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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sigv Berv 10II/3 — hǫnd ‘the hand’

Gjalt varhuga, veltir,
viðr, þeims nú ferr heðra,
þjófs (skal hǫnd í hófi)
hǫlða kvitt (of stytta).
Vinrs, sás varmra benja
vǫrnuð býðr, en hlýðið,
tármútaris teitir,
til, hvat búmenn vilja.

Veltir þjófs, gjalt varhuga viðr kvitt hǫlða, þeims nú ferr heðra; skal of stytta hǫnd í hófi. Vinrs, sás býðr vǫrnuð, en, varmra benja tármútaris teitir, hlýðið til, hvat búmenn vilja.

Toppler of the thief [JUST RULER], pay heed to the chatter of men which now is spreading here; the hand must be held back by moderation. He is a friend who offers a warning, but you, gladdener of the hawk of the tear of warm wounds [(lit. ‘gladdener of the tear-hawk of warm wounds’) BLOOD > RAVEN/EAGLE > WARRIOR], must heed what the farmers want.

readings

[3] hǫnd: so E, J2ˣ, 972ˣ(585va), 73aˣ, 61, Tóm, Bb, H, Hr, 325XI 3, Flat, hund , 39, Holm2, 972ˣ(585vb), 325VII, 325V, FskBˣ, FskAˣ, hverr 325VI, 321ˣ

notes

[3, 4] skal of stytta hǫnd í hófi ‘the hand must be held back by moderation’: Lit. ‘one must shorten the hand in moderation’. This saying means that one should not stretch the fingers longer than moderation prescribes, i.e. one must not be greedy and aggressive but show self-restraint.

grammar

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