Cookies on our website

We use cookies on this website, mainly to provide a secure browsing experience but also to collect statistics on how the website is used. You can find out more about the cookies we set, the information we store and how we use it on the cookies page.

Continue

skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

Menu Search

Lausavísur — ǪrvOdd LvVIII

Ǫrvar-Oddr

Ǫrvar-Oddr, Lausavísur — Vol. 8 — Margaret Clunies Ross

Margaret Clunies Ross (forthcoming), ‘ Ǫrvar-Oddr, Lausavísur’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=2998> (accessed 20 April 2024)

 

1.
Menn sé ek ganga         frá Munarvágum,
gunnar gjarna         í grám serkjum.
Þeir hafa reiðir         rómu háða;
eru okkur skip         auð á ströndu.
 
‘I see men proceeding from Munarvágar, eager for a fight in grey mail-coats. Angry, they have fought a battle; our ships are empty on the beach. ’
2.
Þá var mér ótti         einu sinni,
er þeir grenjandi         gengu af öskum;
tírarlausir         váru tólf saman.
 
‘Then there was in me a fear on one occasion when they went bellowing from the longships; the inglorious ones were twelve together. ’
3.
Því munk orði         andsvör veita:
þeir munu í aptan         Óðin gista,
tólf berserkir,         en vit tveir lifa.
 
‘I will give answer to that speech: they will have lodging with Óðinn this evening, the twelve berserks, but we two will live. ’
4.
Hér eru rekkar         reiðir komnir,
tírarlausir         fara tólf saman.
Einn skal við einn         eiga orrostu
hvatra drengja,         nema hugr bili.
 
‘Angry warriors have come here, the inglorious ones travel twelve together. One should fight a battle of keen fighters against one, unless his courage fails. ’
5.
Hvat er þér, Hjálmarr?         Hefr þú lit brugðit.
Þik kveð ek mæða         margar undir.
Hjálmr er þinn höggvinn,         en á hlið brynja;
nú kveð ek fjörvi         um farit þínu.
 
‘What is the matter with you, Hjálmarr? You have changed colour. I say many wounds are exhausting you. Your helmet is shattered, and your mail-coat has a rent; now I say that your life has come to an end. ’
6.
Þit skuluð hlýða         hróðri mínum,
Sigurðr ok Sjólfr,         sessunautar.
Ykr á ek gjalda         greypan verka,
hróðr harðsnúinn,         huglausum tveim.
 
‘Sigurðr and Sjólfr, you two bench companions must listen to my praise poetry. I have to pay back you two thoughtless fellows for [your] coarse composition, impudent poetry. ’
7.
Þú látt, Sjólfr,         soðgólfi á,
dáða vanr         ok dýrs hugar,
en ek út         með Akvitánum
fjóra menn         fjörvi næmðak.
 
‘Sjólfr, you lay on the kitchen floor, lacking in achievements and splendid mettle, but I deprived four men of life out among the people of Aquitaine. ’
8.
Slóttu við meyjar         málþing, Sæólfr,
meðan loga létum         leika of kynnum.
Unnum harðan         Hadding drepinn,
ok Ölvi var         aldrs um synjat.
 
‘You carried on assignations with girls, Sjólfr, while we made flames play around families. We killed the hardy Haddingr and Ǫlvir was deprived of life. ’
9.
Þú látt, Sigurðr,         í sal meyja,
meðan við Bjarma         börðumz tysvar.
Háðum hildi         heldr snarliga,
en þú, seggr, í sal         svaft und blæju.
 
‘Sigurðr, you lay in the girls’ room, while we fought twice against the Permians. We conducted the battle rather keenly, but you, fellow, were sleeping in a hall under a bed-cover. ’
10.
Sjólfr, vartu eigi,         þar er sjá knátti
brynjur manna,         blóði þvegnar.
Hrukku oddar         í hringserkjum,
en höll konungs         heldr kannaðir.
 
‘Sjólfr, you were not there where one could see the mail-coats of men washed with blood. Weapon-points struck on mail-shirts, but you preferred to explore the king’s hall. ’
11.
Sigurðr, vartu eigi         þar er sex hruðum
hábrynjuð skip         fyr Hólmsnesi.
Vartu ok eigi         vestr með Skolla,
þá er Engla gram         aldri næmðum.
 
‘Sigurðr, you were not there where we cleared six armoured ships before Hólmsnes. Nor were you in the west with Skolli, when we deprived the ruler of the English of life. ’
12.
Sjólfr, vartu eigi,         þar er sverð ruðum
hvöss á jarli         fyr Hléseyju,
en þú hallaðiz         heima á milli
kynmálasamr         kálfs ok þýjar.
 
