Roberta Frank (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Poems, Málsháttakvæði 24’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1237.
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2. engi (pron.): no, none
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knetta (verb): [bemoans]
[1] knettr ‘bemoans’: The verb knetta ‘bemoan, lament’ is a hap. leg. For cognates in other Germanic languages, see AEW: knetta.
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3. of (prep.): around, from; too
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1. annarr (pron.; °f. ǫnnur, n. annat; pl. aðrir): (an)other, second
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mein (noun n.; °-s; -): harm, injury
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aldri (adv.): never
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
[2] lætk sein ‘rein in’: Lit. ‘put delay’; sein (f. acc. sg.) ‘delay’. The rhyme sein : mein also occurs in Gamlkan Has 41/8VII.
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3. at (prep.): at, to
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munnr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): mouth
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2. sein (noun n.): hindrance
[2] lætk sein ‘rein in’: Lit. ‘put delay’; sein (f. acc. sg.) ‘delay’. The rhyme sein : mein also occurs in Gamlkan Has 41/8VII.
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heimr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): home, abode; world
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2. heyra (verb): hear
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segja (verb): say, tell
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4. at (conj.): that
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snúa (verb): turn
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2. sumr (pron.): some
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2. einn (pron.; °decl. cf. einn num.): one, alone
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2. hyggja (verb): think, consider
[4] hykk ‘I think’: Ms. R reads ‘hyck ek’, but the pers. pron. has been cliticised (as in ll. 2 and 3) in order to make the line metrical (so Wisén 1886-9, I and Skald; Skj B omits the pron. and normalises to hygg).
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4. at (conj.): that
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
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2. trúa (verb): to believe (in)
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erfiðr (adj.; °compar. -ari/ri, superl. -astr): [difficult]
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1. verða (verb): become, be
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
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1. illa (adv.): badly
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kunna (verb): know, can, be able
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2. engi (pron.): no, none
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2. þurfa (verb): need, be necessary
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-at (particle): (neg. suffix)
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hjúfra (verb): [lament]
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maðr (noun m.): man, person
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þannig (adv.): thus, there, that way
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hafa (verb): have
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
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leggja (verb): put, lay
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í (prep.): in, into
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lund (noun f.; °-ar; -ir/-ar(Rém 301³¹)): mind, way
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langviðri (noun n.): with long-lasting storms
[8] langviðrum ‘with long-lasting storms’: This cpd, which here refers to a catastrophic emptying of the world (lang ‘long’ plus viðri < veðr ‘wind, weather’), is used as an adv. (langviðris ‘extremely’) in its only other occurrence in poetry (Þorv Lv 1/5IV). The Mhkv cpd in its apocalyptic sense is found in C16th Icelandic prophetic literature.
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skulu (verb): shall, should, must
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2. eyða (verb; °-dd-): destroy
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
No one bemoans another’s misfortune; I never rein in my mouth; I hear tell that the world is turning; I think only some believe me. Life is difficult for him who understands poorly; one need not lament any man; thus it has lodged itself in my mind: with long-lasting storms shall the earth be laid waste.
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