Kate Heslop (ed.) 2012, ‘Hallbjǫrn hali, Lausavísa 1’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 383.
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hér (adv.): here
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liggja (verb): lie
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skáld (noun n.; °-s; -): poet
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þats (conj.): that, which
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skáld (noun n.; °-s; -): poet
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skǫrungr (noun m.; °; -ar): champion
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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meiri (adj. comp.; °meiran; superl. mestr): more, most
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af (prep.): from
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fleiri (adj. comp.; °superl. flestr): more, most
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fleiri (adj. comp.; °superl. flestr): more, most
[2] at flestu: af flestum 4867ˣ, 563aˣ
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nár (noun m.; °-s; -ir): corpse < náveitir (noun m.)
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naddr (noun m.; °-s; -ar): spear, point < naddveitir (noun m.)
[3] nadd‑: ná‑ 4867ˣ, 563aˣ
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veitir (noun m.): giver < naddveitir (noun m.)veitir (noun m.): giver < náveitir (noun m.)
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1. fregna (verb): hear of
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nýtr (adj.; °compar. -ri, superl. nýztr/nýtastr): useful, able
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níð (noun n.; °-s): shame
[4] smíða Hôkuni níð ‘crafted níð against Hákon’: That is, Hákon jarl Sigurðarson. See ‘Ruler biographies’ in Introduction to this volume; the skald Biography of Þorleifr jarlsskald Rauðfeldarson; Þjsk Jarl for Þorleifr’s níð or shameful slander against Hákon; and Þjsk Lv 5 and its Context for the action which provoked it: Hákon’s burning of Þorleifr’s ship and hanging of his shipmates.
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3. hár (adj.; °-van; compar. hǽrri, superl. hǽstr): high < Hákon (noun m.): Hákon
[4] smíða Hôkuni níð ‘crafted níð against Hákon’: That is, Hákon jarl Sigurðarson. See ‘Ruler biographies’ in Introduction to this volume; the skald Biography of Þorleifr jarlsskald Rauðfeldarson; Þjsk Jarl for Þorleifr’s níð or shameful slander against Hákon; and Þjsk Lv 5 and its Context for the action which provoked it: Hákon’s burning of Þorleifr’s ship and hanging of his shipmates.
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1. kyn (noun n.; °-s; -): kin < Hákon (noun m.): Hákon
[4] smíða Hôkuni níð ‘crafted níð against Hákon’: That is, Hákon jarl Sigurðarson. See ‘Ruler biographies’ in Introduction to this volume; the skald Biography of Þorleifr jarlsskald Rauðfeldarson; Þjsk Jarl for Þorleifr’s níð or shameful slander against Hákon; and Þjsk Lv 5 and its Context for the action which provoked it: Hákon’s burning of Þorleifr’s ship and hanging of his shipmates.
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smíða (verb): craft
[4] smíða Hôkuni níð ‘crafted níð against Hákon’: That is, Hákon jarl Sigurðarson. See ‘Ruler biographies’ in Introduction to this volume; the skald Biography of Þorleifr jarlsskald Rauðfeldarson; Þjsk Jarl for Þorleifr’s níð or shameful slander against Hákon; and Þjsk Lv 5 and its Context for the action which provoked it: Hákon’s burning of Þorleifr’s ship and hanging of his shipmates.
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áðr (adv.; °//): before
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2. engi (pron.): no, none
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2. geta (verb): to beget, give birth to, mention, speak of; to think well of, like, love
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né (conj.): nor
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síðan (adv.): later, then
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1. annarr (pron.; °f. ǫnnur, n. annat; pl. aðrir): (an)other, second
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svá (adv.): so, thus
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maðr (noun m.): man, person
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frægr (adj.; °-jan/-an; compar. -ri, superl. -jastr/-astr/-str): famous, renowned
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hafa (verb): have
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1. verða (verb): become, be
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2. fyrðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): man
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férán (noun n.): [for robbery]
[8] férán ‘for robbery’: Presumably Hákon’s seizure and burning of Þorleifr’s ship (see Note to l. 4).
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1. lúka (verb): end, close
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Hallbjǫrn is trying to compose a commemorative poem about Þorleifr jarlsskáld but can get no further than Hér liggr skald ‘Here lies a skald’. Þorleifr appears to Hallbjǫrn in a dream and recites this stanza, telling him that if he can recall it when he wakes he will become a great poet.
[1] hér liggr skald, þats skalda ‘here lies the skald who ... among skalds’: The phrasing and rhythm recall the first line of Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld’s famous ‘sword’ stanza: Hfr Lv 11/1V (Hallfr 14) Eitt es sverð þats sverða ‘That is a sword among swords, that…’. — [7] frægt hefr orðit þat fyrðum ‘that has become famous among men’: This line is hypermetric. Kock suggests replacing hefr ‘has’ with enclitic -s ‘is’ (hence frægts orðit, without change of meaning) to correct the metre (NN §2542; Skald), but emendation solely for metrical reasons is generally avoided in the present edn.
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