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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Anon Lil 30VII/3 — borgar ‘the guarding ’

Friettir nú, með hverjum hætti
henni bæri til fögnuð þenna,
borgarmúrr svá að brysti hvergi
bygð geymandi hreinleiks dygða.
Eingill segir, að ei mun syngaz
jungfrú blíð, þá er sveinn er smíðaðr
haglig myndan heilags anda
hold og bein af líkam hreinum.

Friettir nú, með hverjum hætti þenna fögnuð bæri til henni, svá að borgarmúrr, geymandi bygð dygða hreinleiks, brysti hvergi. Eingill segir, að blíð jungfrú mun ei syngaz, þá er sveinn, haglig myndan heilags anda, er smíðaðr, hold og bein af hreinum líkam.

She asks now by what means this joy might befall her, so that the guarding wall, protecting the dwelling of the virtues of chastity, should nowhere break. The angel says that the gentle virgin will not commit sin, when the boy, the proper image of the Holy Spirit [= God (= Christ)], is formed, flesh and bone from the pure body.

readings

[3] borgar‑: bœgar‑ 720a VIII, om. 622

notes

[3-4] borgarmúrr, geymandi bygð dygða hreinleiks ‘the guarding wall, protecting the dwelling of the virtues of chastity’: An awkward rendition of Lat. epithets such as claustra pudoris ‘enclosure of chastity’ (thus Schottmann 1973, 196, cf. AH 2, 36; 15, 109; 20,167; 35, 138; 48, 429; 50, 14; 54, 323), cella castitatis ‘cell of chastity’ (AH 20, 193; 32, 174, 237; 37, 83), arca castitatis ‘ark of chastity’ (AH 34, 130; 42, 108).

grammar

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