Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 18’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 21-2.
Fúss emk, þvít vann vísir,
— vas hann mestr konungr flestra —
— drótt nemi mærð — ef mættak,
manndýrðir, stef vanda.
Greitt má gumnum létta
guðs ríðari stríðum;
rǫskr þiggr allt, sem œskir,
Óláfr af gram sólar.
Fúss emk vanda stef, ef mættak, þvít vísir vann manndýrðir; hann vas mestr konungr flestra; drótt nemi mærð. {Guðs ríðari} má greitt létta stríðum gumnum; rǫskr Óláfr þiggr allt, sem œskir, af {gram sólar}.
I am eager to compose a refrain, if I can, because the prince attained manly qualities; he was the greatest king among most [rulers]; may the court receive the praise poem. {God’s knight} [SAINT = Óláfr] can easily alleviate afflictions for men; brave Óláfr gets all he desires from {the king of the sun} [= God].
Mss: Flat(2ra), Bb(117rb)
Readings: [1] emk (‘em ek’): so Bb, ‘er ek’ Flat; vísir: vísi Bb [2] flestra: flestar Bb [6] ríðari: so Bb, ‘ridadri’ Flat [7] rǫskr: hraustr Bb; œskir: æstir Bb
Editions: Skj AI, 462, Skj BI, 431, Skald I, 213; Flat 1860-8, I, 3, Cederschiöld 1873, 3, Chase 2005, 68, 138-9.
Notes: [2] flestra ‘among most [rulers]’: The Bb reading, flestar, allows for smoother syntax. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) construes þvít vísi vann flestar manndýrðir; hann vas mestr konungr ‘because the king was in possession of most splendid qualities; he was the greatest king’. — [3] drótt nemi mærð ‘may the court receive the praise poem’: This cl. may mean ‘may the court receive the poem’ in the sense of giving the poet a hearing, or, more actively, ‘may the court learn the praise poem’. — [5-8]: These ll. constitute the drápa’s stef or refrain, and appear again at 21/5-8, 24/5-8, 27/5-8, 30/5-8, 33/5-8, 36/5-8, 39/5-8, 42/5-8 and 45/5-8. The section between sts 18-45 is the stefjabálkr. A small cross symbol appears in the right margin of Flat beside or above each repetition of the stef. — [6] ríðari ‘knight’: This is one of the earliest instances of the word in poetry, though see Mberf Lv 2/2II, which is earlier. The kenning Guðs ríðari ‘God’s knight’ also occurs in Árni Gd 32/1IV. — [8] gram sólar ‘king of the sun’: Einarr introduced this image (which has no precise analogues in Scripture or in Lat. hymns) into skaldic poetry, and it was widely imitated (cf. Meissner, 381-2).
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
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.
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.