R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Lausavísur 27’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 733.
Munu, þeirs mestar skynjar
munvágs Dáins kunna,
síðr at Sighvats hróðri
svinns braglǫstu finna.
Sik vill hverr, es hnekkir,
haldorðr boði skjaldar
éls, þvís allir mæla,
iflaust gera at fifli.
Munu, þeirs kunna mestar skynjar {munvágs Dáins}, síðr finna braglǫstu at hróðri svinns Sighvats. {Hverr haldorðr boði {éls skjaldar}}, es hnekkir, þvís allir mæla, vill iflaust gera sik at fifli.
‘Those who comprehend the greatest knowledge of the delightful wave of Dáinn <dwarf> [POETRY] will hardly [lit. less] find verse-flaws in the encomium of judicious Sigvatr. Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield [BATTLE > WARRIOR] who rejects what all say will doubtless make himself a fool.’
Sigvatr travels incognito in Denmark because of King Knútr’s enmity to those who had been friends of King Óláfr. He stays at a farm where the people are discussing poetry, and they find fault with Sigvatr’s verses (not knowing he is present). He delivers this stanza, revealing his identity and necessitating a rapid escape.
The import of this vísa is that if critics find fault with Sigvatr’s poetry, it is because their knowledge of versecraft is faulty, and their criticisms only expose their ignorance. For a discussion of some unusual formal features of Sigvatr’s verse, see Finnur Jónsson LH I, 597-8.
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
Munu, þeirs mest um skynja
munn†uígurs dáins† kunna,
síðr at Sighvats hróðri
†suinzst† braglǫstu finna.
Sik vill hverr, at hnekkir,
haldorðr boði skjaldar
éls, því at allir mæla,
iflaust gerat fifli.
Munu þeir er mest vm sky | nía munn uígurs daíns kunna sidr at sighuatz hrodri suinzst brag | lo᷎stu fínna sik uill huerr at hneckir halld ordr bodi skialldar els þui | at aller mæla iflaust gerat fifle᷎
(RDF)
Munu, þeirs mestar skynjar
mun†vígs daínns† kunna,
síðr á Sighvats hróðri
†suínnz† braglǫstu finna.
Sik vill hverr, es kvikir,
haldorðr boði skorðar
at, þvís allir mæla,
iflaust gera at fifli.
Munu þeir er mestar skyniar . mun vígs daínns kunna | siðr ꜳ́ síghvatz hroðri . suínnz braglaustu finna . síg uill huerr er kuíker . hallð orðr boðí skorðar . ath || þuí er aller mꜽla íf laust gíora ath fífli
(RDF)
Munu, þeirs mest of skynja
mennÓláfs vígs kenna,
síð á Sighvats hróðri
sinn brag-lǫstinn finna.
†suk† vill hverr, †er† hnekkir,
haldorðr boði skjaldar
éls, því at allir mæla,
iflaust gera at fifli.
Munu þeir er mest of skynía . | menn olafs vígs kenna . | sið ꜳ sighuatz hróðrí . | sínn brag lo᷎stínn fínna : | suk víll huerr er hneckir : | hallð orðr boði skiallðar | éls þuiat allír mæla . || íflaust go᷎ra at fiflí . |
(RDF)
Munu, þeirs mest of skynja
mennÓláfs vígs kenna,
síð á Sighvats †hröðu†
sinn brag-lǫstum finna.
Sik vill hverr, es hnekkir,
haldorðr boði skjaldar
éls, því at allir mæla,
í flaust gera at fifli.
Munu þeir er mest ofskynia , menn oläfs | vigs kenna , sid ꜳ Sighuatz hrödu , sinn braglo᷎stum finna , | sick will huerr er hneckir , halldordr bodi skialldar , els þuiat | aller mæla , i flaust go᷎ra at fifli.
(RDF)
Munu, þeirs mest of skynja
mennÓláfs vígs kenna,
síð á Sighvats hróðri
sinn brag-lǫstinn finna.
Sik vill hverr, es hnekkir,
haldorðr boði skjaldar
éls, því at allir mæla,
iflaust gera at fifli.
Munu þeir er mest ofskynia | menn Olafs vigs kienna | sid ꜳ sighvats hrodri | sinn braglo᷎stinn finna | sick vill hver er hneckir | halldordr bodi skialldar | els þvi at allir mæla | iflꜹst go᷎ra at fifli |
(VEÞ)
Munu þeir er mest um skynia | munn vigurs dains kunna | siþr at sighvatz hroþri | snimzt braglostu finna | sik vill hverr at hneckir | halldorþr boþi skialldar | els þviat allir mæla | iflaust giorat fifli . ||
(RDF)
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