Ólhelg Lv 9I/4 — vissu ‘knew’
Ár stóð eik in dýra
jarladóms með blómi
harðla grœn, sem Hǫrðar
hvert misseri vissu.
Nú hefr bekkjar tré bliknat
brátt Mardallar gráti
(lind hefr) laufi bundit
(línu jǫrð í Gǫrðum).
Ár stóð in dýra eik jarladóms harðla grœn með blómi, sem Hǫrðar vissu hvert misseri. Nú hefr tré bekkjar, bundit laufi, bliknat brátt gráti Mardallar; lind línu hefr jǫrð í Gǫrðum.
Formerly the precious oak of the jarldom [WOMAN] stood intensely green with blossom, as the Hǫrðar knew each season. Now the tree of the bench [WOMAN], wreathed with foliage, has grown pale fast with the weeping of Mardǫll <= Freyja> [GOLD]; the linden-tree of the headdress [WOMAN] has land in Russia.
notes
[3-4] sem Hǫrðar vissu hvert misseri ‘as the Hǫrðar knew each season’: This identification of a specific regional population within Norway, the people of Hordaland, no doubt indicates the origins of the woman. The phrase hvert misseri ‘each season’ (with necessary minor emendation of hvatt to hvert) could belong either in this intercalated clause or in the main clause.