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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Anon Lil 4VII/2 — klók ‘profound’

Fyrri menn, er fræðin kunnu
forn og klók af sínum bókum
slungin, mjúkt af sínum kóngum
sungu lof með danskri tungu.
Í þvílíku móðurmáli
meir skyldumz eg en nökkurr þeira
hrærðan dikt með ástarorðum
allsvaldanda kóngi að gjalda.

Fyrri menn, er af sínum bókum kunnu slungin fræðin, forn og klók, sungu með danskri tungu mjúkt lof af kóngum sínum. Í þvílíku móðurmáli skyldumz eg meir en nökkurr þeira að gjalda allsvaldanda kóngi dikt, hrærðan með ástarorðum.

Men of old, who from their books knew complex learning, ancient and profound, sang in the Nordic tongue elegant praise of their kings. In just such a mother tongue I am more obliged than any of them to present the all-ruling king with a poem, composed with loving words.

notes

[2] klók ‘profound, clever’: The word has both positive and negative connotations. Cf. Lucifer’s disparaging comment, Dróttinn mun dikta eitthvað klókt ‘the Lord thinks he is devising something clever’ 39/7 and klókar varnir ‘ingenious defences’ 72/2. In Stjórn it is used of the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Unger 1862, 34) and of Esau (Unger 1862, 160).

grammar

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