Re: Help Needed with Havamal Stanza 2.

A couple more comments / corrections to my attempt.

It's been pointed out to me that "bráður" usually means "TOO swift,
TOO eager", even "impatient, on edge". Faulkes' glossary to Hávamál
has "hasty, impatient".

'á bröndum' is usually taken to mean "on a humble seat" probably by
the door or outer wall. Originally it may have meant "on top of the
firewood-stack" (which was very humble). There is a lot of evidence
from Norwegian rural custom which points toward this. If a host
wishes to honour a guest, he will say: "Nei, du skal ikkje sitja i
brondo - set deg innar" (No, don't sit 'i brondo' - sit further in).
I'm told that the evidence is presented in detail in Evans'
commentaries, which unfortunately I don't have to hand at the moment,
only Faulkes' glossary which has 'á bröndum' "(sitting) on a pile of
firewood".

LN

--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "llama_nom" <600cell@...> wrote:
>
>
> > Gefendur heilir!
> > Gestur er inn kominn!
> > hvar skal sitja sjá?
> > Mjög er bráður
> > sá er á bröndum skal
> > síns um freista frama.
>
> Here's one possibility, by no means definitive:
>
> Hail, givers!
> A guest has come in!
> Where ought this one to sit?
> He is in great haste,
> he who by the fire must
> try his luck.
>
> gefendur = nominative plural of 'gefandi' "giver", agreeing with the
> adjective 'heilir' "hail, well", a typical greeting/salutation.
> 'bráður' "hasty, eager", adjective, masculine nominative singular to
> agree with 'gestur' (in the next stanza are revealed what a newly
> arrived guest is in urgent need of). 'mjög' "very" (adverb).
> 'brandur' "burning stick", here in the dative plural; also poetically
> "sword", as Patricia mentioned, and the name for a part of a ship, but
> the interpretations I've seen take it as to do with the fireplace in
> this context. 'freista' "to try, test" (also "to tempt"), takes the
> genitive case for the thing being tested, which here is his 'frami'.
> This can be translated in various ways in different contexts,
> revolving around the idea of how well one does: "fame, distinction;
> bravery; luck; profit." Zoega's dictionary cites this example under
> the heading "luck." 'skal' is cognate with English 'shall', but often
> keeps the old sense of obligation.
>
> LN
>
>
> --- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "Heidi Graw" <hgraw@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I was refered to this group where I may find members who
> > could help me out in regards to something that members
> > of another e-mail discussion group are trying to grapple
> > with at the moment.
> >
> > We've come across a difficulty regarding a
> > translation of an ON stanza which
> > has been translated into English.
> >
> > The English translations all differ
> > in some way and are written
> > in such a manner that they're
> > causing confusion as to how
> > the stanza is to be understood.
> >
> > Would anyone like to try
> > translating the following?
> >
> > Old Norse:
> > 2.
> > Gefendur heilir!
> > Gestur er inn kominn!
> > hvar skal sitja sjá?
> > Mjög er bráður
> > sá er á bröndum skal
> > síns um freista frama.
> >
> > ***
> >
> > Any help will be much appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks a lot,
> > Heidi
> >
>