Katrina Attwood (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Leiðarvísan 34’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 170-1.
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slœmr (noun m.; °dat. -): conclusion
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skulu (verb): shall, should, must
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upp (adv.): up
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af (prep.): from
[1] af aumu ‘from a state of wretchedness’: The adj. aumr means ‘poor, wretched, miserable’ (ONP: aumr, adj., auma, f. the latter only in the expression sjá aumu ‘to feel pity for’), but in this context expresses the poet’s feeling of inadequacy to his task. Sveinbjörn Egilsson (1844, 67 n. 21) suggested that the phrase may refer to the poet’s miserable subject-matter, given that he is to discuss the fates of men at the Last Judgement in st. 35, but this seems unlikely in context.
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auma (noun f.; °-u; -ur): state of wretchedness
[1] af aumu ‘from a state of wretchedness’: The adj. aumr means ‘poor, wretched, miserable’ (ONP: aumr, adj., auma, f. the latter only in the expression sjá aumu ‘to feel pity for’), but in this context expresses the poet’s feeling of inadequacy to his task. Sveinbjörn Egilsson (1844, 67 n. 21) suggested that the phrase may refer to the poet’s miserable subject-matter, given that he is to discuss the fates of men at the Last Judgement in st. 35, but this seems unlikely in context.
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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stef (noun n.; °; -): refrain
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1. líða (verb): move, glide
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hefja (verb): lift, start
[2] hefja: so 399a‑bˣ, ‘[...]fia’ B, ‘hefur’ 624
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mætr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -astr): honoured, respected
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3. ef (conj.): if
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
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vilja (verb): want, intend
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
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1. mál (noun n.; °-s; -): speech, matter < málfinni (noun f.)
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1. -finni (noun f.) < málfinni (noun f.)
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1. guð (noun m.; °***guðrs, guðis, gus): (Christian) God
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2. vinna (verb): perform, work
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styrkja (verb): strengthen, assist
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ávallt (adv.): always
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til (prep.): to
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verki (noun m.; °-a): deed, work
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2. vegr (noun m.; °-s/-ar, dat. -): honour
[6] vegs gnóttar (‘vex gnottar’): so 624, ‘vegs[...]ttar’ BRydberg, ‘[...]e[...]s[...]ottar’ B, vegsnóttar 399a‑bˣ
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gnótt (noun f.): abundance
[6] vegs gnóttar (‘vex gnottar’): so 624, ‘vegs[...]ttar’ BRydberg, ‘[...]e[...]s[...]ottar’ B, vegsnóttar 399a‑bˣ
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
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dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master
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1. verða (verb): become, be
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
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3. at (prep.): at, to
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2. engi (pron.): no, none
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orð (noun n.; °-s; -): word
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2. nema (conj.): unless
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1. guð (noun m.; °***guðrs, guðis, gus): (Christian) God
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2. beina (verb; °-nd-): help
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Slœm skalk upp af aumu |
I will begin a conclusion from a state of wretchedness, if glorious God will grant that eloquence be achieved for me; the refrains are complete. Lord of the abundance of glory [= God], assist me always in [the composition of] poems; I will be fully sufficient for not one word, unless God helps [me].
St. 34 begins the slœmr or concluding section of the poem, as the poet says. As befits a Christian skald whose inspiration comes from God alone, the Leið poet introduces a modesty topos disclaiming poetic proficiency, unless God helps him. Cf. Mgr 3/5-6 with ll. 7-8.
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