Crúx, lemið angr en æxlið
alt gótt liði dróttins;
sýndr ert seggja kindum,
sigrtrúr í gný vigra.
Opt ert éls í höptum
ítr lausn viðum rítar;
guma forðar þú gerla
grandi holds ok andar.
Crúx, lemið angr en æxlið alt gótt dróttins liði; ert sýndr seggja kindum, sigrtrúr í gný vigra. Opt ert ítr lausn viðum rítar éls í höptum; þú forðar gerla guma grandi holds ok andar.
Cross, you cripple grief but cause all good things to increase for the Lord’s retinue; you are visible to men’s offspring, victory-faithful in the din of spears [BATTLE]. Often you are a glorious liberation to trees of the shield’s storm [BATTLE > WARRIORS] in fetters; you rescue men completely from injury of flesh and spirit.
[3-4]: This couplet refers to the medieval use of the Cross as a sign of victory in battle. In the homily the Heilagr cros es sigrmarc goþs ‘The holy Cross is the victory-sign of God’ and sigr i orrostom ‘triumph in battles’ (cf. sigrstoð ‘victory pillar’ 42/2). The idea depends ultimately on Constantine’s famous dream before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (Eusebius, De vita Constantini I, 28 in Winkelmann 1991, 29-30).
case: dat.