And here's my February post..........

If it seems as though I've slowed down recently, it's just because I have. I've been trying to get focused on a troubling situation which calls for poetry (or will far too soon), and as I do that, I'm working on studying Old Norse grammar, in order to become a better poet. So, I've slowed down in my writing.

However, I do have a couple of verses that I wrote to meet a challenge: Write a Poem about "Cold".

Now, that's a topic an Icelander can get up on. Two verses: one is brand-new; the other, a reworking of an older piece.

=======================================================================================================================================

VERSE ONE

Old Norse Verses	Poetic Translation
Hverja nótt húns hvirfil hvesti vindr eystri; fingr ísarns fanga ok furu besti gnesti; Skikkja undir Skáðis sofinn hreinsá dofna; svan-mærr of snælandum standa hvela Manis.	Every night of the bear whirl- sharpens wind eastern fingers of ice-iron grab and fir´s bark crack. Cloak under Skadi's sleeping reindeer-river drowses Swan-bright over snow-land stands the wheel of Mani

Prose Order: Every "night of the bear" eastern whirlwinds sharpen; Ice-iron fingers grab and crack the fir's bark; under Skáði's sleeping cloak, the reindeer-river drowses. Over/above snowfields, Mani's wheel stands.

Kennings Used

nótt húns - night of the bear - WINTER
finger ísarns - fingers of iron - COLD
Skáðis skikkja - Skaði´s cloak - SNOW (Skaði is the goddess of winter)
hreinsá - reindeer´s river - GROUND
hvela Mánis - Mani's wheel - MOON (Mani is the ON representation of the moon)

===================================================================================================================================

VERSE TWO

Old Norse Verses	Poetic Translation
Þagnar þá er þegnar þorra flugar bruggar; festar snjóvita fastliga fagrast kæfa gerðin; hremma at hrimþursar hringumgrundar blindir jakar frystat Jokuls ýsna fyrir lýtegu	Grow silent when thegns of Thorra bees scheme; Chains snow-white tightly fairest choke fenced fields; Clutch at rime-giants rings of field blind; Ice-flows freeze of Jokull of haddocks over fish-fields.

Prose Order: Bees grow silent when Thegns of Thor scheme; Snow-white chains tightly choke fairest gardens; Blind rime-giants clutch at rings of the field; Jokull´s ice-flows freeze over haddock´s fish-fields.

Kennings Used

þegnar þorra - þorra´s thegns - SNOW (þorra is a Freyja name)
hrimþursar - Rime giants - STORMS
hringumgrundar - rings of the field - SNAKES
jakar Jokuls - Jokul's ice-flows - SNOW & ICE (Jokull is a Giant name)
ýsna lýtegu - haddocks' fish fields - PONDS

==================================================================================================================================

LIKE THEM? HATE THEM? GOT QUESTIONS?

Leave your comments below or send me an E-Mail.