Here are the first 6 (out of twelve) stanzas of an
Icelandic ballad followed by my translation of the
same. Questions and comments are welcome. I hope
someone enjoys this.
The ballad is from the 17th century. It appears partly corrupted.
In my source (Íslenzkir vikivakar og vikivakakvæði, Ólafur Davíðsson, 1894)
there are "..." a couple of times. I take it that the manuscript was
either unreadable or obviously lacking something in those places.
_Eitt listilegt yngimannskvæði að kveða sér til gamans_
Viðlag:
Í Naumudal lét gullhlaðs grund
glæsta turna smíða.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn,
meykóng bar þá blómakinn svo fríða.
1. Skatt af ríkjum skarlats brú
skipaði lýðum gjalda,
langvel kunni líneik sú
lögum við makt að halda.
Misjafnt reyndist mönnum trú,
mæki bar [báru] við fleina fund.
Í Naumudal lét gullhlaðs grund -
Kæran átti kónglegt bú,
og kappa hirð svo fríða.
- glæsta turna smíða.
Jarlar margir fríðri frú
fylgdu bæði út og inn.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn.
Hennar líki' um heiminn nú
hittist ekki víða.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn svo fríða
2. Bónorðs fékk hún bréfin þá
buðlungs sona' og jarla,
las hún bréf og litum brá,
lífið stóðst það varla;
var þeim öllum vísað frá,
varma hrygðar báru lund.
Í Naumudal lét gullhlaðs grund -
Kurteis lét og kyrtla Ná
um kroppinn suma hýða.
- glæsta turna smíða.
Kringum skemmu linni lá
lýða sveit þar vakti stinn.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn.
Fornum bókum fannst það á,
fyrðar um hana stríða.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn svo fríða.
3. Fyrir þann spádóm þorna þöll
þá lét til sín kalla
fjóra dverga' úr Fjölnis höll,
fullvel haga alla.
Ljótleg þessi töfratröll
töluðu margt við hringa hrund.
Í Naumudal lét gullhlaðs grund -
Hún bað þá af handarmjöll
herlegt belti' að sníða.
- glæsta turna smíða.
Loðbrók .... óttast öll,
eins bar til í þetta sinn -
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn.
- svo forðast gæti' hún betur ...,
sem ber sig á að stríða.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn svo fríða.
4. Á einum degi djásnum klædd
drottning sat að tafli,
hirðin kom af hlaupum mædd,
hreysti rúin afli,
af hafinu sögðu þeir herskip brædd
hundrað sigldu' á þeirra fund.
Í Naumudal lét gullhlaðs grund -
Drottning bænar gæðum gædd
gekk til sinna tíða.
- glæsta turna smíða.
Hún segist aldrei hrygg né hrædd,
hrotta brá um lærlegg sinn.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn.
Af Óðni kvaðst hún um það frædd:
undir mörgum svíða.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn svo fríða.
5. Í hafnir lagði herinn snar
hröfnum kembings sveita,
tveir fóstbræður fylgdust þar.
Frosti' og Jökull heita.
Til meykóngs Frosti bónorð bar,
bréf var skráð í samri stund.
Í Naumudal lét gullhlaðs grund -
Þá ristill leit hvað ritað var,
reiði æðar svíða.
- glæsta turna smíða.
Rekkum sendi raunar svar
refla skorðin ung og svinn.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn.
Örvarboðin upp því skar
um sín ríkin víða.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn svo fríða.
6. Lið dreif þangað margt sem mý,
mæki láta syngja,
kólfi stáls lét klénust því
klukku sinni hringja,
himinn allur skalf og ský,
skiptist víða sær í sund.
Í Naumudal lét gullhlaðs grund -
Stundu dvergar steinum í,
steyptust björgin víða.
- glæsta turna smíða.
Lömuðust múrar lands um bý,
þá lúður þeytti drottning sinn.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn.
Unnarfalda eikin blíð
út þá vildi ríða.
Meykóng bar þá blómakinn svo fríða.
_A lovely young man's poem to sing for fun_
Refrain
In Naumudalur the gold-load's ground [woman]
had splendid towers built.
The maiden king had a flowery cheek
the maiden king had a beautiful flowery cheek.
1. The bridge of scarlat [woman] ordered people
to pay taxes from their lands,
that linen-oak [woman] could well
enforce the law.
She was variably faithful to men,
carried a sword at arrow-meetings [battles].
In Naumudalur the gold-load's ground -
The woman had a royal house,
and a court of fair champions.
- had splendid towers built.
Many lords followed the fair lady
whether she went out or in.
The maiden king had a flowery cheek.
Someone similar to her will not be encountered
widely in the world today.
The maiden king had a beautiful flowery cheek.
2. She received letters of proposal
from the sons of kings and lords,
she read the letters and her face changed colors,
her body could barely stand it [?];
they were all turned away,
and carried a warm feeling of depression [?].
In Naumudalur the woman -
The courteous Ná of robes [woman]
had some of them flogged.
- had beautiful towers built.
Around her house lay a worm
a fine troop of men woke there.
The maiden king had a beautiful cheek,
It is found in old books,
men warred for her.
The maiden king had a beautiful flowery cheek.
3. Because of that prediction the tree of thorns [woman]
had called to her
four dwarfs from the hall of Fjölnir,
all of them excellent smiths.
Those ugly magical trolls
spoke many things with the 'hrund' of rings [woman - I'm used to 'hrund' meaning woman, though].
In Naumudalur the gold-load's ground had -
She asked them to make a belt
out of the snow of the hand [gold].
- splendid towers built.
Everyone fears ... Loðbrók,
the same it was this time -
The maiden king had a flowery cheek
- so she could better avoid ...
who tries to war.
The maiden king had a beautiful flowery cheek.
4. On one day, clad with jewelry,
the queen sat playing 'tafl',
the court came, gasping from running,
and exhausted,
they said that from the ocean one hundred tarred ships
were sailing towards them.
In Naumudalur the gold-load's ground had -
The queen, endowed with the power of prayers
went to her ceremony.
- splendid towers built.
She says she is never sad nor afraid,
and brings the sword to her leg.
The maiden king had a beautiful cheek.
She said that Óðinn had told her:
under many a pain.
The maiden king had a beautiful flowery cheek.
5. Into harbors the quick army laid its
ravens of the blood of Kembingur [ships]
there were two bloodbrothers together,
named Frosti and Jökull.
Frosti carried the proposal to the maiden king,
a letter was immediately recorded.
In Naumudalur the gold-load's ground had -
When the woman saw what was written
anger coursed through her vains.
- splendid towers built.
The young and wise fastening of scarfs [woman]
sent an answer of denial to the men.
The maiden king had a flowery cheek.
Therefore she cut up an arrow message [call to war]
widely over her lands.
The maiden king had a beautiful flowery cheek.
6. There came forces as many as midges [common expression]
to let swords sing.
The most delicate one had her bell rung
with a clapper of steel.
All the sky and the clouds shook
the sea was widely split into channels.
In Naumudalur the gold-load's ground had -
Dwarfs groaned in stones,
cliffs collapsed widely.
- splendid towers built.
The walls of the lands were paralysed about the town of the land [what?],
when the queen blew her horn.
The maiden king had a flowery cheek.
Then the tender oak of wave's hoods [woman - but a strange kenning]
wanted to go for a ride.
The maiden king had a beautiful flowery cheek.