Sigv Vestv 7I
Judith Jesch (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Vestrfararvísur 7’ 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. 625.
Knútr ‘Knútr’
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Knútr (noun m.): Knútr
spurði ‘asked’
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spyrja (verb; spurði): ask; hear, find out
mik ‘me’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
mæra ‘’
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2. mærr (adj.): famous
mætra ‘’
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mætr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -astr): honoured, respected
metra ‘’
mætir ‘’
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mœtir (noun m.): meeter
mæta ‘with treasures’
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mæti (noun n.; °; -): precious thing
[1] mæta: so Holm2, 321ˣ, 61, ‘metra’ Kˣ, J2ˣ, mætra 972ˣ, 73aˣ, 68, Holm4, 325V, mætir 75c, Bb, Flat, mæra Tóm
notes
[1-4]: The two main possible analyses of the helmingr are problematic, though its overall sense is clear. (a) The analysis above follows Kock (NN §635) in adopting the reading mæta (n. gen. pl.) ‘of/with treasures’. Although this occurs in only one medieval ms., 61, the majority reading mætra could represent an attempt to produce a more exact hending with Knútr. Kock suggests a parallelism between mildr mæta ‘generous with treasures’ and hugreifr hringa ‘bountiful with rings’, lit. ‘mind-glad with (in giving away) rings’. The phrase hugreifr hringa is unparalleled, but not impossible, since reifa can mean ‘to bestow’, reifr can mean ‘cheerfully hospitable’, and reifir can mean ‘presenter’ as in Edáð Banddr 2/3, 4 handa logreifis ‘presenter of the flame of hands [(lit. ‘flame-presenter of hands) GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’. (b) The reading mætra (gen. pl.) ‘excellent’ in l. 1 could be retained if construed with hringa ‘of rings’ in l. 3 (so Skj B). However, this entails that hringa separates the conj. sem ‘as’ from the phrase it introduces, and produces a caesura in an exceptional position (cf. Gade 1995a, 212).
mildr ‘generous’
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mildr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -astr): mild, gentle, gracious, generous
hví ‘’
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hví (adv.): why
ef ‘if’
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3. ef (conj.): if
[2] ef hônum vildak (‘ef ec honum vilda’): hví eigi vildak 321ˣ, ‘[…] æk hanum vilda’ 68, ef ek hônum vildat Holm4, Tóm
eigi ‘’
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3. eigi (adv.): not
hônum ‘to him’
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
[2] ef hônum vildak (‘ef ec honum vilda’): hví eigi vildak 321ˣ, ‘[…] æk hanum vilda’ 68, ef ek hônum vildat Holm4, Tóm
vildak ‘I wanted’
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vilja (verb): want, intend
[2] ef hônum vildak (‘ef ec honum vilda’): hví eigi vildak 321ˣ, ‘[…] æk hanum vilda’ 68, ef ek hônum vildat Holm4, Tóm
sem ‘as to’
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sem (conj.): as, which
hringa ‘with rings’
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1. hringr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ar): ring; sword
notes
[1-4]: The two main possible analyses of the helmingr are problematic, though its overall sense is clear. (a) The analysis above follows Kock (NN §635) in adopting the reading mæta (n. gen. pl.) ‘of/with treasures’. Although this occurs in only one medieval ms., 61, the majority reading mætra could represent an attempt to produce a more exact hending with Knútr. Kock suggests a parallelism between mildr mæta ‘generous with treasures’ and hugreifr hringa ‘bountiful with rings’, lit. ‘mind-glad with (in giving away) rings’. The phrase hugreifr hringa is unparalleled, but not impossible, since reifa can mean ‘to bestow’, reifr can mean ‘cheerfully hospitable’, and reifir can mean ‘presenter’ as in Edáð Banddr 2/3, 4 handa logreifis ‘presenter of the flame of hands [(lit. ‘flame-presenter of hands) GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’. (b) The reading mætra (gen. pl.) ‘excellent’ in l. 1 could be retained if construed with hringa ‘of rings’ in l. 3 (so Skj B). However, this entails that hringa separates the conj. sem ‘as’ from the phrase it introduces, and produces a caesura in an exceptional position (cf. Gade 1995a, 212).
