Jón fekk ást af hreinum
óþrotnanda drottni;
lærði hann lögmál dýrðar,
ljóst yfir Jésú brjósti.
Hann stóð Krist undir krossi
kæstr Máríe næstri;
hann drakk eitr hjá ýtum
einfaldr með trú hreina.
Gleði Jésús hier inni
Jóns postula minni.
Jón fekk ást af hreinum óþrotnanda drottni; yfir Jésú brjósti lærði hann ljóst lögmál dýrðar. Hann stóð undir krossi Krist, kæstr Máríe næstri; einfaldr drakk hann eitr hjá ýtum með hreina trú. Jésús gleði hier inni minni Jóns postula.
John received love from the pure unfailing Lord; on Jesus’s breast he learned the clear law of glory. He stood under the Cross of Christ, dearest to Mary [who was] closest by; straightforward, he drank poison among men, with pure faith. May Jesus make joyful herein a memorial toast for John the Apostle.
[1, 2] Jón fekk ást ... af drottni ‘John received love ... from the Lord’: Cf. John XIII.23, XXI.7, 20. The traditional identification of John as ‘the beloved disciple’ (cf. Brev. 3: Iohannes ... apostolus ... dilectus Domini ‘John ... the Apostle ... beloved of the Lord; IO 71,1: Iohannes ... uirgo electus a Domino atque inter ceteros magis dilectus ‘John ... chosen a virgin by the Lord and among the others more esteemed’) finds its way into prayers to John the Apostle, cf. Gjerløw 1980, I, 180 [Mortemer]: Sancte iohannes apostole et euangelista domini. quem dominus tanto amore dilexit ‘S. John the Apostle and evangelist of the Lord, whom the Lord loved with such great love’. On the tradition, see Cross 1979, 171.