FriðÞ Lv 3VIII (Frið 3)/8 — svell ‘the ice’
Mjök tekr sjór at svella;
svá er nú drepit skýjum;
því ráða galdrar gamlir,
er gjálfr ór stað færiz.
Ei skal ek við ægi
í ofviðri berjaz;
látum Sólundir seggjum
svellvífaðar hlífa.
Sjór tekr mjök at svella; svá er nú drepit skýjum; gamlir galdrar ráða því, er gjálfr færiz ór stað. Ek skal ei berjaz við ægi í ofviðri; látum svellvífaðar Sólundir hlífa seggjum.
The sea begins to swell greatly; thus clouds are now louring; old spells cause the surge to be moved from its place. I will not fight against the ocean in the violent storm; let us make the ice-covered Sula islands protect the men.
readings
[8] svell‑: ‘sioll‑’ 109a IIˣ, ‘sverll‑’ 1006ˣ, ‘sverl‑’ 173ˣ
notes
[8] svellvífaðar ‘ice-covered’: This cpd adj. is a hap. leg. The first element svell ‘ice, sheet of ice’ (especially over land) is unproblematic, even though the scribes had difficulty with it. The second element appears to be the p. p. –vífaðr ‘covered, wrapped’ from the verb vífa ‘come upon suddenly or by accident’ (cf. ÍO: 1132). Exactly how the meaning of the p. p. derives from the inf. vífa is unclear; ONP: vífa gives five examples of this verb, all exemplifying the pres. part.