hug ‘bounti’
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hugr (noun m.): mind, thought, courage < hugreifr (adj.): glad-hearted
reifum ‘ful’
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2. reifr (adj.): happy < hugreifr (adj.): glad-hearted
Ôleifi ‘Óláfr’
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Óláfr (noun m.): Óláfr
ei ‘’
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3. ei (adv.): not
kveð ‘’
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
kvaðk ‘I declared that’
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
[5] kvaðk (‘qvad ec’): kvað Holm4, kveð ek Tóm
enn ‘’
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2. enn (adv.): still, yet, again
at ‘’
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4. at (conj.): that
en ‘and’
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2. en (conj.): but, and
[5] en: so Holm2, enn Kˣ, J2ˣ, at 321ˣ, 73aˣ, Holm4, 61, 75c, 325V, Bb, Flat, Tóm, ‘(en)’(?) 68
svara ‘I answered’
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svara (verb): answer
[6] svara þóttumk ek dróttinn: ‘sv[…]þott[…]’ 68
þóttumk ‘thought’
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
[6] svara þóttumk ek dróttinn: ‘sv[…]þott[…]’ 68; þóttumk ek: þóttumz vel 321ˣ, 73aˣ
vel ‘’
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vel (adv.): well, very
ek ‘I’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[6] svara þóttumk ek dróttinn: ‘sv[…]þott[…]’ 68; þóttumk ek: þóttumz vel 321ˣ, 73aˣ
drótni ‘’
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dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master
dróttinn ‘lord’
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dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master
[6] svara þóttumk ek dróttinn: ‘sv[…]þott[…]’ 68; dróttinn: drótni 61, 325V
gnóg ‘’
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gnógr (adj.; °compar. gnógari/gnǿgri, superl. gnógastr/gnǿgstr): abundant
gǫr ‘’
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1. gǫrr (adj.): ample, perfect
góð ‘’
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góðr (adj.): good
gefin ‘given’
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gefa (verb): give
[7] gefin: gǫr Holm2, 972ˣ, 321ˣ, 73aˣ, 61, 325V, ‘[…]’ 68, góð Holm4, Bb, Flat, ‘(god)’(?) 75c, gnóg Tóm
notes
[7, 8] góð dœmi eru gefin ‘good examples are given’: The variant reading gnóg dœmi eru gǫr ‘enough examples are provided’, found in several good mss, also makes good sense. As to what the examples might be, Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 27) tentatively refers to Sigv Lv 14, which he takes to refer to the Fall of the rebellious angels (see Note), but loyalty to one’s lord is in any case a constant theme in early Norse poetry.
er ‘’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
notes
[7, 8] góð dœmi eru gefin ‘good examples are given’: The variant reading gnóg dœmi eru gǫr ‘enough examples are provided’, found in several good mss, also makes good sense. As to what the examples might be, Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 27) tentatively refers to Sigv Lv 14, which he takes to refer to the Fall of the rebellious angels (see Note), but loyalty to one’s lord is in any case a constant theme in early Norse poetry.
gumna ‘man’
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gumi (noun m.; °-a; gumar/gumnar): man
hverjum ‘to every’
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2. hverr (pron.): who, whom, each, every
gnóg ‘’
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gnógr (adj.; °compar. gnógari/gnǿgri, superl. gnógastr/gnǿgstr): abundant
notes
[7, 8] góð dœmi eru gefin ‘good examples are given’: The variant reading gnóg dœmi eru gǫr ‘enough examples are provided’, found in several good mss, also makes good sense. As to what the examples might be, Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 27) tentatively refers to Sigv Lv 14, which he takes to refer to the Fall of the rebellious angels (see Note), but loyalty to one’s lord is in any case a constant theme in early Norse poetry.
notes
[7, 8] góð dœmi eru gefin ‘good examples are given’: The variant reading gnóg dœmi eru gǫr ‘enough examples are provided’, found in several good mss, also makes good sense. As to what the examples might be, Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 27) tentatively refers to Sigv Lv 14, which he takes to refer to the Fall of the rebellious angels (see Note), but loyalty to one’s lord is in any case a constant theme in early Norse poetry.
mér ‘for me’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
sóma ‘’
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sóma (verb): befit, beseem
sœma ‘was fitting’
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sœma (verb): honour
[8] sœma: so J2ˣ, 321ˣ, 73aˣ, Holm4, 61, 75c, 325V, Bb, Flat, Tóm, sóma Kˣ, Holm2, ‘[…]ma’ 68
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King Óláfr has heard of Sigvatr’s visit to Knútr (cf. st. 2) and asks Sigvatr whether he is his man or Knútr’s. After speaking the stanza, Sigvatr is restored to favour.
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