Anonymous Poems, Lilja 17

[1] svá vátta ljósin ‘as the lights affirm’: ljós may be here be used metaphorically of the theologians and exegetes who analyse Eve’s reply. Cf. e.g. HomÍsl, which refers to the apostles as ‘lights’: Maclega kallaſc poſtolar lióſ. þuiat keɴingar. þeirra lýſto of allan heim ‘It is fitting that the apostles are called lights, because their teachings illumine the whole world’ (HomÍsl 1993, 7v). Finnur Jónsson (1772-8, II, 407) translates teste Scriptura; Kock suggests lumina ecclesiæ, dvs. kyrkofäderna eller andra stormän inom kyrkan ‘Lights of the church, i.e. the Fathers of the Church or other important men in the church’ (NN §1520). Cf. the Lat. Eluc: Primo igitur sacerdotes, si bene vixerint, exemplo sunt lux mundi; si recte docuerint, verbo sunt sal terrae. Reliqui vero ministri sunt fenestrae in domo Domini, per quos lumen scientiae splendet his qui sunt in tenebris ignorantiae ‘Priests, if they live well, are by example the light of the world; if they teach well, they are by word the salt of the earth. Other ministers are windows in the house of the Lord, through whom the light of knowledge shines on those who are in the shadows of ignorance’ (LeFꜵvre 1954, 427). Hill (1969) points out that according to commentators like Hugh of S. Victor, ‘Eve doubted God’s command even before the devil came to tempt her’. Hill suggests that in Lil, Eve’s casual disregard for God’s command is contrasted with Mary’s trust and obedience. Cf. Mary’s response to Gabriel: Heyrði og trúði, en undraz orðin ‘she heard and believed, though she was amazed at the words’ 29/1. Skj B adopts a reading of l. 1 found in no single ms., and construes Léttliga fann þar í reiki svaranna ljósa váttan léttleika ‘Easily he found there in the uncertainty of the answers clear evidence of freedom from care’.

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ljósin ‘the lights’

(not checked:)
ljós (noun n.; °ljóss; -): light

[1] ljósin: ljósið 713, ljósan Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 4892

notes

[1] svá vátta ljósin ‘as the lights affirm’: ljós may be here be used metaphorically of the theologians and exegetes who analyse Eve’s reply. Cf. e.g. HomÍsl, which refers to the apostles as ‘lights’: Maclega kallaſc poſtolar lióſ. þuiat keɴingar. þeirra lýſto of allan heim ‘It is fitting that the apostles are called lights, because their teachings illumine the whole world’ (HomÍsl 1993, 7v). Finnur Jónsson (1772-8, II, 407) translates teste Scriptura; Kock suggests lumina ecclesiæ, dvs. kyrkofäderna eller andra stormän inom kyrkan ‘Lights of the church, i.e. the Fathers of the Church or other important men in the church’ (NN §1520). Cf. the Lat. Eluc: Primo igitur sacerdotes, si bene vixerint, exemplo sunt lux mundi; si recte docuerint, verbo sunt sal terrae. Reliqui vero ministri sunt fenestrae in domo Domini, per quos lumen scientiae splendet his qui sunt in tenebris ignorantiae ‘Priests, if they live well, are by example the light of the world; if they teach well, they are by word the salt of the earth. Other ministers are windows in the house of the Lord, through whom the light of knowledge shines on those who are in the shadows of ignorance’ (LeFꜵvre 1954, 427). Hill (1969) points out that according to commentators like Hugh of S. Victor, ‘Eve doubted God’s command even before the devil came to tempt her’. Hill suggests that in Lil, Eve’s casual disregard for God’s command is contrasted with Mary’s trust and obedience. Cf. Mary’s response to Gabriel: Heyrði og trúði, en undraz orðin ‘she heard and believed, though she was amazed at the words’ 29/1. Skj B adopts a reading of l. 1 found in no single ms., and construes Léttliga fann þar í reiki svaranna ljósa váttan léttleika ‘Easily he found there in the uncertainty of the answers clear evidence of freedom from care’.

