Kirsten Wolf (ed.) 2007, ‘Kálfr Hallsson, Kátrínardrápa 34’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 952.
Stef, þau er eg með stuðla knífi
smíðað hefi *, munu verða að líða;
skjöldungs er víst nú skýja veldis
slæmrinn gjörr um háleitt dæmi.
Öll hafði þá odda spillir
orðin söm við falda skorðu;
blóta fægir bauðz að eiga
bragnings meyju sólar vagna.
Stef, þau er eg hefi * smíðað með {knífi stuðla}, munu verða að líða; slæmrinn er nú víst gjörr um háleitt dæmi {skjöldungs {veldis skýja}}. {Spillir odda} hafði þá öll söm orðin við {skorðu falda}; {fægir blóta} bauðz að eiga {meyju {bragnings {vagna sólar}}}.
‘The refrains, which I have * constructed with the knife of stuðlar [TONGUE], will be coming to an end; the conclusion will now certainly be made about the sublime example of the king of the realm of the clouds [SKY/HEAVEN > = God]. The destroyer of swords’ points [WARRIOR] had then spoken all the same words to the prop of headdresses [WOMAN]; the performer of sacrifices [HEATHEN MAN] offered to marry the maiden of the prince of the wagons of the sun [SKY/HEAVEN > = God > HOLY WOMAN].’
[1-4]: Sperber (1911, v), using this st. as an example, draws attention to the fact that the poet lets s alliterate with sk (and sp). Kálfr uses three technical terms here for parts of a drápa, stef (n. nom. pl.) ‘refrains’, stuðla (m. gen. pl.) from stuðill ‘prop, support, alliterating stave in the odd lines of a st.’, and slæmrinn (m. nom. sg.), name for the third and final section of a poem with three parts.
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.
Stef þau er ec med studla knífí. smídat hefi ec. ok mvn uerda at lida . | // skíoldungs er uist nv | skyia velldiꜱ. slæmrenn gíor um haleítt dæmí. / o᷎ll hafdi þa odda spiller. | ordín savm uid fallda skordu. blota fægir bavdz at eíga. bragnings mey= | // iu solar uagna. //
(KW)
Skj: [Anonyme digte og vers XIV], [B. 11]. Katrínar drápa 34: AII, 523, BII, 577-8, Skald II, 318, NN §§3386A, 3387, Kahle 1898, 74, 107, Sperber 1911, 51, 81.
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