Cite as: David McDougall (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Pétrsdrápa 29’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 821.

Víst trú varðmaðr lýsti várr, er giekk á bárum; ván tárblómguð vænust varð yfir neiting harðri.

Ást, þóað andar misti, ítr kvaz mundu níta aldri skýja skjaldar skjöldungi þegn jungum.

Víst lýsti várr varðmaðr trú, er giekk á bárum; vænust ván varð tárblómguð yfir harðri neiting. Ítr þegn kvaz aldri mundu níta ást {jungum skjöldungi {skjaldar skýja}}, þóað andar misti.

Certainly our guardian showed faith when he walked on the waves; most promising hope became adorned with tears on account of hard denial. The glorious man said that he would never deny his love {for the young king {of the shield of the clouds}} [SUN > = God (= Christ)], though he should lose his life.

Mss: 621(58v)

Readings: [2] er: om. 621    [7] skjaldar: ‘skiallda’ 621

Editions: Skj: [Anonyme digte og vers XIV], [B. 7]. En drape om apostlen Peder 29: AII, 504, BII, 552, Skald II, 302, NN §§1729, 1730, 1731, 2997C; Kahle 1898, 84, 110.

Notes: [2]: Cf. sts 16, 50/1-2. Finnur Jónsson and Kock (Skj B; Skald) add er after várr to gain the required syllable. — [3] tárblómguð ‘adorned with tears’: Kock (NN §1730) reads as a cpd, but translates: Juvligt hopp i tåreblomstring uppstod av fornekelsen ‘Pleasing hope arose from the denial in a flowering of tears’. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) reads ván tár blomguð vænust and translates: et blomstrende håb, de prægtige tårer ‘a flowering hope, the fair tears’. Cf. sts 40/3-4, 44/1-3 and Notes. — [5-8]: Cf. Pétr 12/13-14: Eigi mun ek neita [var. níta] þer, ef mer verðr auðit at deyia með þer ‘I shall not deny you, if it falls to my lot to die with you’; Matt. XXVI.35: etiam si oportuerit me mori tecum non te negabo ‘Yea, though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee’. — [5] ást ‘love’: Both Finnur Jónsson and Kock emend to æst (=œst adv. ‘vehemently’). Finnur (Skj B) reads æst ... ítr kvaz ... þegn (ll. 5-8), and translates: den udmærkede mand sagde lidenskabelig ‘the excellent man said passionately’. At NN §1731, Kock takes æst with the rest of l. 5 and translates: om så han jenast bleve dödad ‘even though he should immediately be killed’. At NN §2997C, however, he reverts to Finnur’s interpretation: Den berömde sade häftigt (lidelsefullt) ‘The glorious one said vehemently (passionately)’. (Cf. Skald, st. 29/5: Æst, þóat... .) — [7] skjaldar ‘of the shield’: Ms. skiallda (gen. pl.). Finnur Jónsson and Kock emend to gen. sg. to obtain a conventional sun-kenning. Cf. Meissner, 103. — [8] jungum ‘young’: Cf. AEW: jungr (from MLG jung). See NN §1729 and Notes to rís ‘he ascends’ 28/8; hetskum ‘malignant’ 30/5.