From: llama_nom
Message: 9326
Date: 2008-06-06
>accurate
> I'm reminded of an Icelandic love spell:
>
> Legg ég lófa minn i þinn lófa,
> minn vilja í þinn vilja.
> Verði þér í beinum
> sem þú brennir öll,
> nema þú unnir mér
> sem sjálfri þér.
> Svo heit verði
> þér þessi orð,
> so megn og sterk sem
> eilífðin er.
>
> This, again, (lines 5-6) assumes that everyone loves themself a lot :)
>
> Kveðja,
> Haukur
>
>
> > Hello to all -- I'm new to the group here. I'm trying to get an
> > translation on athér engu
> > poem from one of the Bergen runes.
> >
> > The complete phrase, as translated into Old Norse, is this:
> >
> > "kann ek segja thér, sem thú mant reyna af mér, at ek skal unna
> > verr enn mér."love you no
> >
> > The alleged English translation is this:
> >
> > "I can say to you, as you will experience with me, that I will
> > less than myself."than one
> >
> > This seems to me to simply be a word-for-word translation, rather
> > thatreally
> > translates the meaning of the poem. Can anyone here give me a more
> > accurate translation
> > in modern English that preserves the essence of what the poet is
> > saying? I can'tme long
> > imagine the poem is saying, "I love myself so much, hang out with
> > enough and I'll
> > end up loving you the same."
> >
> > And if the phrase were simply shortened to:
> >
> > "ek skal unna thér engu verr enn mér"
> >
> > would this have a different meaning on its own, without the intro? Or
> > would it literally be:
> >
> > "I will love you no less than myself."
> >
> > Many thanks in advance.
> >
> > Wade
> >
> >
>