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vátta ‘affirm’

(not checked:)
vátta (verb): affirm, attest

[1] vátta: so 99a, 622, 705ˣ, váttar Bb

notes

[1] svá vátta ljósin ‘as the lights affirm’: ljós may be here be used metaphorically of the theologians and exegetes who analyse Eve’s reply. Cf. e.g. HomÍsl, which refers to the apostles as ‘lights’: Maclega kallaſc poſtolar lióſ. þuiat keɴingar. þeirra lýſto of allan heim ‘It is fitting that the apostles are called lights, because their teachings illumine the whole world’ (HomÍsl 1993, 7v). Finnur Jónsson (1772-8, II, 407) translates teste Scriptura; Kock suggests lumina ecclesiæ, dvs. kyrkofäderna eller andra stormän inom kyrkan ‘Lights of the church, i.e. the Fathers of the Church or other important men in the church’ (NN §1520). Cf. the Lat. Eluc: Primo igitur sacerdotes, si bene vixerint, exemplo sunt lux mundi; si recte docuerint, verbo sunt sal terrae. Reliqui vero ministri sunt fenestrae in domo Domini, per quos lumen scientiae splendet his qui sunt in tenebris ignorantiae ‘Priests, if they live well, are by example the light of the world; if they teach well, they are by word the salt of the earth. Other ministers are windows in the house of the Lord, through whom the light of knowledge shines on those who are in the shadows of ignorance’ (LeFꜵvre 1954, 427). Hill (1969) points out that according to commentators like Hugh of S. Victor, ‘Eve doubted God’s command even before the devil came to tempt her’. Hill suggests that in Lil, Eve’s casual disregard for God’s command is contrasted with Mary’s trust and obedience. Cf. Mary’s response to Gabriel: Heyrði og trúði, en undraz orðin ‘she heard and believed, though she was amazed at the words’ 29/1. Skj B adopts a reading of l. 1 found in no single ms., and construes Léttliga fann þar í reiki svaranna ljósa váttan léttleika ‘Easily he found there in the uncertainty of the answers clear evidence of freedom from care’.

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liett ‘’

(not checked:)
léttr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): easy, light < léttleiki (noun m.)

[2] liettleika: liettleikan 720a VIII, 713, Vb, 4892, lítilleikan 99a, 4892

notes

[2] liettleika (m. acc. pl.) ‘levity’: Foote (1982, 121) suggests that the word reflects Geoffrey of Vinsauf’s minus fortem credentem ‘unstable in faith’ (Faral 1924, 242; Nims 1967, 68).

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leika ‘the levity’

(not checked:)
leiki (noun m.; °; -ar): play < léttleiki (noun m.)

[2] liettleika: liettleikan 720a VIII, 713, Vb, 4892, lítilleikan 99a, 4892

notes

[2] liettleika (m. acc. pl.) ‘levity’: Foote (1982, 121) suggests that the word reflects Geoffrey of Vinsauf’s minus fortem credentem ‘unstable in faith’ (Faral 1924, 242; Nims 1967, 68).

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í ‘in’

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í (prep.): in, into

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svaranna ‘of her replies’

(not checked:)
svar (noun n.; °; -*): answer

[2] svaranna: svarannar 720a VIII

notes

[2] reikan svaranna ‘the wavering of her replies’: The account in Stjórn provides an excellent parallel. Eve concludes her reply, Ok efandi madr uikr higat ok þigat ok er i o᷎ngu o᷎ruggr. þa þottiz fiandinn o᷎ruggr at faa þat er hann uilldi ‘and the undecided man moves back and forth and is in no way certain. Then the enemy knew clearly that he would get what he wanted’ (Unger 1862, 35).

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reikan ‘the wavering’

(not checked:)
reiki (noun m.): [wavering]

[2] reikan: reiki 720a VIII, 99a, 622, 713, Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 705ˣ, 4892

notes

[2] reikan svaranna ‘the wavering of her replies’: The account in Stjórn provides an excellent parallel. Eve concludes her reply, Ok efandi madr uikr higat ok þigat ok er i o᷎ngu o᷎ruggr. þa þottiz fiandinn o᷎ruggr at faa þat er hann uilldi ‘and the undecided man moves back and forth and is in no way certain. Then the enemy knew clearly that he would get what he wanted’ (Unger 1862, 35).

