> > May - Má (nominative, not the correct form here)
>
> Sorry; that's an error. A verb doesn't have a nominative
> of course :-) I meant to say 'indicative'. The correct
> form here is the subjunctive.
>
> Another solution would be to do without 'mega' altogether
> and put the main verb in subjunctive to convey the 'may...'
> meaning. Futhermore the article might simply be dropped:
>
> "Ár roðni."
>
> alternatively:
>
> "Roðni ár."
>
> When it's put that way it sounds like it's straight out of
> Busla's Prayer - a powerful curse from Bósa saga ok Herrauðs.
>
> Here's a part of one strophe that illustrates this sentence
> structure (noun in nominative + verb in subjunctive) very well:
>
> Villist vættir,
> verði ódæmi,
> hristist hamrar,
> heimr sturlist,
> versni veðrátta...
>
> May wights get lost,
> May monstrous things come to pass,
> May cliffs shake,
> May the world grow mad,
> May the weather get worse...
>
> It goes on and on. It seems to me that "May the rivers run red with blood"
> would fit in nicely :-)
>
> Kveðja,
> Haukur
>
> P.S. Can't resist quoting some more of Buslubæn:
>
> Tröll ok álfar
> ok töfranornir,
> búar, bergrisar
> brenni þínar hallir,
> hati þik hrímþursar,
> hestar streði þik,
> stráin stangi þik,
> en stormar æri þik,
> ok vei verði þér,
> nema þú vilja minn gerir.
>
> Trolls and elves and magical witches, farmers and mountain giants burn thy halls.
> May rime-giants hate thee, may horses penetrate* thee, may straws sting you
> and storms drive you mad and woe unto thee unless thou doest as I will.
>
> * Can be substituted for a four letter word if one is so inclined.
>
>
> Sumir hafa kvæði...
> ...aðrir spakmæli.
>
> - Keth
>
> Homepage: http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/
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