Yfirpostulinn ástar
Andréas var með bandi
festr á * kross og Kristi
kærr miðviku næri.
Lífið liet með gæfu
ljóss á helgum krossi
föstudag, sá er fýstiz
fagnaðar guðs af magni.
Yfirpostulinn ástar, Andréas, og kærr Kristi, var festr með bandi á * kross næri miðviku. Ljóss, sá er fýstiz af magni fagnaðar guðs, liet lífið föstudag með gæfu á helgum krossi.
The chief Apostle of love, Andrew, and dear to Christ, was tied with a bond on a cross near midweek. The bright one, who yearned mightily for the joy of God, gave up his life on a Friday with good fortune on the holy cross.
[4-7] næri miðviku ... föstudag ‘near midweek ... on a Friday [lit. day of fast]’: In referring to Andrew as ‘bound on a cross ... near midweek’ and passing to glory on a Friday, the poet draws an obvious parallel between the crucifixion of Andrew and Christ, betrayed on a Wednesday, crucified on a Friday. He likewise recalls the tradition that Andrew’s crucifixion extended over two days, a detail regularly included in accounts of S. Andrew’s martyrdom (see Cross 1979, 170; cf. Beda, Martyrologium, col. 1120A; Passio Sancti Andreae 12 [Bonnet 1898, 29/2-3]; Andr1Frg656 348/3-4; Andr2A 380/16-17; Andr SÁM 1 399/11-12; Andr4 411/2, as well as in prayers [see Gjerløw 1980, I, 177: Alpirsbach], and hymns to S. Andrew [AH 51, 162, no. 139/3; Mone 1853-5, III, 96, nos 688/10-12, 696/16-17; Kehrein 1873, no. 400, v. 8]).