R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Lausavísur 17’ 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. 720.
Flœja getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina gengi,
— upp hvalfra svik — sjalfan
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Getr flœja fjandr allvalds, en gjalda fé, en frýju leggr oss til handa; verðk fyr æðruorði. Hverr þegn skal hafa sjalfan sik miklu lengst, þótt gengi vina þengils þverri; svik hvalfra upp.
‘One can flee the enemies of the mighty ruler and pay out money, but a reproach will be laid on our heads [lit. hands]; I shall be the subject of talk of fear. Each retainer has to keep hold of himself by far the longest, even if the support of the prince’s friends is diminishing; treason will be overturned.’
This follows close upon the preceding stanza. The king discusses the ominous situation with his men, and they respond in different ways. Sigvatr says this.
See Lv 16, Note to [All]. — [1-4]: The interpretation is close to that of Finnur Jónsson (Skj B); it includes the assumption that leggr is used impersonally (so LP: leggja 8c). The clause en gjalda fé ‘and pay out money’ is difficult to account for in historical terms. Kock (NN §677) would have allvalds ‘mighty ruler’s’ in l. 4 modify orði ‘word, talk’, and he construes verðk in l. 3 with both fyr æðruorði in l. 3 and fé gjalda in l. 4 in a kind of zeugma: ‘I am the subject of talk of fear … I must pay out money’, though he takes the sense of fé gjalda to be ‘lose money’. Thus he proposes the sense ‘I will be called timid by the king, and I will lose my reward’. A similar meaning is assumed in ÍF 27 and Hkr 1991, as well as by Jón Skaptason (1983, 202), for en fé gjalda, but the loss of money is there assumed, it seems, to be due to loss of possessions upon fleeing. Hellberg (1981a, 14-17) understands the reference to be to the practice of fulfilling one’s feudal obligation by supplying money rather than troops to King Knútr. Unless, like Hellberg, one rejects Snorri’s account of the context, there does not seem to be any very convincing way to account for en fé gjalda if en means ‘and’, as assumed here and in other eds. The other main option would be to take it as an instance of en = er ‘who’, which would fit the fact that the enemies of the king are said in Lv 13 to have been paying Óláfr’s countrymen and supporters to desert him. See CVC: en 2 ‘which’, though it is regarded as a ‘mere peculiarity or false spelling’. — [5-8]: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) understands the helmingr to mean, ‘Everyone must try to help himself as much as he can, when the luck of the king’s friends diminishes; the enemies’ treason makes itself apparent’. The interpretation of the other eds is similar. Konráð Gíslason and Eiríkur Jónsson (Nj 1875-8, II, 61) compare the adage Verðr hverr með sjálfum sér lengst at fara ‘Everyone has to go the longest with/by himself’ in Gísla saga (ÍF 6, 49), and Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 27), citing the same comparandum, explains that Sigvatr is both fending off the charge of fear and warning the king to be cautious. But on the heels of Sigvatr’s worry in the preceding helmingr about being accused of cowardice, such a remark would hardly have the desired effect. It may be that the sense of what is literally ‘Each thane has to have himself by far most of the way’ is instead ‘Everyone has to live with himself the rest of his life’, i.e. ‘Do not do what will weigh heavy on your conscience’. (A similar interpretation, ‘Do not do anything rash’, is possible for the adage in Gísla saga.) This makes better sense of the adversative function of þótt ‘even if’ in l. 5, the implication being that flight is a bad choice despite the worsening situation. In that event, the vísa has a balanced structure, the first helmingrweighing the possibility (and the consequences) of flight, the second exhorting the king’s men instead to behave as they ought.
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.
†Flera† getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðraorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina gengi,
— upp hvalfra svik — sjalfr
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Fløra getr en fryio fiaɴdr leɢr oꜱ til handa verþ ec fyr ęþra orþi all | vallz en fe giallda . hverr scal þegn þott þverri þengils vina gengi vp hvalfra svic | sialfr sic lengst hafa micklo . |
(RDF)
Flőra ga̋ter | en fry̋o fiander legger oss till her | da werd ek fry̋rer a̋dhra ordi all | walds en fa̋ gialda, hwerer skall | tegn tott tweri tengils winna gan | git up hualfa svik sialfr sik hafa | miklo. |
(VEÞ)
fleira getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggja oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðraorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils †uma† gengi,
— upp hvalfar svik — †sjalf(ir)†
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Fleira getr enn Frýio | fiandr leggia oss til handa || verþ ek fyri æþra orþi | allvalds en fe giallda | huer skal þegn þott þuerri | þeingils uma geingi | upp hualfar suik sialfer | sik leingst hafa miklo. |
(VEÞ)
fleira getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorðum —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina gengi,
— upp hvalfa svik — sjalfan
sik lengst hafa miklu.
flæira getr enn frygio | fiandr leɢr os til handa | verð ec fyr æðru orþum | allvalldz enn fe giallda || hveʀ skal þegn þo at þveʀi | þengils vina gengi | up hvalfa svic sialfann | sic lengst hafa miclu |
(RDF)
Flœja getr oss, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorði —
allvaldr, eða fé gjalda.
