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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Lausavísur — Keth LvVIII (Ket)

Ketill hœngr

Ketill hœngr, Lausavísur — Vol. 8 — Beatrice La Farge

Beatrice La Farge (forthcoming), ‘ Ketill hœngr, 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=3160> (accessed 25 April 2024)

 

1.
Hér mun ek þiggja;         hygg ek, at valdi
Finns fjölkyngi         feiknaveðri,
ok í allan dag         einn jós ek við þrjá;
hvalr kyrði sjá;         hér mun ek þiggja.
 
‘I will accept [lodging] here; I think that a Saami’s wizardry caused the baleful weather, and the whole day long I baled [water] [as if] alone in competition with three; a whale calmed the sea; I will accept [lodging] here.’
2.
Skríð þú af kjálka;         kyrr þu hreina;
seggr síðförull,         seg, hvattu heitir.
 
‘Slide from the sledge; calm the reindeer; man travelling late, say what your name is.’
3.
Hængr ek heiti         kominn ór Hrafnistu
hefnir Hallbjarnar;         hví skríðr þú svá, inn armi?
Friðmálum mæla         mun ek eigi við Finn ragan;
heldr mun ek boga benda         þann er mér Brúni gaf.
 
‘I am named Hœngr (‘Salmon’), come from Hrafnista, avenger of Hallbjǫrn [= Ketill]; why do you glide thus, wretch? I will not speak words of peace to a cowardly Saami; rather I will bend the bow, which Brúni gave me.’
4.
Hæng kalla mik         hálfu nafni;
mun ek veita þér         viðnám heðan.
Skaltu víst vita,         áðr vit skiljum,
at búkörlum         bíta örvar.
 
‘They call me Hœngr (‘Salmon’) as half [of my] name; I will offer you resistance from here. You shall certainly know, before we two part, that arrows bite farmers.’
5.
Mun ek af auði         eigi láta
ok fyr einum þér         aldri renna.
Fyrr skal þér höggvin         hlíf fyr brjósti
ok fyr sjónum         svart at ganga.
 
‘I will not give up my wealth, and [I will] never run before you alone. Before that the shield before your breast will be hacked [to pieces], and everything will go black before your eyes.’
6.
Mun ek eigi gulli         við Gusi skipta
né heldr fyrri         til friðar mæla.
Mér er bráðr bani         betri miklu
en hugleysi         ok heðankváma.
 
‘I will not share gold with Gusir nor ever [be] the first to sue for peace. A quick death is much better for me than lack of courage and escape from here.’
7.
Feigr er nú         Finnr inn ragi,
er hann fóttreðr         flein sinn rangan.
 
‘Doomed is now the cowardly Saami, since he treads underfoot his own crooked arrow.’
8.
Hvat er þat býsna,         er ek á bjargi sé
        ok gapir eldi yfir?
Búsifjar okkrar         hygg ek batna munu;
        líttu á ljóðvega.
 
‘What terrible thing is that which I see on the mountain and which gapes over the fire? I think that the neighbourly relationship between us will become better; move [off] on the thoroughfares.’
9.
Hjálmr ok Stafnglámr,         hlífið ykkr báðir;
gefið rúm gömlum         at ganga framar hóti.
 
‘Hjálmr and Stafnglámr, both of you protect yourselves; give the old one room to go forward a bit.’
10.
Fljúga fólknöðrur,         frækn er Dalakappi;
ljótr er leikr sverða,         litat er skegg á karli.
Skrapa skinnkyrtlar,         skjálfa hringskyrtur,
hristaz járnserkir,         hræðiz biðill meyjar.
 
‘Battle-snakes [SPEARS] fly, Dalakappi (‘the Dale-champion’) [= Áli Uppdalakappi] is bold; the play of swords [BATTLE], is ugly, the beard on the man is coloured [with blood]. The hide-kirtles rustle, the ring shirts quiver, the iron shirts shake, the suitor of the girl is afraid.’
11.
Hvat er þat flagða,         er ek sá á fornu nesi?
At uppiverandi sólu,         er ek hefik önga eina
        leiðiligri litit.
 
‘What kind of ogress is that, whom I saw on the ancient headland? I have seen not a single one more ugly while the sun is up.’
12.
Einhlítr ek þóttumz,         áðr en hér kómum,
um flestar allar         farir várar,
hvat sem ferlig         flögð um gleipa.
Lastik dreng dæsinn;         dreif ek á vit fanga.
 
