Gamlkan Has 48VII/3 — vanðr ‘accustomed’
Frétt hafa* dyggvar dróttir,
Dávíð konungr síðan
snilli vanðr ept synðir
siðabót at tók skjóta.
Blíðr nam þengill þýðask
— þats bann — konu annars,
en réð, svát bar brôðum,
búandmann* af því svanna.
Dyggvar dróttir hafa* frétt, at Dávíð konungr, snilli vanðr, tók síðan skjóta siðabót ept synðir. Blíðr þengill nam þýðask konu annars — þats bann —, en réð af því búandmann* svanna, svát bar brôðum.
Worthy men have heard that King David, accustomed to eloquence, later made quick moral amends after his sins. The gentle king took pleasure in the wife of another man — that is forbidden — and for that reason brought about the death of the woman’s husband, in such a way that it happened by surprise.
notes
[3] snilli vanðr ‘accustomed to eloquence’: Cf. Leið 6/6, where God is described as snillifimr ‘prowess-nimble’. Both expressions appear to be hap. leg. Use of this cpd here to describe the Psalmist, David, is particularly appropriate.