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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Stuttfeldardrápa — Þstf StuttdrII

Þórarinn stuttfeldr

Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘ Þórarinn stuttfeldr, Stuttfeldardrápa’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 473-9. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1477> (accessed 4 April 2025)

 

1.
Dreif til handa
herr framr grami
hollr hauksnjǫllum
hvaðanæva svá,
sem fyrr í fǫr
frétt hǫfðu rétt
konunga kyn
Kraka margspǫkum.
 
‘An outstanding, loyal army gathered around the hawk-brave lord from everywhere, just as [men] have rightly heard that the kin of kings earlier [were] in the company of the very sagacious Kraki (‘Pole-ladder’) <legendary king>.’
2.
Svá kom fylkis
framt lið saman
margspaks mikit
mildingi vilt,
at skip við skǫp
skarfǫgr of lǫg
hreins goðs heðan
hnigu sex tigir.
 
‘Such a large outstanding troop of the very sagacious leader, dear to the generous one [= Sigurðr], came together, that sixty ships, splendidly equipped with shields, glided across the ocean from here by the providence of the pure God.’
3.
Óðu at Engla
ættjǫrðu bǫrð
skaplig skipa
skafin vestr of haf.
Þótti Þrœnda
þarlands sem hvar
yfirmaðr jǫfurr
alls herjar snjallr.
 
‘The shapely planed prows of the ships advanced west across the ocean to the ancestral land of the English. The courageous prince of the Þrœndir [NORWEGIAN KING = Sigurðr] seemed superior to everyone else there as everywhere.’
4.
Bað gramr guma
gunnhagr draga
byrvarga á bjarg
blásvarta tvá,
þás í reipum
ramdýr þrama
sigu fyr hellis
hliðdyrr með lið.
 
‘The battle-skilled monarch bade the men drag two blue-black wolves of favourable breeze [SHIPS] onto the cliff, when the strong animals of ship-railings [SHIPS] slid down in the ropes with the company before the side-door of the cavern.’
5.
Ey mun uppi
Endils, meðan stendr
sólborgar salr,
svǫrgœðis fǫr.
Þú hefr í vátri,
vegsamr, þvegizk,
geirs gnýstœrir,
gráns, Jórðáni.
 
‘The journey of the fattener of Endill’s <sea-king’s> bird [(lit. ‘bird-fattener of Endill’) RAVEN/EAGLE > WARRIOR] will always be remembered as long as the hall of the sun’s stronghold [SKY/HEAVEN > EARTH] remains. Glorious increaser of the clash of the grey spear [(lit. ‘clash-increaser of the grey spear’) BATTLE > WARRIOR], you have washed yourself in the watery River Jordan.’
6.
Varðir, Hǫrða
hvatr fylkir, at
grǫf góðra lof*
geti kviksettra.
Á skínn æva
Yggs fjǫldyggra
sól svangœli,
siklingr, an þik.
 
‘Swift ruler of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Sigurðr], may you ensure that the grave of the good holy ones obtains glory. The sun will never shine upon a more virtuous pleaser of Yggr’s <= Óðinn’s> swan [(lit. ‘Yggr’s swan-pleaser’) RAVEN/EAGLE > WARRIOR] than you, lord.’
7.
Herr hauksnǫrum
harðmóðigr varð.
 
‘People became extremely stirred by the hawk-brave one.’
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