Hvat efldi þik austan hingat
feiknafullan ok fláráðan?
Muntu hvarvetna herja vilja,
er þú Álfi máttir aldrspell gera.
Hvat efldi þik austan hingat, feiknafullan ok fláráðan? Muntu vilja herja hvarvetna, er þú máttir gera Álfi aldrspell.
What aided you [coming] here from the east, one full of portents and deceits? You must want to harry everywhere, since you were able to cause life-damage to Álfr.
[7] Álfi máttir: máttir Álfi 344a, Álfi máttuð 343a, 173ˣ, Álfi mátti 471
[7]: The two words in 344a’s reading máttir Álfi have been reversed to provide a metrically regular line though it is málaháttr rather than fornyrðislag; the latter would require further emendation from Álfi ‘to Álfr’ to Álfs ‘of Álfr’.
Verbs: Preterite-present verbs
The present tense of these verbs is like the past tense of strong verbs, and their past tense is weak.
eiga | mega | kunna | skulu | munu | muna | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
indic. pres. | sing. pl. | 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd | á átt á eigum eiguð eigu | má mátt má megum meguð megu | kann kannt kann kunnum kunnuð kunnu | skal skalt skal skulum skuluð skulu | mun munt mun munum munuð munu | man mant man munum munið muna |
indic. past stem subj. pres. stem subj. past stem | átt- eig- ætt- | mátt- meg- mætt- | kunn- kunn- kynn- | skyld- skyl- skyld- | mund- myn- mynd- | mund- mun- mynd- |