Beatrice La Farge (ed.) 2007, ‘Gamli kanóki, Jónsdrápa 4’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 136.
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harðr (adj.; °comp. -ari; superl. -astr): hard, harsh
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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2. hverr (pron.): who, whom, each, every
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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2. firra (verb): keep (from), remove
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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2. hreinn (adj.; °compar. hreinari/hreinni, superl. hreinastr/hreinstr): pure < hreinlífr (adj.): pure-living
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lífr (adj.): fit to live < hreinlífr (adj.): pure-living
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faðir (noun m.): father
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1. drótt (noun f.): troop
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mein (noun n.; °-s; -): harm, injury
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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síðan (adv.): later, then
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mega (verb): may, might
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várr (pron.; °f. ór/vár; pl. órir/várir): our
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4. of (particle): (before verb)
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2. eyða (verb; °-dd-): destroy
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2. ǫnd (noun f.; °andar, dat. ǫnd/ǫndu; andir): soul, breath
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2. sár (noun n.; °-s; -): wound
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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ljónar (noun m.): men
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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granda (verb): harm, injure
[1-2, 4] lát mik firðan hverju meini þvís ljónum granda ‘let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men’: In constructions introduced by the verb lata ‘let’ and containing passive forms the inf. of the modal verb (vera) is often omitted (cf. LP, 362), as it is here: lát mik [vera] firðan ... This construction can be translated more liberally as: ‘let me be cleansed of every harm ... which injures men’. However such verbs as firra ‘to remove’ are often construed with the dat. of ‘what is removed’ and with the acc. of the person, ‘from whom’ something is removed (cf. LP: firra); the passive construction lát mik [vera] firðan hverju meini thus corresponds to an active construction firra mik meini ‘to remove me from harm’, i.e. ‘to remove harm from me’. Since the st. is a plea for the preservation from the effects of sin (cf. the fear expressed in 4/5-8 that the speaker will be separated from God at death) and since the intercalary cl. síðan mætti ór of eydask / andar sár ‘may {our wounds of the soul} [SINS] then be wiped out’ [3-4] is an explicit wish to be cleansed of sin, it appears plausible that lát mik firðan meini should be translated ‘let every harm (= sin) be removed from me’.
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flotnar (noun m.): mariners
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flotnar (noun m.): mariners
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vilja (verb): want, intend
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frá (prep.): from
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þú (pron.; °gen. þín, dat. þér, acc. þik): you
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aldri (adv.): never
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friðr (noun m.): peace < friðgeymandi (noun m.)
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ferð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir/-arMork 196¹²)): host, journey < ferðgeymandi (noun m.)
[6] ferðgeymandi: friðgeymandi 649a
[6] ferðgeymandi, skiliðr verða: All eds follow Unger in emending the ms. reading frið ‘peace’ to ferð ‘journey, troop’ since the metre requires aðalhending with verð- (Bugge 1874, 934 n. 1).
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ferð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir/-arMork 196¹²)): host, journey < ferðgeymandi (noun m.)
[6] ferðgeymandi: friðgeymandi 649a
[6] ferðgeymandi, skiliðr verða: All eds follow Unger in emending the ms. reading frið ‘peace’ to ferð ‘journey, troop’ since the metre requires aðalhending with verð- (Bugge 1874, 934 n. 1).
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geymandi (noun m.): [Guardian] < ferðgeymandi (noun m.)geymandi (noun m.): [Guardian] < friðgeymandi (noun m.)
[6] ferðgeymandi: friðgeymandi 649a
[6] ferðgeymandi, skiliðr verða: All eds follow Unger in emending the ms. reading frið ‘peace’ to ferð ‘journey, troop’ since the metre requires aðalhending with verð- (Bugge 1874, 934 n. 1).
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1. skilja (verb): separate, understand
[6] ferðgeymandi, skiliðr verða: All eds follow Unger in emending the ms. reading frið ‘peace’ to ferð ‘journey, troop’ since the metre requires aðalhending with verð- (Bugge 1874, 934 n. 1).
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1. verða (verb): become, be
[6] ferðgeymandi, skiliðr verða: All eds follow Unger in emending the ms. reading frið ‘peace’ to ferð ‘journey, troop’ since the metre requires aðalhending with verð- (Bugge 1874, 934 n. 1).
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uggr (adj.): anxious, fearful
[7] uggr es mér ‘I am anxious’: This phrase can be translated more literally as ‘the fear exists for me’, i.e. ‘I have a fear’.
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[7] uggr es mér ‘I am anxious’: This phrase can be translated more literally as ‘the fear exists for me’, i.e. ‘I have a fear’.
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[7] uggr es mér ‘I am anxious’: This phrase can be translated more literally as ‘the fear exists for me’, i.e. ‘I have a fear’.
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hvárt (adv.): whether
[7] þá ‘then’: The ms. reading is þat ‘that’. All eds follow Bugge in emending the demonstrative pron. þat ‘that’ to the adv. þá ‘then’ (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 2). — [8]: The cl. es heimar skiptask refers to the departure from ‘this world’ to ‘the other’ or ‘the next’ at death (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 3).
[7] þá ‘then’: The ms. reading is þat ‘that’. All eds follow Bugge in emending the demonstrative pron. þat ‘that’ to the adv. þá ‘then’ (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 2). — [8]: The cl. es heimar skiptask refers to the departure from ‘this world’ to ‘the other’ or ‘the next’ at death (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 3).
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mega (verb): may, might
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þiggja (verb): receive, get
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1. sjá (pron.; °gen. þessa dat. þessum/þeima, acc. þenna; f. sjá/þessi; n. þetta, dat. þessu/þvísa; pl. þessir): this
[8]: The cl. es heimar skiptask refers to the departure from ‘this world’ to ‘the other’ or ‘the next’ at death (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 3).
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gift (noun f.): gift
[8]: The cl. es heimar skiptask refers to the departure from ‘this world’ to ‘the other’ or ‘the next’ at death (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 3).
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
[8]: The cl. es heimar skiptask refers to the departure from ‘this world’ to ‘the other’ or ‘the next’ at death (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 3).
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heimr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): home, abode; world
[8]: The cl. es heimar skiptask refers to the departure from ‘this world’ to ‘the other’ or ‘the next’ at death (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 3).
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skipta (verb): share, divide, exchange
[8]: The cl. es heimar skiptask refers to the departure from ‘this world’ to ‘the other’ or ‘the next’ at death (cf. Bugge 1874, 934 n. 3).
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Pure-living Father of the host [= God], let me be removed from every hard evil which injures men; may our wounds of the soul [SINS] then be wiped out. Guardian of the troop of mariners [MANKIND > = God], I would wish never to be parted from you; I am anxious whether I shall be able to receive this grace at the time when worlds are exchanged.
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