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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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RvHbreiðm Hl 80III/8 — mælt ‘told’

Kœnn hlaut lofðungr linna
láð; segik vísa dáðir;
gramr prýddi sá gumna
gjǫfum; kunni sið jǫfra.
Ógnbeiðis naut auðar
ǫld; leyfum bǫr skjaldar,
þvít ljósan veg vísi
vann; nús mælt it sanna.

Kœnn lofðungr hlaut láð linna; segik dáðir vísa; sá gramr prýddi gumna gjǫfum; kunni sið jǫfra. Ǫld naut auðar ógnbeiðis; leyfum bǫr skjaldar, þvít vísi vann ljósan veg; nús it sanna mælt.

The clever lord obtained the land of serpents [GOLD]; I recount the ruler’s deeds; that monarch adorned men with gifts; he knew the custom of princes. People enjoyed the wealth of the war-craver [WARRIOR]; we [I] praise the tree of the shield [WARRIOR] because the ruler gained glowing glory; now the truth has been told.

notes

[8] nús it sanna mælt ‘now the truth has been told’: Holtsmark (Hl 1941, 139) suggests that the second skald, whose stanza focuses on Óláfr’s generosity, added this clause as a gentle corrective to the first poet – as Óláfr’s nickname kyrri ‘the Quiet’ shows, he was not known for his bellicose exploits.

grammar

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