Arn Þorfdr 17II
Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Þorfinnsdrápa 17’ 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, p. 249.
Stǫng ‘standard’
(not checked:)
stǫng (noun f.; °stangar, dat. -u; stangir/stengr): pole
bar ‘bore’
(not checked:)
3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
jarl ‘The jarl’
(not checked:)
jarl (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): poet, earl
Engla ‘of the English’
(not checked:)
Englar (noun m.): English people
ættgrund ‘the native soil’
(not checked:)
ættgrund (noun f.): [native soil]
en ‘and’
(not checked:)
2. en (conj.): but, and
stundu ‘at once’
(not checked:)
stund (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u/-; -ir): time, hour
[2] stundu: stundum Flat
notes
[2] stundu ‘at once’: (a) The translation is supported by þegar ‘at once’ at the corresponding point in Orkn’s prose narrative. Stundu usually appears in the phrase af stundu, as in Arn Hardr 10/8 fundusk þeir af stundu ‘they engaged at once’, but stundu, although not otherwise recorded, could be a shortened variant of the phrase (so ÍF 34, 62 n.), since the skalds’ handling of prepositional phrases is often freer than that of prose writers (NS §118b). (b) The variant stundum ‘at times’ does not give good sense.
vé ‘banners’
(not checked:)
2. vé (noun n.; °; -): banner, standard
bað ‘called for’
(not checked:)
biðja (verb; °biðr; bað, báðu; beðinn (beiþ- Martin¹ 573, bỏþ- HákEirsp 661, cf. ed. intr. xl)): ask for, order, pray
vísi ‘the leader’
(not checked:)
vísi (noun m.; °-a): leader
knýja ‘to advance’
(not checked:)
knýja (verb): press forward, urge, drive
verðung ‘retinue’
(not checked:)
verðung (noun f.): troop, retinue
[4] verðung: so Flat, ‘vo᷎rdung’ R702ˣ
ara ‘the eagle’s’
(not checked:)
1. ari (noun m.; °-a; -ar): eagle
tungu ‘tongue’
(not checked:)
tunga (noun f.; °-u; -ur): tongue, language
Hyrr ‘Flame’
(not checked:)
hyrr (noun m.): fire
óx ‘grew’
(not checked:)
vaxa (verb): grow, increase
hallir ‘halls’
(not checked:)
1. hǫll (noun f.; °hallar, dat. -u/-; hallir): hall
[5] hallir: halir Flat
þurru ‘collapsed’
(not checked:)
1. þverra (verb): diminish
her ‘the war’
(not checked:)
herr (noun m.; °-s/-jar, dat. -; -jar, gen. -ja/herra): army, host < herdrótt (noun f.)
[6] her‑: so Flat, heim‑ R702ˣ
notes
[6] herdrótt ‘the war-band’: (a) The herdrótt which puts men to flight is presumably the same as the verðung ‘retinue’ in l. 4: Þorfinnr’s men. (b) Heimdrótt ‘native troop’ is a hap. leg. In the context of st. 17 it would refer to the English as defending army; but the evidence of sts 17-18 is that they were routed.
drótt ‘band’
(not checked:)
1. drótt (noun f.): troop < herdrótt (noun f.)
notes
[6] herdrótt ‘the war-band’: (a) The herdrótt which puts men to flight is presumably the same as the verðung ‘retinue’ in l. 4: Þorfinnr’s men. (b) Heimdrótt ‘native troop’ is a hap. leg. In the context of st. 17 it would refer to the English as defending army; but the evidence of sts 17-18 is that they were routed.
rak ‘drove’
(not checked:)
2. rak (noun n.; °; *-): omen, lore
flótta ‘to flight’
(not checked:)
flótti (noun m.): flight, fleeing
notes
[7] hratt eim ‘flung out smoke’: This is taken as predicate to limdolgr ‘fire’ (l. 8). The variant eimr hratt ‘smoke belched forth’ (so Flat) would also be possible, with an absolute, impersonal use of hrinda (cf. Fritzner: hrinda 1, final example).
hratt ‘flung out’
(not checked:)
1. hrinda (verb): launch, propell
notes
[7] hratt eim ‘flung out smoke’: This is taken as predicate to limdolgr ‘fire’ (l. 8). The variant eimr hratt ‘smoke belched forth’ (so Flat) would also be possible, with an absolute, impersonal use of hrinda (cf. Fritzner: hrinda 1, final example).
