Anon Heildr 15VII/4 — veg ‘honour’
Út rek óvin sleitinn,
angrþverrir, veg langan,
giptu framr, en gumnum
gef traustan veg hraustum.
Ver þú, at vér megim forðask,
víss leiðtogi, píslir
lengr ok löst, á þröngum
lífs veg, siða fegrir.
Angrþverrir, framr giptu, rek sleitinn óvin út langan veg, en gef hraustum gumnum traustan veg. Ver þú, fegrir siða, víss leiðtogi á lífs þröngum veg, at vér megim lengr forðask píslir ok löst.
Harm-destroyer, outstanding in grace, drive the aggressive fiend a long way away, but give valiant men trustworthy honour. Beautifier of conduct [lit. conducts], be a true guide on life’s narrow way, that we may for a long time escape torments and vice.
notes
[4] traustan veg ‘trustworthy honour’: Kock (NN §2341) considers that, since the poet has spoken of driving the devil away langan veg ‘a long way’ (l. 2) and is about to speak of lífs þrǫngum veg ‘life’s narrow way’ (ll. 7-8), vegr m. should also here be taken in the sense of ‘way’ (LP: 1. vegr), rather than ‘honour, glory’ (LP: 2. vegr). The Lat. pacemque dones protinus confirms that the interpretation offered here, which accords with those of Finnur Jónsson and Rydberg, is correct. The poet is, of course, exploiting the dual resonances of vegr throughout the st. The word-play is only fully resolved in the parallel characterisation of the Spirit as fegrir siða ‘adorner of the faith’ and leiðtogi ‘guide’. The Spirit is able to guide men on the narrow path (vegr) to righteousness, which is marked by the gift of honour in the Christian sense of glory (vegr).
grammar
case: acc.
number: sg.