The New War Poem: víg þeyr - War Song (Updated 5/28/2011)

This poem is moderately long with a refrain (stef) at beginning and end.  It is in straight dróttkvætt except for the stef  which is runhent.  A verse by verse translation follows the poem.  The first seven verses are descriptive of the seven Baronies of Æthelmearc, the kingdom I belong to in the Society for Creative Anachronisms.  As always, comments are requested (cherished, even).  And NEW today, you can hear it here! (This a new recording with the poem for you to read as you listen)

VÍG - ÞEYR (WAR STORM)

Rúni minna rekka

rikis-faðirs sagna

hug-runr Munin halda

Hugin geirþey á-gætta

holt-græn brynjar  hafta

holt-græn riki heilsa

Bil-seim fríðust blása

Baldr-styr mattig beita

Ór hrafna erfíð-virkr heim 

Hamðís skyrtur kvámað

kallsað hefndar kaldar

á-kafligr blóða krefði

ígul-kottar útan

ógn-ligr halað frækn-ligr

bogir skyrtur  barað

blóðstar kamað drotinn

Svartrfjallar ór suðri

sigrvíðum þú gaum-gæfa

flyta lindr-vitr Freyar

fellbaugs geig-tönn dregga

hlýðað grimmir hírð-menn

halir með almreyrs 

kalla hann tré-konungr

kol-gim goði mót-svar

Veik í Eystri-dæll veðr-kvern

viking-ligr inn leiðangr

glæsi varra Gugnis

gó-ligr ljóm á sól-róð

hurðir standa Hǫgna

hlífgranda víð fjanda

mikill-rjóðar máttig

malma hvikaði aldri

Hálar fylgja hersar

hesta-líð hans heðra

endi-lauss ala afla

áræðis-snarr þeirra

fjandar þeirra flýjað

fyrir vignestr ýrinn

brenna hrækost bjartr

bráðr-hestr hlaðit tapa

Mennin skjöldar mattig

mýra safal reyrað

undreyr snarað aldtregi

ú-vin skytir benjað

vættar-sókngifrs vafla

vigtungt gönur flosað

rotti kattar-rófa

grænn-holt hersir mæta

Dreki-elligr arms hyr

is-lög vetrar hrista

sumars far-gim svell folks

slíðr-beittr leysa víg-örr

herrir norð-vinda hvass-eygr

hjalm-drött víg-bjart samna

eið-færr barún ör-vedr

is-dreki strengja-heitið

Ór stjörnu-vegi standa

staðfastr fé-styrkr dauð-ligr

leiðangr blóð ok laraðr

lands-mark varða mann-ligr

ríða merki rauð-gull

rönd-ullir. undir  konungs

hala-stjarna hafta

hersir  brim-stormr styr-vindr 

Horsk-ligr konung her-fara!

hlýða þú ok fýlgja

hersir gætr ok herrar

herflokkr gætr ok ýr-menn

kol-augr samna kappsamr

kast-vella eskiaskar

hírð-menn kama á her-ferð

horsk-ligr konungr ör-fara!

Rúni minna rekka

rikis-faðirs sagna

hug-runr Munin halda

Hugin geirþey á-gætta

holt-græn brynjar  hafta

holt-græn riki heilsa

Bil-seim fríðust blása

Baldr-styr mattig beita

STEF:

Counselor of warriors remeber your ancestors´lessons.  Munin holds wisdom and Hugin praises battle [geir-þey  “spear breeze” > BATTLE].  The Sylvan army [brynjar  “mail-shirts” > WARRIORS > ARMY] joins; The Sylvan realm salutes!  Fairest queen [Bil-seim “Godess of gold” > QUEEN] inspires!  Mighty king [Baldr-styr “God of war” > KING] leads!

VERSE ONE:

From hard-working Raven´s Heim [Thescorre], an army [Hamðís skyrtur “the shirts of Hamðir (a famous warrior)” > MAIL SHIRTS > ARMY] arrives.  They demand cold vengeance;  they demand hot blood! They boldly haul out terrible war-engines [ígul-kottar “hedgehogs” > WAR ENGINES]; archers bear their bows.  The raven [blóðstar “blood-starling” > RAVEN] lord comes!

VERSE TWO:

Warriors [Sigrvíðum “Victory-trees” > WARRIORS] from the southern black mountains you pay heed.  Knights [Lindr-vitr Freyar  “White-belt Freyar” > KNIGHTS] hasten and pull the fang [geig-tönn “deadly-tooth” > FANG] of the serpent [fellbaugs “fell ring” > SERPENT].  Grim hirth-men march with archers [halir almreyrs “heroes of the elm reed” >  ARROWS > ARCHERS]; The Sylvan King [tré-konungr “´tree-king”] calls him {and} the chieftain of the onyx [kol-gim “coal gem” > ONYX] answers.

VERSE THREE:

The windmill turns in the Eastern lands -  the levy is viking-like.  Their joyful spear heads [varra Gugnis “lips of Gugnir” > SPEAR-BLADES] gleam bright in the dawn [sól-ród  “Sun-red” > DAWN].  The shield-wall [hurðír Hogna  “doors of Hogni” > SHIELDS] stands against the enemy’s attack [hlífgranda  “defense-destroyers” > WEAPONS].  The  great, mighty warriors [Malma-rjóðar  “grinding path clearers” > FIGHTERS] never waver.

VERSE FOUR:

The Hill-lord leads his horse-clans hither; their endless great-courage gives {us} strength.  Their enemies flee before abundant spears [vignestr  “war-needles” > SPEARS]; The fiery horses destroy {them}; the high-piled corpse-mounds burns brightly.

VERSE FIVE:

The mighty swamp-men rattle sable shields.  Archers fling deadly arrows [undreyr “wound reeds” > ARROWS] and mortally injure the enemy.  Axe wielders [sókngifrs “of the battle-witch” > AXE] wildly splinter wavering shields [vigtungt “battle-moons” > SHIELDS]. The Cattail chieftain joins the Sylvan [grænn-holt  “green-woods”] force.

VERSE SIX:

The golden dragon [dreki-elligr  “drake of fire” > DRAGON + arms hyr  “of the arm’s fire” > GOLD] shakes off winter´s ice.  The summer sun[far-gim  “fair-gem” > SUN] thaws war-eager sharp edged swords [sliðr-beittr  “sharp as a razor” + svell folks “ice sheets of battle”> SWORD BLADES].  Sharp eyed knghts of the north wind {and} a war-bright  army [hjalm-drött  “helmet-host” > WARRIORS] gather.  The able Baron of the ice-dragon strongly vows his archers´service [ör-vedr  “shower of shafts”].

VERSE SEVEN:

From the starry way, the deadly main force stands stedfast.  The bloody, weary warölevy manfully defends the marches.  The King´s shield-men ride benath the red-gold banneræ the Comet-lord joins the war-song [brim-stormr styr-vindr  “gale-force war wind.”]

VERSE EIGHT:

The Noble King goes to war!  Your noble barons follow and noble knights obey!  Your noble warriors march!  Your coal-eyed eager bowmen gather!  Excited spear-men [spear-ash-trees “spear-ash-trees” > SPEAR MEN]and hirth-men come to battle.  The Noble King goes to war!