Tábíta frú fljótan
fann dauða, það snauðum
öllum sárt nam svella
senn fyr missi þenna.
Joppen hrósar happi,
háleitr að guð veitir;
syngr hon lof fyrir leingi;
líf gaf Pétrus vífi.
Frú Tábíta fann fljótan dauða, það öllum snauðum nam svella sárt senn fyr þenna missi. Joppen hrósar happi, að háleitr guð veitir; leingi syngr hon lof fyrir; Pétrus gaf líf vífi.
The lady Tabitha met a sudden death, so that all the poor did grievously swell with sorrow at once over this loss. Joppa exults over the blessing which sublime God grants; she [the city] long sings praise for [that]; Peter gave life to the woman.
[3-4] öllum snauðum ... nam svella ‘all the poor ... did swell with sorrow’: The construction is impersonal. Cf. Acts IX.39: circumsteterunt illum omnes viduae flentes ‘all the widows stood about him weeping’; Pétr 40/20-1: Yfir þvi stoð mikill fioldi (621 fatækra manna ok) eckna, ok gretu miok ‘Over that (body) stood a great crowd (621: of poor people and) widows, and they wept greatly’.