Anon Heildr 13VII/4 — greinir ‘branches’
Þinn er, salkonungs sólar,
sjauskiptr frami gipta,
(vandask) hægri handar
hreinn fingr (bragar greinir).
Prýðir rausnar ræður,
ríkr andi, þér líkaz;
fyrirtígnari, fegra*,
föður, kverkr meginverkum.
Hreinn fingr hægri handar sólar salkonungs, þinn frami gipta er sjauskiptr; bragar greinir vandask. Ríkr andi, prýðir ræður rausnar; fyrirtígnari föður, líkaz þér fegra* kverkr meginverkum.
Pure finger of the right hand of the king of the hall of the sun [(lit. ‘the sun’s hall-king’) SKY/HEAVEN > = God], your distinction of grace [lit. good fortunes] is sevenfold; the poem’s branches are elaborately crafted. Powerful spirit, you adorn speeches of magnificence; proclaiming messenger of the Father, it pleases you to beautify throats with mighty works.
notes
[3, 4] bragar greinir vandask ‘the poem’s branches are elaborately crafted’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) interprets this cl. in a negative sense, as a reflection of the poet’s concern about the difficulties of reconciling the skaldic medium to complex latinate poetic figures. Finnur glosses digtet bliver nu vanskeligt ‘now the poem is becoming difficult’. This involves taking vandask as 3rd pers. pl. pres. sg. m.v. of vanda, used reflexively, meaning ‘to become difficult, precarious’ (Fritzner: vandast 5). Vanda can also mean ‘to work elaborately, to take pains over’ (Fritzner: vanda 3), however, so it is also possible to interpret the phrase as a boast about the poet’s craftsmanship, and that is the sense adopted here.