Russell Poole (ed.) 2017, ‘Breta saga 3 (Gunnlaugr Leifsson, Merlínusspá II 3)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 136.
Leita ýtir orð at vanda
— viti flotnar þat — frœðis þessa.
Heldr fýsumk nú fornra minna
miðsamlig rǫk mǫnnum segja.
Ýtir leita at vanda orð þessa frœðis; flotnar viti þat. Heldr fýsumk nú segja mǫnnum miðsamlig rǫk fornra minna.
‘Men seek to elaborate on the words of this lore; let people realise that. Rather, I now hasten to tell men of momentous signs from ancient memories. ’
[1]: This edn follows Kock (NN §92; Skald; cf. Merl 2012) in retaining the ms. readings ýtir leita (refreshed), ‘men seek’. Emendation to leitiga ýtum ‘I do not seek … for men’, with Bret 1848-9 (followed in Skj B), is unnecessary.
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.
Leita ytar orð at van | da viti flotnar þat frꝍðis þersa helldr fysvmz nv for herra minna | miðsamlig rok monnvm segia
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