Jónsvísur — Kolb JónvVII
Kolbeinn Tumason
Beatrice La Farge 2007, ‘ Kolbeinn Tumason, Jónsvísur’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 223-7. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1289> (accessed 25 April 2024)
Angrfellir, vast ǫllum
einn postolum hreinni
heilags Krists í hæstu,
happskeytr, fǫruneyti.
Unni engum manni
jafnheitt friðar veitir
þýðr sem þér ok móður
— þats minniligt — sinni.
‘Lucky-shooting sorrow-feller [APOSTLE], you were alone purer than all the Apostles in the highest company of holy Christ. The friendly granter of peace [= God (= Christ)] loved no-one as ardently as you and his mother — that is worthy of remembrance.’
Miðr gekt einn an aðrir
ǫðlings frá píningu,
svikbannandi, sunnu,
snjallr, postolar allir,
þvít drengr í styr strǫngum
stótt þú hjá kvǫl dróttins
blíð ok bragnings móðir
byrstrandar grátandi.
‘Courageous one, you who bans falsity [APOSTLE], alone fled from the torment of the king of the sun [= God (= Christ)] less than all the other Apostles, for you, a valiant man in the hard battle, and the weeping gentle mother of the ruler of the wind-beach [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ) > = Mary] stood close by at the torture of the Lord.’
Sjalfr kallaði sællar
sólknarrar þik harri
son Máríe særir
sundhyrs, í kvǫl bundinn.
Ráð fal ræsir lýða
risnu kendr á hendi,
díks, áðr dauðann tœki,
dagrennir, þér hennar.
‘The lord of the sun-ship [SKY/HEAVEN] himself [= God (= Christ)], bound in torment, called you the son of the blessed Mary, wounder of strait-fire [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]. The impeller of peoples [= God (= Christ)], known for his munificence, placed her wellbeing in your hands before he took death, mover of the day of the ditch [(lit. ‘day-mover of the ditch’) GOLD > GENEROUS MAN].’
Kœnn, lé*zt þú hag hreinnar
hǫfðingi, drótningar,
hafs meðan hyrþǫll lifði,
hugat blíðliga síðan.
Þér var hón, sem hárar
hildingr skipa vildi
(ykr lofar) éla þekju,
(ǫll þjóð) í stað móður.
‘Wise chieftain, you let the circumstances of the pure queen be attended to kindly thereafter, as long as the fir sapling of the fire of the sea [(lit. ‘sea’s fire-fir sapling’) GOLD > WOMAN = Mary] lived. She was in the position of a mother to you, as the warlord of the high thatch of snowstorms [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] wanted it arranged; all people praise you.’
Frami gengr hátt, sás himna
herteitir þér veitir,
snardeilandi sólar
sunds, á margar lundir.
Hárs á hvern veg meiri
hyrbjóðr, an kyn þjóðar,
Alda garðs, með orðum
yðra dýrð geti skýrða.
‘That distinction which the gladdener of the host of the heavens [(lit. ‘host-gladdener of the heavens’) ANGELS > = God (= Christ)] grants you rises high in many ways, speedy distributer of the sun of the sound [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]. The high offerer of the fire of the fence of Alden <island> [(lit. ‘high fire-offerer of the Alden-fence’) SEA > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] is greater in every way than the family of people [MANKIND] are able to expound your glory with words.’
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