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.

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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)

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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

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Dags kyndill (Day´s candle)

Today was a gloomy one in upstate New York, another in what will become a depressing string of sullen, dismal days. I hope we get snow before Christmas, but until we do, I fear it will be "rain, rain,go away...."

One of my friends, Julie Golick, a skald from Canada (Montréal, I believe), mentioned the guttering day's candle this morning and lit a small votive flame for my skaldic side. What follows is what she inspired. It is intended to be quasi-religious, using the sun as a metaphor for the Blessed Virgin Mary. The rest follows from that central image. I hope it works on both levels, however.

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Dags kyndill

Old Icelandic	Literal Translation	Idiomatic Translation
Dags kyndill dylisk dúkar hon eru lúku; aldri neitar illar ylir synds-trja gyldr Dyrkað vér djarf-liga dǫglingr fróns sólar: silki-dúkar skilja svart-grána ok regn-ful; láta kynda léttast lyfit logi skýja.	Days candle hides curtains her are drawn; ever denies evil warmth sin-trees golden. Beg we boldly king of the land of the sun: Silky-curtains part dark-gray and rain-filled; let kindle most cheerful healing light of the clouds	The days-candle hides - her curtains are drawn; (she) ever denies evil sin-trees golden warmth. King of the Land of the Sun, we boldly beg (that you) part the dark-gray, rain-filled curtains (and) let the most cheerful healing light of the clouds kindle

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Kennings Used

Dags kyndel  > Day's candle   >  SUN

dúkar  >  curtain  >  CLOUDS

synds-trja  >  sin-trees  >  MEN

dǫglingr fróns sólar  >  king of the land of the sun  >  king of Heaven  >  GOD

silki-dúkar  >  silky-curtains  >  CLOUDS

logi  skýja  >  light of the clouds  >  SUN

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Hverja nótt húns (Every bear´s night) [NaPoWriMo # 4]

November 4 - Verse # 4


Today was a long day and I had very little inspiration to write. However, thanks to a set of replies to a "give me a word" posting, I got some inspiration. The verse is a description of winter, a kenning for which is Hverja nótt húns "Every bear's night".  There are a few kenningar in the verse - explained in the notes following it.


Enjoy!

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Hverja nótt húns

Old Icelandic	Line Translation	Prose Order Translation
Skikkja djupgr seil-ras snæugr hylja inn skógr-fjall; hærð orms gamla galla gellan kominn hélu. Sofari-hells síngjarn snerkja af vin-berja; af eplar-frosinn fuglar fátídir fors-fullr þrátta.	Mantle deep of earth-rope snowy hides mountain-forest; haired worms ancient gall yelling arrived rime. Greedy Cave-sleeper snores because of wine-berry; over apples-frozen birds strange angry quarrel.	The deep snowy mantle of earth-rope hides the mountain-forest; rime-haired ancient worm´s gall yelling arrived. The greedy cave-sleeper snores from berry-wine (while) strange angry birds quarrel about frozen-apples.

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NOTES

Kennings Used


seil-ras > earth-rope > SNAKE
orms galla > worm's gall > WINTER
sofari-hells  > cave-sleeper > BEAR

I hope you enjoyed the verse.  Comment below, please!