ESk Geisl 57VII
Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 57’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 53-4.
text and translation
Nús oss, þaus vann vísir,
verk fyr þjóð at merkja
nauðr í nýjum óði,
næst; ríðrat þat smæstu.
Krapt skulum guðs, en er giptu,
gunnstyrks lofi dýrka,
lér hjaldrfrǫmum hôrar
heims læknir gram þeima.
Nús oss nauðr at merkja fyr þjóð í nýjum óði verk, þaus vísir vann næst; ríðrat þat smæstu. Skulum dýrka lofi krapt gunnstyrks guðs, en er {læknir heims} lér hôrar giptu þeima hjaldrfrǫmum gram.
‘Now it is a necessity for us [me] to make known to people, in new poetry, the deeds which the king accomplished next; that is not least important. We should honour with praise the power of the battle-strong God, for is the healer of the world [= God] grants great fortune to the battle-prominent king.’
notes and context
[5-8]: Flat’s version of l. 5, Krapt skulum guðs, þess’s giptu is both unmetrical and presents a syntactic problem for the interpretation of the second helmingr, for þess’s ‘the one who’ can only refer to God, but this connection leaves heims læknis dangling. The only way to resolve the difficulty is to adopt Bb’s readings en (l. 5) and læknir (l. 8), as do Skj B and Skald.
readings
- [1] oss: so Bb, om. Flat
- [1] vísir: vísi Bb
- [4] ríðrat: ‘ridr a’ Bb
- [4] smæstu: smæstum Bb
- [5] en: so Bb, ‘þess er’ Flat
- [6] gunn‑: geð‑ Bb
- [7] hjaldr‑: so Bb, ‘halld’ Flat
- [8] læknir: so Bb, læknis Flat
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.
-
GKS 1005 fol (Flat) — 2rb/49 - 2rb/49
Nús , þauvann vísir,
images
verk fyr þjóð at merkja
nauðr í nýjum óði,
næst; ríðrat þat smæstu.
Krapt skulum guðs, †þess er† er giptu,
gunnstyrks lofi dýrka,
lér †halld†frǫmum hôrar
heims læknis gram þeima. -
Holm perg 1 fol (Bb) — 118rb/9 - 118rb/12
Nús oss, þauvann vísi,
images
verk fyr þjóð at merkja
nauðr í nýjum óði,
næst; †ridr a† þat smæstum.
Krapt skulum guðs, en er giptu,
geð-styrks lofi dýrka,
lér hjaldrfrǫmum hôrar
heims læknir gram þeima.
editions and texts
Skj: Einarr Skúlason, 6. Geisli 57: AI, 470, BI, 441, Skald I, 217; Flat 1860-8, I, 6, Cederschiöld 1873, 8, Chase 2005, 107, 160.
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