‘Sjólfr, you were not there where we reddened sharp swords on the jarl off Læsø, but you were lolling around at home, marvellously talkative, between the calf and the servant woman. ’
13.
Sigurðr, vartu eigi,         er á Selund feldak
bræðr bölharða         Brand ok Agnar,
Ásmund, Ingjald,         Álfr var inn fimti.
En þú heima látt         í höll konungs,
skrökmálasamr,         skauð hernumin.
 
‘Sigurðr, you were not [there] when on Sjælland I felled the harm-hard brothers Brandr and Agnarr, Ásmundr, Ingjaldr; Álfr was the fifth. But you, babbler of lies, lay at home in the king’s hall, you forcibly taken cunt. ’
14.
Sjólfr, vartu eigi         suðr á Skíðu,
þar er konungar         kníðu hjálma.
Óðum dreyra,         svá at í ökla tók;
víg vakða ek;         vartu eigi þar.
 
‘Sjólfr, you were not south at Skien, where kings struck helmets. We waded in blood so that it came up to our ankles; I aroused fighting; you were not there. ’
15.
Sigurðr, vartu eigi         í Svíaskerjum,
þá er Hálfdani         heiptir guldum.
Urðu randir         rógmiklaðar
sverðum skornar,         en hann sjálfr drepinn.
 
‘Sigurðr, you were not in the skerries of the Swedes, when we repaid Hálfdan for hostilities. The shields of the strife-increaser [WARRIOR] were cut through with swords, and he himself was killed. ’
16.
Hvar váruð* þá,         veslar snýtur,
er vér heldum aski         í Elfarsund,
teitir ok reifir         at Trönuvágum?
Þar lá Ögmundr         Eyþjófsbani,
trauðastr flugar,         á tveim skipum.
 
‘Where were you then, pathetic snotty wretches, when we sailed our ship into the Götaälv estuary, happy and cheerful, to Trǫnuvágar? There lay Ǫgmundr Eyþjófsbani (‘Eyþjófr’s killer’), most reluctant to flee, in two ships. ’
17.
Þar létu vér         lindi barða
hörðu grjóti,         hvössum sverðum.
Þrír lifðum vér         en þeir níu;
hrókr hernuminn,         hví þegir nú?
 
‘There we caused the linden shield to be struck with hard stones, with sharp swords. Three of us lived, but nine of them; forcibly taken chatterbox, why are you silent now? ’
18.
Sjólfr, vartu eigi         Sámseyju í,
þar er við Hjörvarð         höggum skiptum.
Tveir váru vit,         en þeir tólf saman;
sigr hafða ek;         saztu kyrr meðan.
 
‘Sjólfr, you were not on Samsø, where we exchanged blows with Hjǫrvarðr. We were two, but they [were] twelve together; I had the victory; you stayed quiet in the meanwhile. ’
19.
Gekk ek um Gautland         í grimmum hug
sjau dægr saman,         áðr ek Sævið fyndak.
Knátta ek þeira,         áðr ek þaðan færa,
fimtán liða         fjörvi ráða;
en þú gjögraðir,         gárungr vesall,
síð of öpnum         til sængr þýjar.
 
‘I travelled through Götaland in angry mood for seven days together before I came upon Sæviðr. I succeeded in taking the lives of fifteen of their company before I got away from there; but you, wretched buffoon, were staggering late in the evenings to a slave woman’s bed. ’
20.
Þit munuð hvergi         hæfir þykkja,
Sigurðr ok Sjólfr,         í sveit konungs,
ef ek Hjálmars get         ins hugumstóra,
þess er snarligast         sverði beitti.
 
‘You two will nowhere appear worthy in a king’s retinue, Sigurðr and Sjólfr, if I mention Hjálmarr inn hugumstóri (‘the Great-minded‘), the one who wielded the sword most keenly. ’
21.
Gekk skarpr Þórðr         fyr skjöldu fram,
hvargi er orrostu         eiga skyldum.
Hann lét Hálfdan         hníga at velli,
fræknan stilli,         ok hans fylgjara.
 
‘Strong Þórðr went forwards in front of the shields, wherever we had to fight a battle. He made Hálfdan fall to the ground, that brave leader, together with his followers. ’
22.
Váru vit Ásmundr         opt í bernsku
fóstbræðr saman         báðir litnir.
Bar ek fyr stilli         stöng darraðar,
þar sem konungar         kappi deildu.
 
