Anon Brúðv 20VII
Valgerður Erna Þorvaldsdóttir (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Brúðkaupsvísur 20’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 542-3.
text and translation
‘Biðja vil eg yðr enn
elsku, meðan boðið dvelz,
stýrir, ef stoðar mier,
stagþjórs, og vinlags.
Betri mun eigi falds fit
finnaz þier vinr minn
hæfa nein heldr víf
hittaz, þóttu farir vítt.’
‘Eg vil enn biðja yðr elsku og vinlags, {stýrir {stagþjórs}}, meðan boðið dvelz, ef stoðar mier. Víf mun eigi hæfa þier, {betri fit falds} finnaz, vinr minn, heldr nein hittaz, þóttu farir vítt.’
‘‘I want to ask you in addition for love and friendship, steerer of the ox of the fore-stay [SHIP > SEAFARER], while the feast is delayed, if that is of any use to me. A wife will not suit you, a better meadow of the head-dress [WOMAN] [will not] be found, my friend, on the contrary none will be met, although you travel widely.’’
notes and context
[5-8]: It is hard to make good sense of the second half of the st. The general sense is clear, that no earthly wife will be good enough for the young man, but the syntax and relationship between the clauses is awkward and the text may be corrupt. Jón Helgason suggested another reading of the helmingr by emending some words (ÍM II, 133 n.). His version can be construed like this: betri fit falds muna finnask þér, vinr minn, né heldr in hœfra víf hittask, þótt þú farir vítt ‘A better land of the head-dress [WOMAN] will not be found for you, my friend, nor a more suited wife be met either, although you travel widely’.
readings
sources
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
-
AM 721 4° (721) — 14v/23 - 14v/24
images‘Biðja vil eg yðr enn
elsku, meðan boðið dvelz,
stýrir, ef stoðar mier,
stagþjórs, og vinlags.
†beitri† mun eigi fjalls fit
finnaz þier vinr minn
hæfa nein heldr víf
hittaz, þóttu farir vítt.’Bidía vil ek ydur enn · elskv medan bodit duelzt · styrir ef stȯdar mier · stagþiors · | ok vínlags · beitri mvn eigi fíallz fít fínnazt þier vínur mín · hæfa nein helldur uíf hittazt ⸝⸝þottv farir uítt |
(VEÞ)
-
AM 1032 4°x (1032x) — 105v/25 - 106v/7
‘Biðja vil eg yðr enn
elsku, meðan boðið dvelz,
stýrir, ef stoðar mier,
stagþjórs, og vinlags.
Betri mun eigi falds fit
finnaz þier vinr minn
hæfa nein heldr víf
hittaz, þóttu farir vítt.’Bidía vil ek ydvr enn || elskv medan bodit dvelzt | styrir ef stȯdar mier | stagþiors ok vínlags | bettri mvn eigi fíallz fít | fínnazt þier vínvr mín | hæfa nein helldvr víf | hittazt þottv farir vítt. |
(VEÞ)
-
JS 399 a-b 4°x (399a-bx) — 8/15 - 8/22
‘Biðja vil eg yðr enn
elsku, meðan boðið dvelz,
stýrir, ef stoðar mier,
stagþjórs, og vinlags.
Betri mun eigi falds fit
finnaz þier vinr minn
hæfa nein heldr víf
hittaz, þóttu farir vítt.’Biðja vil ek yðr enn | elsku meðan boðit dvelst | stýrir, ef stoðar mꜵr, | stagþiórs ok vinlags; | betri mun ei fjalls fit | finnast þꜵr, vinr minn, | hæfa nein heldr víf | hittast þóttú farir vítt. ||
(VEÞ)
-
Lbs 2166 4°x (2166x) — 8/13 - 8/20
‘Biðja vil eg yðr enn
elsku, meðan boðið dvelz,
stýrir, ef stoðar mier,
stagþjórs, og vinlags.
Betri mun eigi falds fit
finnaz þier vinr minn
hæfa nein heldr víf
hittaz, þóttu farir vítt.’Biðja vil ek yðr eðr | elsku meðan boðit dvelst | stýrir, ef stoðar mér, | stagþjórs ok vinlags; | betri mun ei fjalls fit | finnast þér, vinr minn, | hæfa nein heldr víf | hittast, þóttú farir vítt. ||
(VEÞ)
editions and texts
ÍM II, 132-3.
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