A New Verse from Old Parts

Today, taking a verse previously written in English and re-working it into Icelandic.

Old Icelandic	Word-by-Word Translation	Prose-Order Translation
Hæru-kollr til koma kasta á vøll-hasel; bregða skarpa bragr branda rjóðr rønd-fisk. Grimm-leitr klofað gramr gata-skalda glotti; hjó-staf greip haukstrandr - hefjum róggeisla.	Hoary-head to comes to cast on field of hazel brandishes sharp best sword reddener rim-fish. Grimly strides warrior gate of skald grins hew-stem grips hawk-strand he hefts battle-beam.	Hoary-head comes to cast his chance on the hazel-field; Best sword-reddener brings (the) rim-fish. Grimly strides the warrior skald-gates grinning; hew-stem is gripped by hawk´s strand (he) hefts the battle-beam

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KENNINGS USED

Hæru-kollr > Hoary-head >  an old WARRIOR

hasel-vøll > hazel-field > a LIST for fighting

rjóðr-branda > sword-reddener > WARRIOR

rønd-fisk > rim-fish > SWORD

gata-skalda > skald's gate > MOUTH or LIPS

hjó-staf > hew-stem > SWORD

haukstrandr > hawk strand > ARM

róggeisla > battle-beam > SWORD

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LIKE IT? HATE IT?

Please leave your comments below!

Hólm-ganga (the Duel), verse 1 [NaPoWriMo # 3]

November 3 - Day 3:

Yesterday's verse is tagged for future use in a þattr as I explained. Today´s verse is the second verse to go into the very same þattr about our hero fighting a hólm-gang (duel) against a foe who has insulted him.  The hólm-gang is traditionally ought on a small island, barely large enough for the two men to stand, with the battle being to the death.  If fought on land, a hólm-hring (duel ring) is drawn around the two combatants. To step beyond its limits, unless you are victorious, means death.  This is pretty serious stuff.

Today's verse features multiple kenningar which are explained in the notes following the verse.

Enjoy!

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Hólm-ganga

Old Icelandic	Line-by-Line	Prose Order Translation
Á sker-garða elg-stafna styri-flotna (fyr virðing) (sveigr mikill leiks-sára) (skorðir á holm) röri. Sól-geisli al-skarlat svaltung rauði fuðru; sam-hljóði át ströndu songar-sverða dverg-mælti.	to rock-reef elk of stems Wielder of men (for fame) (the brandisher great of wound-leek) (you challenged to a duel) you rowed. Sun-beams all-scarlet sword-tongues red blazed; harmony across the shore the sword-songs dwarf-talked.	Wielder of men you rowed the stem-elk to the rock reef; you challenged the great wound-leek brandisher to a duel for fame. Sun-beams all-scarlet blazed sword-tongues red; sword-songs dwarf-talked harmony across the shore.

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NOTES

Kennings Used

elg-stafna  > elk of stems > BOAT

styri-flotna  > wielder of men > WARRIOR LEADER

sveigr leiks sára > brandisher of the wound-leek > sword > WARRIOR

svaltung > sword-tongues > BLADES

songar-sverða > sword-songs > BATTLE

dverg-mælti > dwarf-talked > ECHOED (Note: This is not exactly a kenning, but still warrants explanation.

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I hope you enjoyed Day 3 of my NaPoWriMo exercise.  Please leave your comments below!

Sker-garðr (Rock-reef) [NaPoWriMo # 2]

Today is November 2nd ... Poem # 2 ...

Near our house runs a section of the Canandaigua Outlet, a prosaic name for a lovely stream that flows from the north end of Canandaigua Lake to the Seneca River to Lake Ontario.  For a number of years, I have seen a great blue heron fishing the outlet, and, as part of my November poetry project, I'm setting out to capture him on film. Today was day one of "The Hunt for Big Blue" which produced no heron, but several lovely photos. I've chosen a couple to inspire today's verse.

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Sker-garðr

Old Icelandic	Line-by-Line	Prose-Order Translation
Ek sá veg-sviðr ís-á (eyju-þoka) flótinn (stóð í miðju strauma) (stutta) át haf, djúpastr. Synt gæti (ey frá-skila) át strǫnd þaðan ønginn - stór-grýtta ey sker-garðr (sá blódhólm-ganga) kǫlluðu.	I saw way-swift ice-stream (islet-misty) flowing (stood in mid-stream) (stunted) to the ocean, deepest. Swam from (island isolated) to shore there no one - Stony island "rock-reef" (saw bloody duels) was called.	I saw a deepest, way-swift ice-stream flowing to the ocean. In mid-stream, a stunted misty islet stood. No one could swim from there to the shore; The lonely island saw bloody duels; The stoney island was called "rock-reef"

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Notes

The verse is intended to be the first of two or three describing a hólm-ganga or duel, fought on an island or within a restricted space. The finished poem will be included in a longer prose story called a þáttr. You can see one þáttr that I've written already here. I hope you enjoyed today's verse.  Please comment!