Anon Mfl 2III/7 — él*um ‘with storms’
Busti beggja rista
barmskúr ofan hvarma
fljóðs á frægja meiða
fjǫlglyggs himins tyggja.
Vann, sús kœnst es kvenna,
kvǫlbannaðar manna
él*um undirstóla
iltún þvegit brúna.
Hvarma barmskúr fljóðs busti ofan á frægja meiða beggja rista tyggja fjǫlglyggs himins. Vann, sús es kœnst kvenna, þvegit iltún kvǫlbannaðar manna él*um undirstóla brúna.
The shower of the edge of eyelids [(lit. ‘edge-showers of eyelids’) EYES > TEARS] of the woman streamed down on the famous trees of both insteps [FEET] of the lord of the windswept heaven [= Christ]. She, who is the wisest of women, washed the footsole-yards [FEET] of the torment-banisher of men [= Christ] with storms of the support-chairs of brows [EYES > TEARS].
readings
[7] él*um: eljun W
notes
[7, 8] él*um undirstóla brúna ‘with storms of the support-chairs of brows [EYES > TEARS]’: The ms. reading eljun ‘power, endurance, energy’ cannot be construed to make any sense in the context, and the emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Both Skj B and Skald print éljum, which is not clear since él is a n. a-stem and not a ja-stem (see AEW: él; Konráð Gíslason 1895-7, II, 226 has élom). The cpd undirstóll ‘support-chair’ (lit. ‘under-chair’, from the adv. undir ‘under, below, beneath’ and stóll ‘chair’) is a hap. leg. In the present context it must refer to the eyes sitting below the eyebrows, but undirstóll brúna is admittedly an odd kenning for ‘eyes’. Konráð Gíslason (loc. cit.) accordingly emends to undirsóla brúna lit. ‘of the under-suns of the brows’, denoting the brightness of the eyes.
kennings
- él*um undirstóla brúna. — with storms of the support-chairs of brows. [TEARS]
grammar
case: dat.
number: pl.