Keth Lv 12VIII (Ket 19)/8 — dreif ‘moved forcefully’
Einhlítr ek þóttumz, áðr en hér kómum,
um flestar allar farir várar,
hvat sem ferlig flögð um gleipa.
Lastik dreng dæsinn; dreif ek á vit fanga.
Ek þóttumz einhlítr um flestar allar farir várar, áðr en kómum hér, hvat sem ferlig flögð um gleipa. Lastik dæsinn dreng; dreif ek á vit fanga.
I considered myself self-reliant on almost all our [my] journeys, before we [I] came here, whatever hideous ogresses chatter about. I speak ill of the sluggish man; I moved forcefully in search of a catch.
readings
[8] dreif ek (‘dreyf eg’): so 340ˣ, ‘drefic’ 343a, drep ek 471
notes
[8] dreif ek ‘I moved forcefully’: The reading ‘drefik’ in 343a is no doubt a scribal error; 340ˣ has the reading ‘dreyf eg’ (= dreif ek ‘I moved forcefully’), which has been adopted here. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) emends the verb to the present form drífk (= dríf ek ‘I move forcefully’). A form of the verb drífa ‘drive; rush, move forcefully’ makes better sense in connection with a fishing expedition than does a form of the verb drepa ‘strike’ (471). Kock prefers 471’s reading drep, but it is unclear how the words drep ek á vit fanga are to be translated. Heusler and Ranisch (Edd. Min.) emend to dreg (1st pers. sg. pres. of draga ‘draw, drag, pull’), which has no basis in the ms. tradition: dreg ek á vit fanga ‘I go in search of a catch’.