Anon Líkn 13VII
George S. Tate (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Líknarbraut 13’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 244-5.
text and translation
Vilda ek vitra hölda
vegs gæti*, meinlætum,
hátt, þeim er hörðum mætti,
hvargóðum stef bjóða.
Krists vinnr krapt ins hæsta
krossmark viðum hnossa
alls bezt; lofar æztan
öll dýrð konung fyrða.
Ek vilda bjóða hátt stef {hvargóðum gæti* vegs vitra hölda}, þeim er mætti hörðum meinlætum. Krossmark ins hæsta Krists vinnr krapt alls bezt {viðum hnossa}; öll dýrð lofar {æztan konung fyrða}.
‘I would like to offer a sublime refrain to the ever-good guardian of the way of wise men [= God (= Christ)], who met with hard tribulations. The cross-sign of the most high Christ gains power best of all for trees of treasures [MEN]; all glory exalts the highest king of men [RULER = Christ].’
notes and context
Having alluded to the Nativity in st. 12, the poet, as if present, now offers Christ a hátt stef ‘sublime refrain’ as a gift as he begins the refrain section (stefjabálkr). — [5]: A marginal ms. obelos (†) indicates occurrence of the stef here and at later occurrences.
readings
sources
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.
-
AM 757 a 4° (B) — 11v/16 - 11v/18
imagesVilda ek vitra hölda
†vegsge᷎tiss† , meinlætum,
hátt, þeim er hörðum mætti,
hvargóðum stef bjóða.
Kristr vinnr krapt ins hæsta
krossmark viðum hnossa
alls bezt; lofar æztan
öll dýrð konung fyrða.Villda ek vitra ho᷎llda vegsge᷎tiss meín | le᷎tum hátt þeim er ho᷎rdu me᷎ttí huargodum stef bioda. Kristr vinnr krapt ens he᷎sta krossmark | vidum hnossa allz bezt lofar e᷎ztan o᷎ll dýrd konung fýrda.
(GST)
-
JS 399 a-b 4°x (399a-bx)
Vilda ek vitra hölda
†vegsge᷎tiss† , meinlætum,
hátt, þeim er hörðum mætti,
hvargóðum stef bjóða.
Kristr vinnr krapt ins hæsta
krossmark viðum hnossa
alls bezt; lofar æztan
öll dýrð konung fyrða.
editions and texts
Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], C. 1. Líknarbraut 13: AII, 153, BII, 163-4, Skald II, 87; Sveinbjörn Egilsson 1844, 39, Rydberg 1907, 13-14, 49, Kock and Meissner 1931, I, 91, Tate 1974, 58.
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