Anon Lil 8VII/4 — sier ‘to himself’
Fýstiz hann með ofsa æstum
að viðrlíkjaz yfrið ríkum
guðs eingetnum syni, en síðan,
sier nægjandi en eingum vægja.
Fúll metnaðrinn er með öllu;
óvarliga, svá ritning próvar;
ætlar sier við dýran drottin
deila megni, hversu er vegnar.
Með æstum ofsa fýstiz hann að viðrlíkjaz guðs yfrið ríkum eingetnum syni, en síðan, nægjandi sier, en vægja eingum. Fúll metnaðrinn er óvarliga með öllu; svá próvar ritning; ætlar sier deila megni við dýran drottin, hversu er vegnar.
With raging hubris he wanted to match himself with God’s abundantly powerful only-begotten son [= Christ], and then, sufficient to himself, to yield to no one. Foul presumption is utterly careless; thus Scripture proves; he intends to pit his strength against the splendid Lord however it turns out.
notes
[4] nægjandi sier ‘content with himself, enough in himself’: The angel wants to be like God, who is ærinn sér ‘sufficient in himself’ (6/6). In De Civitate Dei, Augustine discusses how the sin of pride is related to a desire for self-sufficiency: Relicto itaque Deo esse in semet ipso, hoc est sibi placere, non iam nihil esse est, sed nihilo propinquare. Vnde superbi secundum scripturas sanctas alio nomine appellantur sibi placentes ‘To abandon God and exist in oneself, that is, to live to please oneself, is not to cease existing and become nothing, but it is a step in that direction. Hence the Holy Scriptures refer to the proud as satisfying themselves’ (Dombart and Kalb 1955, I, 47:435 [14.13]).