Árm Lv 4^II

Eigum vér, þars vági
verpr inn of þrǫm stinnan,
— þann hǫfum vér at vinna —
varðhald á skæ barða,
meðan í nótt hjá nýtri
námdúks hǫrundmjúkri
lókr sefr lind inn veiki;
lítk of ǫxl til Krítar.

Vér eigum varðhald á {skæ barða}, þars vági verpr inn of stinnan þrǫm—vér hǫfum þann at vinna—, meðan inn veiki lókr sefr í nótt hjá {nýtri, hǫrundmjúkri lind námdúks}; lítk of ǫxl til Krítar.

We keep watch on {the steed of the prow} [SHIP], where the billow is thrown in over the sturdy gunwale—we have that to do—, while the feeble weakling sleeps tonight beside {the excellent, soft-skinned lime-tree of the kerchief} [WOMAN]; I look over my shoulder towards Crete.

Mss: Flat(140vb), R702ˣ(49r) (Orkn)

Readings: [2] stinnan: corrected from sunnan R702ˣ    [6] námdúks: ‘naduks’ R702ˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 531, Skj BI, 512, Skald I, 251; Flat 1860-8, II, 486, Orkn 1887, 175, Orkn 1913-16, 253, ÍF 34, 229 (ch. 88), Bibire 1988, 236.

Context: Sailing south towards Crete, Rǫgnvaldr’s fleet comes into some bad weather. Ármóðr declaims this st. while keeping watch at night.

Notes: [All]: This st. incorporates a common motif, the comparison of the speaker’s manly activities (usually seafaring or fighting) with those of a feeble stay-at-home who lolls about with women. See KormǪ Lv 34^V, 36^V, 39^V, 63^V, Vígf Lv 1^I, Hharð Lv 4, Játg Lv, etc. Sometimes the derogatory comparison between bold adventurers and stay-at-homes is made without implicating women, as in Árm Lv 2, or Anon (Flóam) 1^V. — [3] vér hǫfum þann at vinna ‘we have that to do’: This l. is identical to GSúrs Lv 32/3^V.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
3. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
4. ÍF = Íslenzk fornrit.
5. Orkn 1913-16 = Sigurður Nordal, ed. 1913-16. Orkneyinga saga. SUGNL 40. Copenhagen: Møller.
6. Bibire, Paul. 1988. ‘The Poetry of Earl Rǫgnvaldr’s Court’. In Crawford 1988, 208-40.
7. Orkn 1887 = Gudbrand Vigfusson 1887-94, I.
8. Internal references
9. Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘ Játgeirr Torfason, Lausavísa’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 652-3. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1283> (accessed 18 April 2024)
10. Edith Marold (ed.) 2022, ‘Flóamanna saga 1 (Anonymous Lausavísur, Lausavísa from Flóamanna saga 1)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 476.
11. Judith Jesch (ed.) 2009, ‘Ármóðr, Lausavísur 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 621-2.
12. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2022, ‘Gísla saga Súrssonar 35 (Gísli Súrsson, Lausavísur 32)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 607.
13. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Haraldr harðráði Sigurðarson, Lausavísur 4’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 46-7.
14. Edith Marold (ed.) 2022, ‘Kormáks saga 53 (Kormákr Ǫgmundarson, Lausavísur 34)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1118.
15. Diana Whaley (ed.) 2012, ‘Vígfúss Víga-Glúmsson, Lausavísa 1’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 364.