Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Svartr á Hofstöðum, Skaufhala bálkr 4’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 958.
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1. mæla (verb): speak, say
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gortanni (noun m.)
[1] gortanni: ‘gor‑ganti’ corrected in the lower margin from ‘goranti’ in another hand Rask87ˣ
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2. við (prep.): with, against
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gren (noun n.; °; -): gren < grenlægja (noun f.)
[2] grenlægju ‘the lair-lier [VIXEN]’: So Rask87ˣ. The 603 variant, ‘grenlægu’ (so also Kölbing 1876), is incorrect. See grenlægja ‘lair-lier’ in st. 5/1 and ANG §409. For a comparable kenning for ‘fox’, see grenbúi ‘lair-dweller’ in GunnLeif Merl II 28/9.
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-lægja (noun f.) < grenlægja (noun f.)
[2] ‑lægju: so Rask87ˣ, ‘‑lægu’ 603
[2] grenlægju ‘the lair-lier [VIXEN]’: So Rask87ˣ. The 603 variant, ‘grenlægu’ (so also Kölbing 1876), is incorrect. See grenlægja ‘lair-lier’ in st. 5/1 and ANG §409. For a comparable kenning for ‘fox’, see grenbúi ‘lair-dweller’ in GunnLeif Merl II 28/9.
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hvat (pron.): what
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skulu (verb): shall, should, must
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2. vinna (verb): perform, work
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til (prep.): to
[4] til þarfa ‘for our sustenance’: Lit. ‘for our sustenances, needs’. The Rask87ˣ variant of this line, við til þarfar lit. ‘we two for sustenance’ is also possible.
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þǫrf (noun f.; °þarfar; þarfar/þarfir): need
[4] þarfa: þarfar Rask87ˣ
[4] til þarfa ‘for our sustenance’: Lit. ‘for our sustenances, needs’. The Rask87ˣ variant of this line, við til þarfar lit. ‘we two for sustenance’ is also possible.
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vér (pron.; °gen. vár, dat./acc. oss): we, us, our
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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1. verða (verb): become, be
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veikr (adj.): [feeble, weak] < veiklundaðr (adj./verb p.p.)
[6] veiklunduð (n. nom. pl.) ‘weak-minded’: So Rask87ˣ and Jón Þorkelsson (1888). Kölbing (1876) retains the 603 variant (rendered in the ms. as ‘veyklēdt’) but it is not clear how he interprets the word. CPB emends to veyk-lenduð (n. nom. pl.; hap. leg.), which Guðbrandur Vigfússon (CPB II, 610) explains as ‘weak-loined’ (so also Jón Þorkelsson 1922-7 and Páll Eggert Ólason 1947).
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lundaðr (adj./verb p.p.): minded < veiklundaðr (adj./verb p.p.)
[6] ‑lunduð: so Rask87ˣ, ‘‑lendit’ or ‘‑lendut’ 603
[6] veiklunduð (n. nom. pl.) ‘weak-minded’: So Rask87ˣ and Jón Þorkelsson (1888). Kölbing (1876) retains the 603 variant (rendered in the ms. as ‘veyklēdt’) but it is not clear how he interprets the word. CPB emends to veyk-lenduð (n. nom. pl.; hap. leg.), which Guðbrandur Vigfússon (CPB II, 610) explains as ‘weak-loined’ (so also Jón Þorkelsson 1922-7 and Páll Eggert Ólason 1947).
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mjǫk (adv.): very, much
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hryggsnauðr (adj.)
[7] hryggsnauð: ‘hrigg, snaud’ Rask87ˣ
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harðla (adv.): very, highly, greatly
[8] halar ‘tails’: The emendation is necessary for grammatical reasons (m. nom. pl.) and follows the earlier eds (emendation first suggested by Kölbing 1876).
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rotna (verb)
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[5-8]: For similar complaints of old age in European beast fables, see Amory (1973, 9-10).
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