Russell Poole (ed.) 2017, ‘Breta saga 65 (Gunnlaugr Leifsson, Merlínusspá II 65)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 187.
Skrjúpt es líf lýða barna
und hreggská heiðar tjaldi.
En lífs lau*n líða eigi
góð eða ill gumna mengis.
Skrjúpt es líf {barna lýða} und {hreggská tjaldi heiðar}. En lau*n lífs {mengis gumna}, góð eða ill, líða eigi.
‘Brittle is the life of the children of men [MANKIND] under the storm-worn awning of heaven [SKY/HEAVEN]. But the rewards, good or evil, of the life of the multitude of men [MANKIND] do not pass away. ’
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.
Skrjúpt es líf
lýða barna
und hreggská
hliðar tjaldi.
En lífs lausn
líða eigi
góð eða ill
gumna mengis.
Skrivpt er lif lyða barna vndir hreɢskahliðar tialldi en lifs lavsn liða eigi goð eða | ill gvmna mengis
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