Anon Mhkv 13III
Roberta Frank (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Poems, Málsháttakvæði 13’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1228.
Afli ‘in strength’
(not checked:)
2. afl (noun n.; °-s; *-): strength
of ‘’
(not checked:)
4. of (particle): (before verb)
notes
[1] of: Correct use of the expletive particle (see Note to st. 10/5).
deilir ‘One contends’
(not checked:)
2. deila (verb; °-ld-): share out, deal
sízt ‘least’
(not checked:)
2. síðr (adv.): less, hardly
við ‘with’
(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against
sjá ‘the sea’
(not checked:)
sjór (noun m.): sea
Sǫrli ‘Sǫrli’
(not checked:)
Sǫrli (noun m.): Sǫrli
notes
[2] Sǫrli: Unidentified hero (not the brother of Hamðir, cf. Bragi Rdr 5/5). Christiansen (1931, 413-16) suggests Seurlus, son of the king of Bergen in a Gaelic ballad, whose heart and ribs broke when he swam out to sea after his mermaid-lover.
sprakk ‘burst’
(not checked:)
springa (verb): burst, spring apart
af ‘from’
(not checked:)
af (prep.): from
gildri ‘great’
(not checked:)
2. gildr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): valued at, worth
þrá ‘longing’
(not checked:)
1. þrá (noun f.): longing, yearning
stundum ‘at times’
(not checked:)
stundum (adv.): at times, sometimes
þýtr ‘resounds’
(not checked:)
þjóta (verb): roar
í ‘in’
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
logni ‘a calm’
(not checked:)
logn (noun n.; °-s; -): calm
lá ‘the surf’
(not checked:)
1. lá (noun f.; °; -r): surf
litlu ‘it hardly’
(not checked:)
lítill (adj.; °lítinn): little
verr ‘matters’
(not checked:)
3. verja (verb): defend
at ‘that’
(not checked:)
4. at (conj.): that
ráðak ‘I prevail’
(not checked:)
ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide
fá ‘but little’
(not checked:)
3. fár (adj.; °compar. fǽrri/fárri(Mág² 11), superl. fǽstr): few
Mǫrgum ‘To many a man’
(not checked:)
2. margr (adj.; °-an): many
þykkir ‘seems’
(not checked:)
2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
fullgótt ‘good enough’
(not checked:)
fullgóðr (adj.): [good enough]
fé ‘wealth’
(not checked:)
fé (noun n.; °fjár/féar; -): cattle, money
frænuskammr ‘of short sharpness’
(not checked:)
frænuskammr (adj.): [short sharpness]
er ‘is’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
inn ‘the’
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
deigi ‘soft’
(not checked:)
deigr (adj.): soft
lé ‘scythe’
(not checked:)
lé (noun m.; °ljá; ljár): [scythe]
kvæðit ‘poem’
(not checked:)
kvæði (noun n.; °-s; -): poem
skal ‘shall’
(not checked:)
skulu (verb): shall, should, must
með ‘really’
(not checked:)
með (prep.): with
notes
[7] með kynjum ‘really strange’: Lit. ‘with portents, wonders’, i.e. ‘remarkable, odd, peculiar’. This phrase must refer to the non-traditional content of the poem.
kynjum ‘strange’
(not checked:)
2. kyn (noun n.; °; -): wonder
notes
[7] með kynjum ‘really strange’: Lit. ‘with portents, wonders’, i.e. ‘remarkable, odd, peculiar’. This phrase must refer to the non-traditional content of the poem.
alt ‘the whole’
(not checked:)
allr (adj.): all
konungs ‘a king’s’
(not checked:)
konungr (noun m.; °dat. -i, -s; -ar): king
morginn ‘morning’
(not checked:)
morginn (noun m.; °morgins, dat. morgni; morgnar): morning
langr ‘long’
(not checked:)
langr (adj.; °compar. lengri, superl. lengstr): long
[8] langr: ‘l[...]ngr’ R, langr RFJ
á ‘’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
notes
[8] á valt ‘always’: Usually spelled as one word ávalt. The adv. alliterates on v- in Gamlkan Has 59/5VII, Anon Leið 34/5VII and Anon Nkt 14/5II, suggesting that whatever its true etymology (AEW: ávalt), by C12th it had been reinterpreted as á + valt. See also Note to st. 26/1.
valt ‘always’
(not checked:)
vallt (adv.): [never, always]
notes
[8] á valt ‘always’: Usually spelled as one word ávalt. The adv. alliterates on v- in Gamlkan Has 59/5VII, Anon Leið 34/5VII and Anon Nkt 14/5II, suggesting that whatever its true etymology (AEW: ávalt), by C12th it had been reinterpreted as á + valt. See also Note to st. 26/1.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
One contends least in strength with the sea; Sǫrli burst from great longing; at times the surf resounds in a calm; it hardly matters that I prevail but little. To many a man wealth seems good enough; of short sharpness is the soft scythe; the whole poem shall be really strange; a king’s morning is always long.
[3]: Cf. the portent in Orkneyinga saga (Orkn ch. 47, ÍF 34, 106): boði fell í logni ‘a breaker fell from a calm sea’. — [8]: Cf. Sigv Lv 11/3-4I langrs morginn konungs ‘long is the king’s morning’.
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.