en ‘and’
(not checked:)
2. en (conj.): but, and
laust ‘hurled’
(not checked:)
2. ljósta (verb): strike
notes
[7, 8] limdolgr … laust ljóma náar himni ‘the foe of branches [FIRE] … hurled light close to the sky’: Limdolgr is here taken as an active subject to laust as well as to hratt, although it would also be reasonable to take en laust ljóma ... náar himni ‘and light was cast up against the sky’ as a separate, impersonal construction. These ll. are reminiscent of the image of fire towering against the sky in Vsp 57.
ljóma ‘light’
(not checked:)
ljómi (noun m.; °-a): light, beam
notes
[7, 8] limdolgr … laust ljóma náar himni ‘the foe of branches [FIRE] … hurled light close to the sky’: Limdolgr is here taken as an active subject to laust as well as to hratt, although it would also be reasonable to take en laust ljóma ... náar himni ‘and light was cast up against the sky’ as a separate, impersonal construction. These ll. are reminiscent of the image of fire towering against the sky in Vsp 57.
lim ‘of branches’
(not checked:)
1. lim (noun f.; °; -ar): limb < limdolgr (noun m.)
kennings
limdolgr‘the foe of branches ’
= FIRE
the foe of branches → FIRE
notes
[7, 8] limdolgr … laust ljóma náar himni ‘the foe of branches [FIRE] … hurled light close to the sky’: Limdolgr is here taken as an active subject to laust as well as to hratt, although it would also be reasonable to take en laust ljóma ... náar himni ‘and light was cast up against the sky’ as a separate, impersonal construction. These ll. are reminiscent of the image of fire towering against the sky in Vsp 57.
dolgr ‘the foe’
(not checked:)
dolgr (noun m.; °dat. -; -ar): enemy, battle < limdolgr (noun m.)
[8] ‑dolgr: ‑dolgs Flat
kennings
limdolgr‘the foe of branches ’
= FIRE
the foe of branches → FIRE
notes
[7, 8] limdolgr … laust ljóma náar himni ‘the foe of branches [FIRE] … hurled light close to the sky’: Limdolgr is here taken as an active subject to laust as well as to hratt, although it would also be reasonable to take en laust ljóma ... náar himni ‘and light was cast up against the sky’ as a separate, impersonal construction. These ll. are reminiscent of the image of fire towering against the sky in Vsp 57.
náar ‘close’
[8] náar (‘nær’): nærr Flat
notes
[7, 8] limdolgr … laust ljóma náar himni ‘the foe of branches [FIRE] … hurled light close to the sky’: Limdolgr is here taken as an active subject to laust as well as to hratt, although it would also be reasonable to take en laust ljóma ... náar himni ‘and light was cast up against the sky’ as a separate, impersonal construction. These ll. are reminiscent of the image of fire towering against the sky in Vsp 57.
himni ‘to the sky’
(not checked:)
himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky
notes
[7, 8] limdolgr … laust ljóma náar himni ‘the foe of branches [FIRE] … hurled light close to the sky’: Limdolgr is here taken as an active subject to laust as well as to hratt, although it would also be reasonable to take en laust ljóma ... náar himni ‘and light was cast up against the sky’ as a separate, impersonal construction. These ll. are reminiscent of the image of fire towering against the sky in Vsp 57.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Stǫng bar jarl at Engla |
The jarl bore his standard onto the native soil of the English, and his retinue reddened at once the eagle’s tongue; the leader called for banners to advance. Flame grew; halls collapsed; the war-band drove [men] to flight there; the foe of branches [FIRE] flung out smoke, and hurled light close to the sky.
As for st. 16, since st. 17 follows it directly.
An analysis of the motifs which make up this st. is offered in Whaley 1998, 58-61.
Stanza/chapter/text segment
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
Information tab
- text: if the stanza has been published, the edited text of the stanza and translation are here; if it hasn't been published an old edition (usually Skj) is given for reference
- sources: a list of the manuscripts or inscriptions containing this stanza, with page and line references and links (eye button) to images where available, and transcription where available
- readings: a list of variant manuscript readings of words in the main text
- editions and texts: a list of editions of the stanza with links to the bibliography; and a list of prose works in which the stanza occurs, allowing you to navigate within the prose context
- notes and context: notes not linked to individual words are given here, along with the account of the prose context for the stanza, where relevant
Interactive tab
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
Full text tab
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
Chapter/text segment
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.