Sigv Erlfl 6I/6 — láti ‘he lost’
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr skapat slíku
— bíðrat betri dauða —
bragna konr með gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt þótt fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en allríkr konr bragna olli slíku skapat með gagni; betri bíðrat dauða. Veitk engi annan mann, sás kunni at halda enn fullara allan aldr, þótt láti fjǫr allbrátt.
Erlingr fell, and the most powerful son of kings [RULER = Óláfr] caused such a thing to be brought about by [his] victory; no better man will experience death. I know of no other man who could maintain his standing all his life, even though he lost his life very early.
readings
[6] láti: latti J2ˣ, Tóm, láta 61, látit Flat
notes
[6] láti ‘lost’: Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901, II; Skj B) selects the negative form látit ‘did not lose’ from Flat, arguing (Hkr 1893-1901, IV) that the meaning of l. 6 is selv om han lever aldrig så længe, og meget længere end Erling ‘even if he lives ever so long, and much longer than Erlingr’. Apart from the problematic choice of a unique reading from an inferior ms., it is relevant to the interpretation of this that Erlingr was quite old when he died. The implication is surely that even those who die young could not manage to maintain their standing as well as Erlingr managed to do over a much longer period of time (similarly Kock, NN §642).