SnSt Ht 38III
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Snorri Sturluson, Háttatal 38’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1147.
Farar ‘journeys’
(not checked:)
fǫr (noun f.): journey, fate; movement
[1] Farar snarar: so W, U, snarar farar arar snarar R
notes
[1] farar snarar ‘swift journeys’: So W, U. Ms. R reads snarar farar arar snarar ‘swift journeys swift eagles’ and arar snarar has been crossed through (R*). An inversion sign has been added by R* to indicate that the order of the first two words should be reversed.
snarar ‘on swift’
(not checked:)
snarr (adj.): gallant, bold
[1] Farar snarar: so W, U, snarar farar arar snarar R
notes
[1] farar snarar ‘swift journeys’: So W, U. Ms. R reads snarar farar arar snarar ‘swift journeys swift eagles’ and arar snarar has been crossed through (R*). An inversion sign has been added by R* to indicate that the order of the first two words should be reversed.
fylkir ‘The leader’
(not checked:)
fylkir (noun m.): leader
byrjar ‘embarks’
(not checked:)
2. byrja (verb; °-að-): begin, begat, please
freka ‘greedy’
(not checked:)
2. frekr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): greedy
breka ‘breakers’
(not checked:)
breki (noun m.): breaker
lemr ‘are knocked’
(not checked:)
lemja (verb): beat, make lame
notes
[2] lemr ‘are knocked’: Lit. ‘knocks’. The verb is used impersonally with freka breka ‘greedy breakers’ as the object (acc.).
á ‘against’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
snekkjum ‘the warships’
(not checked:)
snekkja (noun f.; °-u; -ur): warship
vaka ‘to keep watch’
(not checked:)
4. vaka (verb): awaken
taka ‘begin’
(not checked:)
2. taka (verb): take
vísa ‘the ruler’s’
(not checked:)
vísi (noun m.; °-a): leader
rekkar ‘warriors’
(not checked:)
rekkr (noun m.; °; -ar): man, champion
[3] rekkar: so W, U, added at the end of the stanza R
notes
[3, 4] rekkar; viðar ‘warriors; for the ship’: The words were originally omitted in R, but a cross has been added after vísa ‘the ruler’s’ (l. 3). At the end of the stanza ‘reckar’ and ‘viþar’ was added following a similar cross (in the same hand as R?).
viðar ‘for the ship’
(not checked:)
1. viðr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -i/-; -ir, acc. -u/-i): wood, tree
[4] viðar: so W, U, added at the end of the stanza R
notes
[3, 4] rekkar; viðar ‘warriors; for the ship’: The words were originally omitted in R, but a cross has been added after vísa ‘the ruler’s’ (l. 3). At the end of the stanza ‘reckar’ and ‘viþar’ was added following a similar cross (in the same hand as R?). — [4] viðar (m. gen. sg.) ‘for the ship’: Lit. ‘for the timber’. Taken here as pars pro toto for ‘ship’.
viðar ‘for the ship’
(not checked:)
1. viðr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -i/-; -ir, acc. -u/-i): wood, tree
[4] viðar: so W, U, added at the end of the stanza R
notes
[3, 4] rekkar; viðar ‘warriors; for the ship’: The words were originally omitted in R, but a cross has been added after vísa ‘the ruler’s’ (l. 3). At the end of the stanza ‘reckar’ and ‘viþar’ was added following a similar cross (in the same hand as R?). — [4] viðar (m. gen. sg.) ‘for the ship’: Lit. ‘for the timber’. Taken here as pars pro toto for ‘ship’.
skriðar ‘for speed’
(not checked:)
skriðr (noun m.; °-s/-ar, dat. -): motion, speed
at ‘after’
(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to
biðja ‘they ask’
(not checked:)
biðja (verb; °biðr; bað, báðu; beðinn (beiþ- Martin¹ 573, bỏþ- HákEirsp 661, cf. ed. intr. xl)): ask for, order, pray
Svipa ‘speed on’
(not checked:)
2. svipa (verb): [speeds, speed on]
notes
[5] svipa ‘speed on’: For this verb, see Anon (Hsona) 2/3II.
skipa ‘of the ships’
(not checked:)
skip (noun n.; °-s; -): ship
sýjur ‘rivetings’
(not checked:)
1. sýja (noun f.; °-u; -ur): planking, vessel
[5] sýjur: so W, U, ‘sygior’ R
notes
[5] sýjur ‘rivetings’: So W, U. Written as ‘sygior’ in R, but <g> has been erased (R*); however, part of the letter form is still visible.
