R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Austrfararvísur 18’ 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. 608.
[1] bað: bið ek Flat, Tóm
søkkvir (noun m.): [sinker, enemy]
[1] søkkvir: ‘sokkiur’ R686ˣ, støkkvir 61, sóknar Tóm, ‘sok kvís’ Bb
3. sinn (pron.; °f. sín, n. sitt): (refl. poss. pron.)
[2] sínn: sín 325V, 972ˣ(180va), 73aˣ, 61, Holm4, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
[2] sínn ‘his’: On the retention of the long vowel, as demonstrated by the hending, see Note to Sigv Lv 3/4.
[4] húskarl ‘housecarl’: Húskarl (cf. OE husceorl) originally referred to a member of the bodyguard or household troop of a ruler or nobleman, and that is doubtless the sense here, though it came to refer to lesser servants (see also Note to Okík Magn 2/6II).
karl (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): (old) man < húskarl (noun m.): retainer
[4] ‑karl: ‑karla Flat
[4] húskarl ‘housecarl’: Húskarl (cf. OE husceorl) originally referred to a member of the bodyguard or household troop of a ruler or nobleman, and that is doubtless the sense here, though it came to refer to lesser servants (see also Note to Okík Magn 2/6II).
2. hverr (pron.): who, whom, each, every
[5] hverrs (‘hverr er’): hvern er R686ˣ, 75a, hverr 73aˣ, Holm4, Flat
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
[5] hverrs (‘hverr er’): hvern er R686ˣ, 75a, hverr 73aˣ, Holm4, Flat
jafnvíss (adj.): [equally certain]
[6] jafnvíst es (‘iafnvist er’): allvíst er 75a, 73aˣ, jafn vistir Flat, jafnmælt er FskBˣ, ‘jam mætt er’ FskAˣ
[6] jafnvíst ‘equally certain’: Although the comparison is not obvious (since the first helmingr contains a petition rather than a statement), the sense appears to be that if Óláfr grants the request for good treatment in the first helmingr, the promise of the second is assured. The normal long vowel in víst is retained here. Alternatively, short vist could be indicated by the aðalhending on List- (see further LP: víss and cf. Kuhn 1983, 80-2).
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[6] jafnvíst es (‘iafnvist er’): allvíst er 75a, 73aˣ, jafn vistir Flat, jafnmælt er FskBˣ, ‘jam mætt er’ FskAˣ
[6] Lista ‘of Lista’: Gen. sg. of ON Listi, ModNorw Lista, the name of a peninsula in Vest-Agder (cf. st. 9/6). Noreen (1923, 41) suggested instead gen. pl. of an unattested *Listir ‘resident of Lista’.
drengr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir, gen. -ja): man, warrior
[7, 8] drengja þar: ‘drenþar’ R686ˣ
2. eiga (verb; °á/eigr (præs. pl. 3. pers. eigu/eiga); átti, áttu; átt): own, have
[8] á: er 75a, 73aˣ
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Þik bað, sólar søkkvir, |
The kinsman of jarls [JARL = ? Rǫgnvaldr] bade you, sinker of the sun of the Rhine [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN], treat well each housecarl of his who wanders this way. And each of your good fellows who wishes to travel east, prince of Lista [NORWEGIAN KING = Óláfr], will have support there from Rǫgnvaldr; that is equally certain.
In ÓH and Hkr, as for st. 17. In Fsk (where sts 18/1-4 and 21/5-8 comprise a stanza), Sigvatr is said to have composed the vísa upon his return from a visit, commissioned by King Óláfr, with Rǫgnvaldr jarl in Garðar (north-west Russia).
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