31. Then forth she brought | the vessels full,
With silver covered, | and set before them,
Meat all browned, | and well-cooked birds;
In the pitcher was wine, | of plate were the cups,
So drank they and talked | till the day was gone.
32. Rig knew well | wise words to speak,
Soon did he rise, | made ready to sleep;
So in the bed | himself did he lay,
And on either side | the others were.
33. Thus was he there | for three nights long,
Then forward he went | on the midmost way,
And so nine months | were soon passed by.
34. A son had Mothir, | in silk they wrapped him,
With water they sprinkled him, | Jarl he was;
Blond was his hair, | and bright his cheeks,
Grim as a snake's | were his glowing eyes.
35. To grow in the house | did Jarl begin,
Shields he brandished, | and bow-strings wound,
Bows he shot, | and shafts he fashioned,
Arrows he loosened, | and lances wielded,
Horses he rode, | and hounds unleashed,
Swords he handled, | and sounds he swam.
[31. The manuscript of lines 1-3 is obviously defective, as there are too many words for two lines, and not enough for the full three. The meaning, however,
is clearly very much as indicated in the translation. Gering's emendation, which I have followed, consists simply in shifting "set before them" from the
first line to the second--where the manuscript has no verb,--and supplying the verb "brought" in line 1. The various editions contain all sorts of
suggestions.
32. The manuscript begins both line 1 and line 2 with a capital {footnote p. 212} preceded by a period, which has led to all sorts of strange
stanza-combinations and guesses at lost lines in the various editions. The confusion includes stanza 33, wherein no line is marked in the manuscript
as beginning a stanza.
34. Jarl: "Nobly-Born."
35. Various lines have been regarded as interpolations, 3 and 6 being most often thus rejected.]
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31. Ţá tók Móđir merkđan dúk,
hvítan af hörvi, hulđi bjóđ,
hon tók at ţat hleifa ţunna,
hvíta af hveiti, ok hulđi dúk.
32. Framm setti hon fulla skutla,
silfri varđa, á bjóđ, fáin fleski
ok fugla steikđa, vín var í könnu,
varđir kálkar;
drukku ok dćmđu, dagr var á sinnum.
33. Rígr kunni ţeim ráđ at segja;
reis hann at ţat, rekkju gerđi.
Ţar var hann at ţat ţríar nćtr saman;
gekk hann meir at ţat miđrar brautar;
liđu meir at ţat mánuđr níu.
34. Svein ól Móđir, silki vafđi,
jósu vatni, Jarl létu heita;
bleikt var hár, bjartir vangar,
ötul váru augu sem yrmlingi.
35. Upp óx ţar Jarl á fletjum;
lind nam at skelfa, leggja strengi,
alm at beygja, örvar skefta,
flein at fleygja, frökkur dýja,
hestum ríđa, hundum verpa,
sverđum bregđa, sund at fremja.
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