Ferðavísur — Refr FerðvIII
Hofgarða-Refr Gestsson
Edith Marold with the assistance of Vivian Busch, Jana Krüger, Ann-Dörte Kyas and Katharina Seidel, translated from German by John Foulks 2017, ‘ Hofgarða-Refr Gestsson, Ferðavísur’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 243. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1230> (accessed 24 April 2024)
Vágþrýsta berr vestan
— vættik lands fyr brandi —
— hvalmœni skefr — húna
hógdýr of lǫg bógu.
‘The gentle animal of mast-tops [SHIP] carries its wave-pressed shoulders over the sea from the west; it scrapes the whale-ridge [SEA]; I expect land before the prow. ’
Fœrir bjǫrn, þars bára
brestr, undinna festa
opt í ægis kjapta
úrsvǫl Gymis vǫlva.
‘The spray-cold vǫlva <seeress> of Gymir <sea-giant> [= Rán] often leads the bear of twisted moorings [SHIP] into the jaws of the sea, where the wave breaks. ’
En sægnípu Sleipnir
slítr úrdrifinn hvítrar
Ránar rauðum steini
runnit brjóst ór munni.
‘But the spray-spattered Sleipnir <mythical horse> of the sea-peak [WAVE > SHIP] tears its breast, covered with red paint, out of the mouth of white Rán <sea-goddess>. ’
Barðristinn nemr brjósti
borðheimr drasils skorðu,
— nauð þolir viðr — en víði
verpr inn of þrǫm stinnan.
‘The prow-carved world of ship-planks [SEA] strikes the breast of the steed of the prop [SHIP], and the ocean is thrown in over the firm gunwale; the timber suffers distress. ’
Hrynja fjǫll á fyllar;
framm œsisk nú Glamma
skeið vetrliði skíða;
skaut bjǫrn Gusis nauta.
‘Mountains fall into the sea; now the bear of planks [SHIP] rushes forward on the race-course of Glammi <sea-king> [SEA]; the bear of the gifts of Gusir <legendary king> [ARROWS > = Ǫrvar-Oddr] shot. ’
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