Dissolute Lifestyle, Part Three

Hej!


Back again, this time with an erfidrápa (a poem in praise of the dead) which I wrote about two years ago.  Once again, the subject is His Grace, Duke Sir Morguhn Sheridan, of whom I wrote in the previous posting.  This poem was an attempt to bring all of the qualities of the Icelandic dróttkvætt metre in English. This is a difficult task because English is largely an uninflected language, as opposed to Icelandic, which is highly inflected.  This can reck havoc when you are closely counting syllables.  You on't have flexibility in word order either.  A second hurdle is that accents in English often fall on the second rather than first syllable of a word.  This can make it difficult to follow the need for a trochee in the last slot in the line.


Despite these problems, I feel that I got this poem about right.  In it I present visions of Morguhn (winning crown the first time, becoming a duke, defeating the Calontir shield wall in the Charge of the Four, being knighted, the third crown in the East, ruling in AEthelmearc, facing death), much as a shield-poem would be constructed by taking the conceit of describing a decorated shield.


One final note - there are two stefs (four line choruses) interspersed in the poem.  Each ends with the line "Morguhns ǫnd ofar lǫndum".  This roughly translates to "Morguhn's spirit over the land."


Here is the poem.  I hope you enjoy and comment, please!

Morguhn drapa  inn Langferðamaðr

(Drapa for Morguhn the Long Road Walker)

(Pennsic 38, July-August 2009)

Met in boldest battle

Better sword not yet found

Great duke merry mighty

Morguhns ǫnd ofar lǫndum

Saw I flame haired fighter

Field stand never yielding

Brash youth green clad granted

Great knights swift deaths eight-fold

Fought from dawn til dark fall

Dragon tors'd fed corse hawks

Conquered Manfred mighty

Made Rowan his first queen

Saw I fiercesome fighters

forty seeking glory

Grass clad Morguhn mighty

Mowed down those who stood there

Met there turquoise tyger

Tribesman Randall gliding

Shadows minion stalwart

Stood til Morguhn slew him

Laughter rang out loudly

Light heart sang in bright eyes

Keep his memory mighty

Morguhns ǫnd ofar lǫndum

Saw I Dragon's doomsman

Delve lords guide to Hel's door

Crossing river's rock span

that roaring Calon horde kept

Four great giants joined there

Jarred loose rock-scarred foeman

Charging woeful warriors

Wedge from rock's edge threw them.

Saw I Pennsic pastures

Potent Gavin great king

Brought his knights to kneel there

Noble Morguhn summoned

Round his waist the white belt

Wedded spurs to high boots

Chain of gold was given

Green clad lord thus knighted

Saw I lord of leaf'd round

Longed to hear the swan's song

Soaring heaven highward

Hied to tourney's violence.

Verdant Morguhn met there

Mighty western belt-lord

Ronald's head was hewn there

High born Morguhn won crown.

Met in boldest battle

Better sword not yet found

Great duke merry mighty

Morguhns ǫnd ofar lǫndum

Saw I realm made royal

Ruled by Princes truly

Leaf clad leaf lord led them

Loved by clear-voiced Meirwen

Four times stood he stalwart

Staid by none nor laid low

Fairly reigned by right hand

Ring lord by his prowess

Saw I oak-strong Aethling

Evil's eye struck death blow

Stood the berry browed lord

Brave til battles ending

Long road walker wanders

Whither no wight follows

We go to join his journey

Gentle Morguhn leads us

Laughter rang out loudly

Light heart sang in bright eyes

Keep his memory mighty

Morguhns ǫnd ofar lǫndum

(The next time - another in "the Great Man" series)