Anon Mhkv 27III
Roberta Frank (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Poems, Málsháttakvæði 27’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1240.
text and translation
Gullormr á sér brennheitt ból;
bjartast skínn í heiði sól;
undrum þykkir gagnsætt gler;
glymjandi fellr hrǫnn of sker.
Allar girnask ár í sjá;
ekki er manni verra en þrá;
fýsa munk ins fyrra vara;
flestr mun sik til nǫkkurs spara.
Gullormr á sér brennheitt ból; sól skínn bjartast í heiði; gler þykkir undrum gagnsætt; hrǫnn fellr glymjandi of sker. Allar ár girnask í sjá; ekki er manni verra en þrá; munk fýsa ins fyrra vara; flestr mun spara sik til nǫkkurs.
‘The gold-serpent has for itself a burning-hot den; the sun shines brightest in a cloudless sky; glass seems wondrously transparent; the wave falls roaring over the skerry. All rivers yearn to run to the sea; nothing is worse for a man than longing; I shall urge prior caution; most men will save themselves for something. ’
notes and context
[1]: Cf. ESk Geisl 41/4VII ból dreka ‘dwelling of the dragon [GOLD]’. The kenning alludes to the dragon Fáfnir and his hoard (Skm, SnE 1998, I, 47): gullit er kallat ból eða bygð Fáfnis ‘gold is called the lair or dwelling of Fáfnir’. — [5]: Cf. Eccles 1.7: omnia flumina intrant in mare ‘all rivers run to the sea’. See also ÚlfrU Húsdr 12/1, 3 and Sveinn Frag ll. 1, 4.
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.
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GKS 2367 4° (R) — 55r/28 - 55r/30
imagesGullormr á sér brennheitt ból;
†bialltað† skínn í heiði sól;
undrum þykkir gagnsætt gler;
glymjandi fellr hrǫnn of sker.
Allar girnask ár í sjá;
ekki er manni verra en þrá;
fýsa munk enn fyrra vara;
flestr mun sik til nǫkkurs spara.Gvllormr a ser breɴheitt bol bialltað skiɴ | iheiði sol vndrvm þickir gagnsætt gler glymiandi fellr hravɴ of sker allar gir | naz ar isia ecki er maɴi verra en þra fysa mvn ek eɴ fyʀa vara flestr mvn sik ⸝⸝ [til] navkqvars spara |
(VEÞ)
editions and texts
Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], A. [1]. Málsháttakvæði 27: AII, 135-6, BII, 144-5, Skald II, 77-8; Möbius 1874, 11, Wisén 1886-9, I, 76.
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