Kirsten Wolf (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Heilagra meyja drápa 59’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 929.
Máríu þjóna miklu fleiri
mektug hirð en nökkurr virði,
ekkjur, meyjar, frúr og flokkar,
föður unnandi helgar nunnur.
Öllum þessum eingla hallar
ástúðigum drottins brúðum
fagrmynduðum fel eg á hendi
fræðagjörð og þetta kvæði.
Miklu fleiri mektug hirð en nökkurr virði þjóna Máríu — ekkjur, meyjar, frúr og flokkar, helgar nunnur unnandi föður. {Öllum þessum ástúðigum fagrmynduðum brúðum {drottins {hallar eingla}}} fel eg á hendi fræðagjörð og þetta kvæði.
A much more numerous mighty crowd than anyone can consider serves Mary — widows, maidens, ladies and groups, holy nuns loving the father. {To all these loving [and] beautifully formed brides {of the Lord {of the hall of angels}}} [HEAVEN > = God (= Christ) > HOLY VIRGINS] I dedicate the composition of poetry and this poem.
Mss: 721(10r), 713(28)
Readings: [2] mektug: megtug 721, 713 [3] ekkjur: ekkjur og 713 [7] fagrmynduðum: ‘fagrmynöðum’ 721, ‘[...]myndugum’ 713
Editions: Skj AII, 538, Skj BII, 596-7, Skald II, 331.
Notes: [1] þjóna ‘[they] serve’: Although the direct subject of this verb is sg. (hirð ‘crowd’), the subject is amplified by the list of pl. subjects in ll. 3-4. Hence the mss’ reading þjóna has been kept here, although both Skj B and Skald emend to þjónar ‘[it] serves’ 3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. — [8] fræðagjörð ‘composition of poetry’: Lit. ‘the making of knowledge’, understood to be poetic knowledge. The cpd also occurs in a similar context (fræðagjörð með fögrum orðum ‘a composition of lore with fair words’) in st. 1/5 of the poem Gimsteinn ‘Jewel’ (ÍM I, 2, 305).
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