Richard L. Harris (ed.) 2017, ‘Hjálmþés saga ok Ǫlvis 41 (Hjálmþér Ingason, Lausavísur 14)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 532.
In the autumn, following a sea battle in which King Hundingi and his forces are defeated, Hjálmþér, Ǫlvir and Hǫrðr venture to a marvellous land where Hǫrðr seems to die in his sleep. Hjálmþér becomes enraged with Ǫlvir momentarily. He then voices his determination to carry their faithful companion home for burial.
Berum á baki okru brodda framkeyri,
launum svá líf honum, látum hann eigi eptir.
Heygjum Hörð hvergi, fyrr en heim komum,
gröfum hann heima hallar vegg undir.
Berum á baki okru {framkeyri brodda}, launum honum svá líf, látum hann eigi eptir. Heygjum Hörð hvergi, fyrr en komum heim, gröfum hann heima undir vegg hallar.
‘Let us [me] carry the forward-driver of spear-points [WARRIOR = Hǫrðr] on our [my] back, repay him thus for life; let us [me] not leave him behind. Let us [me] bury Hǫrðr nowhere, before we [I] come home, let us [me] bury him at home beneath the wall of the hall. ’
Hjálmþér speaks this stanza after his shock discovery that Hǫrðr is dead.
Hjálmþérsrímur express the substance of this stanza in three much more prolix stanzas (IX, 36-8, Finnur Jónsson 1905-22, II, 61).
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.
Berum vit á baki okkar
brodda framkeyri,
launum svá líf honum,
látum hann eigi eptir.
†heyum† Hörð hvergi,
fyrr en heim komum,
gröfum †hann ytar† heims
hallar vegg undir.
Berum vit a Bake ockar Brodda fram keyre lau | num so lijf honum latum hann eij epter heyum hord | huorge firr enn heim komum graufum hann ytar heims | hallar uegg undir
(RH)
Berum vit á baki
brodda framkeyri,
launum svá líf honum,
látum hann eigi eptir.
†heijum† Hörð hvergi,
fyrr en komum,
gröfum hann heima
hallar veggum undir.
Berum á baki okru
brodda framkeyri,
launum svá líf honum,
látum hann eigi eptir.
Heygjum Hörð hvergi,
fyrr en heim komum,
gröfum †hann ytran† heima
hallar vegg undir.
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