hepnar ‘The lucky’
(not checked:)
heppinn (adj.; °comp. heppnari, superl. heppnastr): fortunate
sǫmum ‘with suitable’
(not checked:)
samr (adj.; °compar. -ari): same
notes
[6] sǫmum þrǫmum (m. dat. pl.) ‘with suitable edges’: The noun phrase can either be instr. (so NN §1312 and the present edn), in which case svipar ‘speeds on’ is intransitive (as in Anon (Hsona) 2/3II), or it could be construed as the object (dat.) of svipar ‘speeds, swings, flexes’ (so Konráð Gíslason 1895-7 and Skj B; SnE 2007, 154: svipa gives both options).
þrǫmum ‘edges’
(not checked:)
þrǫmr (noun m.; °dat. þremi; gen. þrama): rail, rim
[6] þrǫmum: frǫmum U
notes
[6] sǫmum þrǫmum (m. dat. pl.) ‘with suitable edges’: The noun phrase can either be instr. (so NN §1312 and the present edn), in which case svipar ‘speeds on’ is intransitive (as in Anon (Hsona) 2/3II), or it could be construed as the object (dat.) of svipar ‘speeds, swings, flexes’ (so Konráð Gíslason 1895-7 and Skj B; SnE 2007, 154: svipa gives both options).
í ‘in’
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
byr ‘wind’
(not checked:)
byrr (noun m.; °-jar/-s; -ir, acc. -i/-u(SigrVal 188¹³)): favourable wind
rǫmmum ‘the strong’
(not checked:)
rammr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): mighty
kennings
blǫkkum Haka;‘of Haki’s horses; ’
= SHIPS
Haki’s horses; → SHIPS
notes
[7] Haka ‘of Haki’s <sea-king’s>’: So W, U. In R ‘hvaka’ has been altered to ‘haka’ (R*).
skaka ‘shake’
(not checked:)
2. skaka (verb): shake
hrannir ‘waves’
(not checked:)
hrǫnn (noun f.; °; dat. -um): wave
blǫkkum ‘horses’
(not checked:)
1. blakkr (noun m.): horse
kennings
blǫkkum Haka;‘of Haki’s horses; ’
= SHIPS
Haki’s horses; → SHIPS
hliðar ‘the sides’
(not checked:)
1. hlið (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; -ar): side
miðar ‘there is motion’
(not checked:)
miða (verb): [there is motion]
und ‘below’
(not checked:)
3. und (prep.): under, underneath
kjǫl ‘the keel’
(not checked:)
kjǫlr (noun m.; °kjalar, dat. kili; kjǫlir): keel, ship
niðri ‘down’
(not checked:)
niðri (adv.): below
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
The leader embarks on swift journeys; greedy breakers are knocked against the warships; the ruler’s warriors begin to keep watch; they ask for speed for the ship after that. The lucky rivetings of the ships, with suitable edges, speed on in the strong wind; waves shake the sides of Haki’s <sea-king’s> horses [SHIPS]; there is motion down below the keel.
The dróttkvætt variant is characterised by the same features as st. 37 above, except that the first two hendingar in each line fall on two short resolved syllables (metrical positions 1 and 2). The resolution on the second of these syllables is illicit in regular dróttkvætt metre.
This variant is attested only here. — In R, the stanza is recorded at the end of Ht, before Jómsvíkingadrápa (Bjbp JómsI), and it is written in the same hand as Ht. In W it is given after st. 54 below, and it is said to be in a metre invented by Veili (for Veili, see Note to st. 35 [All]). In U it is recorded after st. 37 as here (it is omitted in Tˣ).
Stanza/chapter/text segment
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
Information tab
- text: if the stanza has been published, the edited text of the stanza and translation are here; if it hasn't been published an old edition (usually Skj) is given for reference
- sources: a list of the manuscripts or inscriptions containing this stanza, with page and line references and links (eye button) to images where available, and transcription where available
- readings: a list of variant manuscript readings of words in the main text
- editions and texts: a list of editions of the stanza with links to the bibliography; and a list of prose works in which the stanza occurs, allowing you to navigate within the prose context
- notes and context: notes not linked to individual words are given here, along with the account of the prose context for the stanza, where relevant
Interactive tab
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
Full text tab
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
Chapter/text segment
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.