hvar skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina gengi,
— upp hvalfa svá — sjalfa
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Flya getr oss en fryio , fiandr leɢr | oss til handa , verd ek fyrer ædru orde allvalldr eda fe giall | da . huar skal þegn þo at þveʀri þeingils vina geingi , upp | hualpa sva sialfa sik leingst hafa miklu . |
(VEÞ)
fleira getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorði —
allvaldr, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina gengi,
— upp hvelfa svik — sjalfum
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Flæíra getr enn fryíu fiandr leggr os | til hanða . verð ek fyr æ̋ðru orði all | ualldr enn fé giallda : huerr skal þegn þo | at þuerrí þengils wína gengí . vpp | huelfa suik sealfum sik lengzst hafa | miklu . |
(RDF)
fleira getr, en †fryíu†,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorði —
allvaldr, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina gengi,
— upp hvelfa svik — sjalfum
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Flæíra getr en fryíu | fiandr leggr oss til hanða . | verð ek fyr æðru orðí . | alluallðr enn fé giallða : || huerr skal þegn þo at þuerrí . | þengils wína gengí . | vpp huelfa suik sealfum . | sik lengzst hafa miklu : |
(RDF)
Flœja getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggja oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorði —
allvaldr, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina lengi,
— ulfs hvarfa svik — sjalfum
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Flyia getvr eɴ fryio fiandr leɢia oꜱ til handa . verþ æk fyr | æþro orrþi allvaldr eɴ fe gialda hverʀ skal þegn þoat þverʀi þengils vina lengi vlfs hvarfa | svik sialfom sik lengst hafa miclo . |
(RDF)
Flœja getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðraorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina gengi,
— upp hvalfra svik — sjalfra
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Flyía getr . eɴ fryio fian | dr leggr oss til handa . verð ec fyr e᷎ðra orðe | allualldz eɴ fe giallda . hverʀ skal þegn þo | at þuerre þengils uina genge . vpp hvalfra | suic sealfra sic lengst hafa miklo .
(RDF)
fleira getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal hefnd enn þegn, þótt þurfi
þengils vina gengi,
— halda sik — frá slíku
siklings hafa miklu.
Fleira getr | enn fryiu fiandr leggr oss til handa verd ek fyr æd | ru ordi allualldz enn fe giallda ᷎ hver skal hefnd enn | þegn þott þurfi þeingils uina geingi hallda sik | fra sliku siklings hafa myklu ᷎ |
(RDF)
fleira getr, en frýja,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þykki
þengils vina gengi,
— upp hvalfa svik — sjalfan
sik lengst hafa miklu.
fleira | getr eɴ fryia fiandr leɢr os til han | da verð ek fyr æðrv orði allualldz en fe | ɢiallda ᷎ hverʀ skal þegn þo at þycki þe | ngils vina gengi vpp hvalfa svik s | alfan sik lengst hafa myklv |
(RDF)
fleira getr, en flýja,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr ǫðruorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils una gengi,
— upp hvarfla svik — sjalfan
lengst hafa miklu.
Fleíra getr enn flyia fiandr leggr oss til han | da verd ek fyrer odrv ordi allvalldz en fegiallda | hverr skal þegn þo at þverrí þengils vna gen | gi . vpp hvarfla svik sialfan lęngst hafa míck | lv |
(RDF)
fleira getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðruorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þykkni
þengils vina gengi,
— halda sér — frá slíku
siklings hafa miklu.
Fleíra getr en fryíu fíandr leggr oss til hannda uerd ek firir ædru or | de allualldz en fe giallda huerr skal þegnn þoat þyknní þæingils vína geingí | hallda ser fra sliku siklings hafua myklu
(RDF)
fleira getr, en freyja,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— varð ek fyr ǫðruorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt †þy(nk)a†
þengils vina gengi,
— halda sér — frá slíku
siklings hafa mikinn.
Fleíra | getr enn freyía ᷎ fíanndr leggr oss til hannða ᷎ varð ec fyr auðru ordí aluallðz enn fie | gíallða huer skal þegn þott þycka[?] þeíngils uína geíngí hallda sier fra sliku siklíngs ha | fa mikinn
(RDF)
Flœja getr, en frýju,
fjandr, leggr oss til handa
— verðk fyr æðraorði —
allvalds, en fé gjalda.
Hverr skal þegn, þótt þverri
þengils vina gengi,
— upp †hualfara† svik — sjalfan
sik lengst hafa miklu.
Flyia getr eɴ fryio | fiandr leɢr os til handa | verþ ec fyr ǫðru orði | allvaldz eɴ fe gialda | hveʀ skal þegn þo at þveʀi | þengils vina gengi | up hualfra suic sialfan | sic lengst hafa miclo |
(RDF)
Flyia getr enn fryio | fiandr leggia oss til handa | verþ ek fyrir æþru orþi | allvalldr enn fe giallda | hverfr hefndar þegn þott þurfi | þeingils vina gengi | hallda ser fra sliku | siklings hafa miklu . ||
(RDF)
Skj: Sigvatr Þórðarson, 13. Lausavísur 20: AI, 271, BI, 251, Skald I, 129, NN §677; Fms 5, 2, Fms 12, 92, ÓH 1941, I, 469 (ch. 162), Flat 1860-8, II, 304; Hkr 1777-1826, II, 294, VI, 99, Hkr 1868, 437 (ÓHHkr ch. 178), Hkr 1893-1901, II, 392-3, IV, 150-1, ÍF 27, 304, Hkr 1991, II, 475 (ÓHHkr ch. 168); Jón Skaptason 1983, 202, 323-4.
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