‘Ásmundr and I, the foster-brothers, were seen both together often in our childhood. I bore the pole of the banner before the ruler, where kings tried their courage. ’
23.
Hefi ek á Saxa         ok á Svía herjat,
Frísi ok Frakka         ok á Flæmingja,
Íra ok Engla         ok endr Skota;
þeim hefi ek öllum         óþarfr verit.
 
‘I have harried upon the Saxons and the Swedes, the Frisians and the Franks and upon the Flemings, the Irish and the English and formerly the Scots; I have been harmful to them all. ’
24.
Nú hefi ek dýra         drengi talða,
þá er forðum mér         fylgðu úti.
Munu víst eigi         verða síðan
frægri fyrðar         í fólkroði.
 
‘Now I have enumerated the noble warriors who formerly followed me out to sea. Men will certainly not afterwards become more famous in the army-reddening [BATTLE]. ’
25.
Nú hefi ek órar         iðnir talðar,
þær er forðum vér         framðar höfðum.
Opt gengum vér         til öndvegis
sigri fegnir;         látum Sjólf mæla!
 
‘Now I have enumerated our [my] deeds, those which we [I] have performed formerly. Often we [I] went to the high seat rejoicing in victory; let us [me] make Sjólfr speak! ’
26.
Oddr brendi hof         ok hörga braut
ok trégoðum         týndi þínum.
Gerðu þau ekki         góðs í heimi,
er þau ór eldi         ösla né máttu.
 
‘Oddr burned the temples and broke up the sanctuaries and destroyed your wooden gods. They did nothing good in the world, since they could not escape from the fire. ’
27.
Hirði ek eigi,         þótt heitir þú,
fárgjarnt höfuð,         Freys reiði mér.
Veit ek í eldi         ásu brenna;
tröll eigi þik;         trúi ek guði einum.
 
‘I do not care though you, evil-inclined person, call down Freyr’s wrath upon me. I know the gods are burning in the fire; may trolls have you; I believe in one god. ’
28.
Fæddi mik Ingjaldr         upp í bernsku,
sá er Eikund réð         ok Jaðar bygði.
 
‘Ingjaldr brought me up in my childhood, he who owned Ekund and lived in Jæren. ’
29.
Oddr sveigði álm,         ör fló af streng,
Jólfs smíði beit         Álf í gegnum.
Dugðu svá blót,         at yfir honum hlakka
bæði hrafnar         ok hrægjóðar.
 
‘Oddr bent the bow, the arrow flew from the string, Jólfr’s handiwork bit right through Álfr. The sacrifices lent help to the extent that both ravens and carrion-ospreys exult over him. ’
30.
Efldu mik örvar         ok Jólfs smíði,
stórgör skeyti         ok stinnr bogi,
ok þat it fimta,         er þú fregna skalt,
at ek við ásu         aldri þýddumk.
 
‘The arrows and Jólfr’s handiwork aided me, the huge shafts and the strong bow, and the fifth thing which you must hear of, that I never submitted to the gods. ’
31.
Lét ek fyrstan         Frey ok Óðin,
blinda báða,         á bál fara.
Urðu æsir         undan at flýja,
hvar er í flokki         fundizk höfðum.
 
‘I caused Freyr first and [then] Óðinn, both blind, to proceed to the pyre. The gods were forced to flee away, wherever we had encountered each other in company. ’
32.
Elta ek ásu         ørhjartaða tvá,
sem fyr úlfi         örg geit rynni.
Illr er Óðinn         at eingavin;
skuluð eigi ér         skratta blóta.
 
‘I chased the two dispirited gods just as a timid nanny goat runs before a wolf. Óðinn is evil as an intimate friend; you should not worship demons with sacrifice. ’
Close

Log in

This service is only available to members of the relevant projects, and to purchasers of the skaldic volumes published by Brepols.
This service uses cookies. By logging in you agree to the use of cookies on your browser.

Close

Information about a text: poem, sequence of stanzas, or prose work

This page is used for different resources. For groups of stanzas such as poems, you will see the verse text and, where published, the translation of each stanza. These are also links to information about the individual stanzas.

For prose works you will see a list of the stanzas and fragments in that prose work, where relevant, providing links to the individual stanzas.

Where you have access to introduction(s) to the poem or prose work in the database, these will appear in the ‘introduction’ section.

The final section, ‘sources’ is a list of the manuscripts that contain the prose work, as well as manuscripts and prose works linked to stanzas and sections of a text.