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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Óláfsdrápa sœnska — Ótt ÓldrIII

Óttarr svarti

Matthew Townend 2017, ‘ Óttarr svarti, Óláfsdrápa sœnska’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 335. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1342> (accessed 19 March 2024)

 

Jǫfurr heyri upphaf
— ofrask mun konungs lof —
— hôttu nemi hann rétt
hróðrs míns — bragar síns.
 
‘May the prince hear the beginning of his poem; the king’s praise will be raised; may he note correctly the forms of my panegyric.
Þengill vas þegar ungr
þreks gjǫrr vígǫrr;
haldask biðk hans aldr;
hann telk yfirmann.
 
‘The young ruler, filled with power, was already battle-eager; I wish his life to continue; I reckon him a superior man.
Braut, en breki þaut,
borð — óx viðar morð —
— meðr fengu mikit veðr —
mjó fyr ofan sjó.
 
‘The slender planks were broken above the sea, and the breaker resounded; the destruction of the tree [WIND] increased; men got severe weather.
Ǫrn drekkr undarn;
ylgr fær af hræum sylg;
opt rýðr ulfr kjǫpt;
ari getr verð þar.
 
‘The eagle drinks breakfast; the she-wolf gets a sip from corpses; the wolf often reddens its jaw; the eagle gets food there.
Vísi tekr víg-Freys
víst austr munlaust
(aldar hefr allvaldr)
óskvíf (gótt líf).
 
‘The ruler takes for certain the loveless chosen wife of the battle-Freyr <god> [= Óðinn > = Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] in the east; the mighty ruler of men leads a good life.
Fold verr folk-Baldr;
fár má konungr svá;
ǫrn reifir Ôleifr;
es framr Svía gramr.
 
‘The host-Baldr <god> [RULER] defends the land; few kings are able to do so; Óláfr gladdens the eagle; the ruler of the Swedes [= Óláfr] is outstanding.
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