Bb
- [3] dugði: dugðit Bb
- [6] barðraukns: ‘barraugn’ Flat, ‘bard ravgns’ Bb
- [6] fáir: so Bb, ‘fꜳit’ Flat
sources
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
-
GKS 1005 fol (Flat) — 2rb/37 - 2rb/37
Myndi mest und fjǫndum
images
Miklagarðr ok jarðir
(hryggs dugði lið) liggja
(lagar eldbrota) veldi,
nema rǫnd í byr branda
(†barraugn†) †fꜳit† harða
(rǫðuls bliku vôpn í veðri)
Væringjar framm bæri. -
Holm perg 1 fol (Bb) — 118ra/30 - 118ra/33
Myndi mest und fjǫndum
images
Miklagarðs ok jarðar
(hryggs dugðit lið) liggja
(lagar eldbrota) veldi,
nema rǫnd í byr branda
(†bard ravgns†) fáir harða
(rǫðuls bliku vôpn í veðri)
Væringjar framm bæri.
editions and texts
Skj: Einarr Skúlason, 6. Geisli 53: AI, 469, BI, 440, Skald I, 217, NN §944; Flat 1860-8, I, 5-6, Cederschiöld 1873, 8, Chase 2005, 103, 158.
Stanza/chapter/text segment
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
Information tab
- text: if the stanza has been published, the edited text of the stanza and translation are here; if it hasn't been published an old edition (usually Skj) is given for reference
- sources: a list of the manuscripts or inscriptions containing this stanza, with page and line references and links (eye button) to images where available, and transcription where available
- readings: a list of variant manuscript readings of words in the main text
- editions and texts: a list of editions of the stanza with links to the bibliography; and a list of prose works in which the stanza occurs, allowing you to navigate within the prose context
- notes and context: notes not linked to individual words are given here, along with the account of the prose context for the stanza, where relevant
Interactive tab
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
Full text tab
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
Chapter/text segment
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.