Sigv Berv 16II
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Bersǫglisvísur 16’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 28-9.
Ôláfr ‘Óláfr’
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Óláfr (noun m.): Óláfr
lét ‘let’
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
mik ‘me’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
jǫfra ‘princely’
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jǫfurr (noun m.): ruler, prince
notes
[1, 2] órýrr dýrða jǫfra ‘not decreasing in princely honours’: This interpretation is debated. Skj B reads órýrr jǫfra ‘splendid among lords’ and takes dýrða ‘honours’ (f. gen. pl.) with the next cl.: þing ins digra dróttins urðu drjúg dýrða ‘the encounters with the stout king became rich in honours’ (translation omitted in Skj B; see LP: drjúgr; þing 3). The translation ‘splendid among lords’ (ypperlig blandt fyrster) is inaccurate, because órýrr means ‘not decreasing, not dwindling’ (see NN §2477).
órýrr ‘not decreasing’
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órýrr (adj.): [not decreasing]
notes
[1, 2] órýrr dýrða jǫfra ‘not decreasing in princely honours’: This interpretation is debated. Skj B reads órýrr jǫfra ‘splendid among lords’ and takes dýrða ‘honours’ (f. gen. pl.) with the next cl.: þing ins digra dróttins urðu drjúg dýrða ‘the encounters with the stout king became rich in honours’ (translation omitted in Skj B; see LP: drjúgr; þing 3). The translation ‘splendid among lords’ (ypperlig blandt fyrster) is inaccurate, because órýrr means ‘not decreasing, not dwindling’ (see NN §2477).
framask ‘be promoted’
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frama (verb): promote, advance
dýrða ‘honours’
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dýrð (noun f.; °-ar/-a(NoDipl(1279) 44²); -ir): glory
[2] dýrða: so Flat, dýrðan 325XI 3
notes
[1, 2] órýrr dýrða jǫfra ‘not decreasing in princely honours’: This interpretation is debated. Skj B reads órýrr jǫfra ‘splendid among lords’ and takes dýrða ‘honours’ (f. gen. pl.) with the next cl.: þing ins digra dróttins urðu drjúg dýrða ‘the encounters with the stout king became rich in honours’ (translation omitted in Skj B; see LP: drjúgr; þing 3). The translation ‘splendid among lords’ (ypperlig blandt fyrster) is inaccurate, because órýrr means ‘not decreasing, not dwindling’ (see NN §2477).
urðu ‘proved’
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1. verða (verb): become, be
drjúg ‘lasting’
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drjúgr (adj.; °compar. -ari (drýgari [$1033$] ms. 56v, superl. -astr): very, excessive
[3] drjúg: so Flat, ‘dryg’ 325XI 3
ins ‘of the’
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2. inn (art.): the
notes
[3-4] ins digra dróttins (m. gen. sg.) ‘of the stout lord’: Óláfr Haraldsson’s nickname was inn digri ‘the Stout’.
digra ‘stout’
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digr (adj.; °digran; compar. digrari, superl. digrastr): fat, large
notes
[3-4] ins digra dróttins (m. gen. sg.) ‘of the stout lord’: Óláfr Haraldsson’s nickname was inn digri ‘the Stout’.
dróttins ‘lord’
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dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master
notes
[3-4] ins digra dróttins (m. gen. sg.) ‘of the stout lord’: Óláfr Haraldsson’s nickname was inn digri ‘the Stout’.
þing ‘the belongings’
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þing (noun n.; °-s; -): meeting, assembly
með ‘with’
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með (prep.): with
notes
[4] með hringum ‘with rings’: Hringr can refer either to ‘rings’ or to ‘swords’ (pars pro toto, because these could have rings on their hilts; see Note to st. 1/7 above), and, in addition, the prepositional phrase með hringum can be translated as ‘entirely’ (lit. ‘from stem to stern’; see Note to Anon Nkt 28/2). Louis-Jensen (1970c, 210) argues that framask með hringum ‘promoted with rings’ is unattested and opts for the latter interpretation. While it is true that a dat. without með ‘with’ occurs with the active refl. fremjask ‘to promote oneself’ (the m. v. framask is a hap. leg.; see LP: frama; Fritzner: frama), the present translation, which follows Skj B and Skald, is preferable from a contextual point of view.
hringum ‘rings’
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1. hringr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ar): ring; sword
notes
[4] með hringum ‘with rings’: Hringr can refer either to ‘rings’ or to ‘swords’ (pars pro toto, because these could have rings on their hilts; see Note to st. 1/7 above), and, in addition, the prepositional phrase með hringum can be translated as ‘entirely’ (lit. ‘from stem to stern’; see Note to Anon Nkt 28/2). Louis-Jensen (1970c, 210) argues that framask með hringum ‘promoted with rings’ is unattested and opts for the latter interpretation. While it is true that a dat. without með ‘with’ occurs with the active refl. fremjask ‘to promote oneself’ (the m. v. framask is a hap. leg.; see LP: frama; Fritzner: frama), the present translation, which follows Skj B and Skald, is preferable from a contextual point of view.