‘I considered myself self-reliant on almost all our [my] journeys, before we [I] came here, whatever hideous ogresses chatter about. I speak ill of the sluggish man; I moved forcefully in search of a catch.’
13.
Læt ek hér fyrir vinnaz,         hvat er Forað mælir;
nauðir mik hvöttu;         nánum er at bjarga.
Hættik eigi         á hólm til sela,
ef í eyju         ærnir væri.
 
‘I will provide a sufficiency for myself here, whatever Forað says; necessities incited me; near ones are to be saved. I would not risk it to the islet for seals if there were enough on the island.’
14.
Ungr var ek heima,         fór ek einn saman,
        opt í útveri,
        marga myrkviðu.
Hvatki ek fann á minni götu,         hræddumz ek aldri
        flagða forynjur.
 
‘When I was young at home, I often roamed alone in the outlying fishing grounds, through many dark forests. I never feared the warnings of ogresses, whatever I found on my path. ’
15.
Langleit ertu, fóstra,         ok lætr róa nefit;
ei hefi ek flagðit         felligra litit;
        eða hvert hefir þú förina görva?
 
‘You are long-faced, foster-mother, and you let your nose row; I have not seen a more monstrous ogress; and where are you travelling to?’
16.
Örum trúi ek mínum         en þú afrendi þinni;
fleinn mun þér mæta,         nema þú fyrir hrøkkvir.
 
‘I trust in my arrows, and you in your strength; a shaft will meet you, unless you give way before it.’
17.
Ketill ek heiti         kominn ór Hrafnistu;
        þar var ek upp um alinn.
Hugfullt hjarta         veit ek hlífa mér;
        þó vilda ek gisting geta.
 
‘I am named Ketill, come from Hrafnista; there I was brought up. I know that a courage-filled heart protects me; yet I would like to obtain lodging.’
18.
Upp mun ek nú rísa         ok ganga haugi af,
        alls mér Böðmóðr býðr.
Bróðir minn,         þótt sæti brautu nær,
        mundi eigi betr um boðit.
 
‘I will now rise up and leave the mound since Bǫðmóðr invites me. My brother, even if he lived near the road, would not have invited me better.’
19.
Óðin blóta         gørða ek aldrigi;
        hefik þó lengi lifat.
Framar veit ek         falla munu
        fyrr en þetta it háva höfuð.
 
‘I have never sacrificed to Óðinn; yet I have lived a long time. I know Framarr will fall sooner than this high head.’
20.
Dregz þú nú, Dragvendill,         við krás arnar;
mætir þú meingöldrum;         máttir þú eigi bíta.
Mik þess eigi varði,         at hrøkkva mundi
eggjar eitrherðar,         þótt Óðinn deyfði.
 
‘You are drawn now, Dragvendill <sword>, for the delicacies of the eagle [CORPSES]; you meet harmful spells; you are unable to bite. It did not occur to me that poison-hardened edges would give way, although Óðinn blunted [them].’
21.
Hvat er þér, Dragvendill?         Hví ertu slær vorðinn?
Til hefi ek nú höggvit;         tregt er þér nú at bíta.
Hliðar þú at hjörþingi;         hefir þér eigi fyrr vorðit
bilt í braki málma,         þar er bragnar hjugguz.
 
‘What is the matter with you, Dragvendill? Why have you become dull? I have now struck a blow; now you are slow to bite. You give way at the sword-meeting [BATTLE]; you have not failed in the crash of metal [BATTLE] before, where warriors exchanged blows.’
22.
Eigi þarftu oss at eggja;         eiga mér sjaldan
fyrðar flugtrauðir         frýja stórhöggva.
Bít þú nú, Dragvendill,         eða brotna ella;
horfin* er okkr heill báðum,         ef þú bilar sinn þriðja.
 
‘You do not need to egg us [me] on; seldom do men averse to flight call into question my dealing in heavy blows. Bite now, Dragvendill, or else break apart; luck has turned away from us both, if you fail a third time.’
23.
Hræðiz eigi faðir meyjar,         meðan heill er Dragvendill.
Vita ek víst þikkjumz,         verðr honum ei bilt þrysvar.
 
‘The father of the maiden [= Ketill] is not afraid, whilst Dragvendill is intact. I think I know for certain he will not fail three times.’
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