Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Vitnisvísur af Máríu 18’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 752.
‘Veit eg, að mjög er í móti,
minn guð, skipan þinni
með sambandi synda
sett jáyrði þetta.
Verð eg bert fyrir borði,
blessuð hjálp, í þessu,
enn sem ykkr er kunnigt
áðr mæðginum báðum.
‘Eg veit, guð minn, að þetta jáyrði, sett með sambandi synda, er mjög í móti skipan þinni. Eg verð bert fyrir borði í þessu, blessuð hjálp; enn sem áðr er kunnigt ykkr báðum mæðginum.
‘I know, my God, that this consent, given with the union of sins, is much against your decree. I am clearly wronged in this, blessed help; now as before it is known to you both, mother and son.
Mss: 713(84), 721(12r)
Editions: Skj AII, 486, Skj BII, 523-4, Skald II, 287; Kahle 1898, 53, 103, Sperber 1911, 27, 72, Wrightson 2001, 35.
Notes: [3, 4] sett með sambandi synda ‘given with the union of sins’: This most likely refers to the fact that the couple had engaged in sexual intercourse both before and after their betrothal (see Mar 1871, 298-9, 303-4). — [5] eg verð bert fyrir borði ‘I am clearly wronged’: For the phrase verða fyrir borði ‘be wronged, overwhelmed, be in an unfortunate position’ (lit. ‘be thrown overboard’) see LP: borð 3.
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