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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Þórálfs drápa Skólmssonar — ÞSjár ÞórdrI

Þórðr Særeksson (Sjáreksson)

Kari Ellen Gade 2012, ‘ Þórðr Særeksson (Sjáreksson), Þórálfs drápa Skólmssonar’ 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. 236. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1420> (accessed 19 March 2024)

 

Þars bǫðharðir bǫrðusk
bands jódraugar landa,
lystr gekk herr til hjǫrva
hnits í Storð á Fitjum.
Ok gimsløngvir ganga
gífrs hlémána drífu
nausta blakks it næsta
Norðmanna gram þorði.
 
‘The army went eager to the clash of swords [BATTLE] at Fitjar on Stord, where the battle-hardened logs of the steed of the chain of lands [(lit. ‘steed-logs of the chain of lands’) SEA > SHIP > SEAFARERS] fought. And the slinger of the fire of the storm of the troll-woman of the shielding moon of the horse of boathouses [(lit. ‘fire-slinger of the storm of the troll-woman of the shielding moon of the horse of boathouses’) SHIP > SHIELD > AXE > BATTLE > SWORD > WARRIOR] dared to advance next to the lord of the Norwegians [NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon].
Varði varga myrðir
vítt — svá skal frið slíta —
(jǫfur vildu þann eldask)
ǫndurt folk (at lǫndum).
Starf hófsk upp, þás arfi
ótta vanr, á flótta,
golls, es gramr vas fallinn,
Gunnhildar kom sunnan.
 
‘The killer of outlaws [JUST RULER = Hákon] defended the front of the army widely; thus one shall tear apart peace; they wanted that prince to grow old in the lands. The trouble began when the heir of Gunnhildr [= Haraldr gráfeldr] came from the south, bereft of the terror of gold [GENEROUS MAN = Gamli Eiríksson], because the ruler had fallen in flight.
Þrot vas sýnt, þás settusk
sinn róðrs við hlum stinnan
— maðr lét ǫnd ok annarr
ófár — búendr sárir.
Ok hjǫrkrafðir hǫfðu
huggendr Munins tuggu
gauks við gjǫlfrum leikna
grunnu* sand í munni.
 
‘Exhaustion was obvious when wounded farmers seated themselves by their unbending oar-handle; a man gave up his life, and not a few others. And the sword-claimed comforters of the cuckoo of Muninn’s <raven’s> mouthful [CORPSE > EAGLE > WARRIORS] had sand in their mouths by the shallows, swept by the waves.
Afreks veit, þars jǫfri
allríkr í styr slíkum
gǫndlar Njǫrðr, sás gerði,
gekk næst, Hugins drekku.
 
‘It signals an exceptional deed when the all-powerful Njǫrðr <god> of battle [WARRIOR = Þórálfr], who prepared Huginn’s <raven’s> banquet [CORPSES], advanced next to the prince in such a battle.
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