ESk Geisl 8VII/8 — hǫfuð ‘heads’
Heyrðu til afreks orða,
Eysteinn konungr beinna!
Sigurðr, hygg at því, snøggum,
sóknsterkr, hvé ferk verka.
Drengr berr óð fyr Inga;
yðart biðk magnit styðja
mærð, þás miklu varðar,
máttig hǫfuð áttar.
Heyrðu, Eysteinn konungr, til beinna orða afreks! Sóknsterkr Sigurðr, hygg at því, hvé ferk snøggum verka! Drengr berr óð fyr Inga; biðk magnit yðart styðja mærð, þás varðar miklu, máttig hǫfuð áttar.
King Eysteinn, listen to straightforward words of great deeds! Battle-strong Sigurðr, consider this, how I deliver the swift work! The man bears [I bear] poetry before Ingi; I ask that your power support the praise, which is of great importance, mighty heads of the nation [= Eysteinn, Sigurðr, Ingi].
notes
[8]: The pl. form máttig hǫfuð in Flat makes better sense than Bb’s sg. mektugt hǫfuð in the context of an address to three joint monarchs. In Finnur’s reading, ‘mighty head of your line’ could refer either to Eysteinn (which would be rather insulting to Sigurðr and Ingi) or to S. Óláfr.
kennings
- máttig hǫfuð áttar. — mighty heads of the nation. [= Eysteinn, Sigurðr, Ingi]
grammar
case: nom.
number: pl.