Goll ‘the gold’
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gull (noun n.): gold
bar ‘bore’
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3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
k ‘I’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
jafnt ‘constantly’
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jafnt (adv.): constantly, always
of ‘Throughout’
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3. of (prep.): around, from; too
allan ‘entire’
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allr (adj.): all
aldr ‘lifetime’
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aldr (noun m.; °aldrs, dat. aldri; aldrar): life, age
[6] aldr hans ok vask: aldr hann ok verk 325XI 3, aldr ok herverk Flat
hans ‘his’
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
[6] aldr hans ok vask: aldr hann ok verk 325XI 3, aldr ok herverk Flat
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
[6] aldr hans ok vask: aldr hann ok verk 325XI 3, aldr ok herverk Flat
notes
[6-7] ok vask sjaldan hryggr ‘and I was seldom sad’: Flat reads ok hrygg herverk sjaldan, which Skj B and Skald render as ‘and seldom (did I carry) sad [or: harmful] weapons’. Herverk is otherwise unattested and it is difficult to see how it can be construed as ‘weapons’ (verk means ‘deed, work, labour’; see Fritzner: verk; ModIcel. hervirki, ModNorw. hærverk ‘destruction’). Moreover, such an interpretation is at odds with Sigvatr’s boasts of warlike exploits in the preceding sts (e.g. st. 3 above).
vask ‘I was’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[6] aldr hans ok vask: aldr hann ok verk 325XI 3, aldr ok herverk Flat
notes
[6-7] ok vask sjaldan hryggr ‘and I was seldom sad’: Flat reads ok hrygg herverk sjaldan, which Skj B and Skald render as ‘and seldom (did I carry) sad [or: harmful] weapons’. Herverk is otherwise unattested and it is difficult to see how it can be construed as ‘weapons’ (verk means ‘deed, work, labour’; see Fritzner: verk; ModIcel. hervirki, ModNorw. hærverk ‘destruction’). Moreover, such an interpretation is at odds with Sigvatr’s boasts of warlike exploits in the preceding sts (e.g. st. 3 above).
sjaldan ‘seldom’
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sjaldan (adv.): seldom
notes
[6-7] ok vask sjaldan hryggr ‘and I was seldom sad’: Flat reads ok hrygg herverk sjaldan, which Skj B and Skald render as ‘and seldom (did I carry) sad [or: harmful] weapons’. Herverk is otherwise unattested and it is difficult to see how it can be construed as ‘weapons’ (verk means ‘deed, work, labour’; see Fritzner: verk; ModIcel. hervirki, ModNorw. hærverk ‘destruction’). Moreover, such an interpretation is at odds with Sigvatr’s boasts of warlike exploits in the preceding sts (e.g. st. 3 above).
hryggr ‘sad’
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2. hryggr (adj.; °-van/-jan; compar. -vari/-ari/-ri; superl. -astr): sorrowful, sad
[7] hryggr: hrygg both
notes
[6-7] ok vask sjaldan hryggr ‘and I was seldom sad’: Flat reads ok hrygg herverk sjaldan, which Skj B and Skald render as ‘and seldom (did I carry) sad [or: harmful] weapons’. Herverk is otherwise unattested and it is difficult to see how it can be construed as ‘weapons’ (verk means ‘deed, work, labour’; see Fritzner: verk; ModIcel. hervirki, ModNorw. hærverk ‘destruction’). Moreover, such an interpretation is at odds with Sigvatr’s boasts of warlike exploits in the preceding sts (e.g. st. 3 above).
á ‘on’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
hendi ‘arms’
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hǫnd (noun f.; °handar, dat. hendi; hendr (hendir StatPáll³ 752¹²)): hand
flotna ‘of sea-warriors’
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flotnar (noun m.): mariners
kennings
sendis flotna‘of the sender of sea-warriors ’
= KING
the sender of sea-warriors → KING
sendis ‘of the sender’
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sendir (noun m.): sender, distributor
kennings
sendis flotna‘of the sender of sea-warriors ’
= KING
the sender of sea-warriors → KING
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
[5-8]: The interpretation of the second helmingr is conjectural. The present reading, which follows 325XI 3 with minor emendations, is that of Louis-Jensen (1970c, 210).
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