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því ‘this’

(not checked:)
1. sá (pron.; °gen. þess, dat. þeim, acc. þann; f. sú, gen. þeirrar, acc. þá; n. þat, dat. því; pl. m. þeir, f. þǽ---): that (one), those

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treystiz ‘dared’

(not checked:)
treysta (verb): trust, believe in

[3] treystiz hann framt: om. 622

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hann ‘he’

(not checked:)
hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...

[3] treystiz hann framt: om. 622; hann: eg 720a VIII, og 622

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framt ‘impertinently’

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framt (adv.): boldly, impertinently

[3] treystiz hann framt: om. 622

notes

[3] framt ‘impertinently’: Foote (1982, 121) suggests that the word may be equated with Geoffrey of Vinsauf’s fortior ‘gaining assurance’.

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[4] prettum: pretta 622

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Eigi ‘not’

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3. eigi (adv.): not

[5] Eigi: ei 99a, 705ˣ

notes

[5] deyja … eigi ‘die … not’: The rhyme is accurate: eigi would have been pronounced with palatalized <g> in C14th. Cf. 7/5 and 14/7 (JH).

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munu ‘will’

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munu (verb): will, must

[5] munu: skulu Vb, 41 8°ˣ, muni 705ˣ, munuð 4892

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þið ‘You’

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it (pron.; °gen. ykkar, dat./acc. ykkr): you (two)

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Ádám ‘Adam’

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Adam (noun m.): Adam

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deiga ‘’

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(unknown)

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deyja ‘die’

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1. deyja (verb; °deyr; dó, dó(u); dá(i)nn): die

[5] deyja: deiga 4892

notes

[5] deyja … eigi ‘die … not’: The rhyme is accurate: eigi would have been pronounced with palatalized <g> in C14th. Cf. 7/5 and 14/7 (JH).

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andlits ‘of face’

(not checked:)
andlit (noun n.; °-s): face < andlitshvítr (adj.)

[6] andlitshvít: andlitshvíts 622

notes

[6] andlitshvít ‘white or bright of face’: Perhaps in contrast to the devil.

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hvít ‘bright’

(not checked:)
hvítr (adj.; °-an; -ari, -astr): white < andlitshvítr (adj.)

[6] andlitshvít: andlitshvíts 622

notes

[6] andlitshvít ‘white or bright of face’: Perhaps in contrast to the devil.

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þóað ‘though’

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þó (adv.): though

[6] þóað: því að 720a VIII, þó 99a, Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 705ˣ

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eplið ‘the apple’

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epli (noun n.; °-s; -): apple

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bítið ‘you eat’

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bíta (verb; °bítr; beit, bitu; bitinn): bite

[6] bítið: bíti 622, 41 8°ˣ, 705ˣ

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heldur ‘rather’

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heldr (adv.): rather

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munuð ‘you will’

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munu (verb): will, must

[7] munuð: munu þið 713

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með ‘with’

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með (prep.): with

[7] með: í 720a VIII, 705ˣ

notes

[7] með heiðr ‘with honour’: Some mss record the more common dat. sg. heiðri, but the form without an ending is also found. Heiðr is a m. a-stem noun, with -r belonging to the stem; -ri is the expected dat. sg. form (after með), but sometimes a-stems are inflected like i-stems, with no ending in the dat. sg. (see ANG §358.3, which does not, however, cite this noun). Fritzner: heiðr gives examples in the dat. sg. both with and without (see last three examples) the -i ending.

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heiðr ‘honour’

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1. heiðr (noun m.; °heiðrs/heiðar, dat. heiðri/heiðr): honour - gen. -rs

[7] heiðr: heiðri Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 4892

notes

[7] með heiðr ‘with honour’: Some mss record the more common dat. sg. heiðri, but the form without an ending is also found. Heiðr is a m. a-stem noun, with -r belonging to the stem; -ri is the expected dat. sg. form (after með), but sometimes a-stems are inflected like i-stems, with no ending in the dat. sg. (see ANG §358.3, which does not, however, cite this noun). Fritzner: heiðr gives examples in the dat. sg. both with and without (see last three examples) the -i ending.