Hrafnsmal
- Brad Burgwardt
- Jun 28, 2014
- 6 min read
Hrafnsmal
(Haraldskvæði)
attributed to Thorbjǫrn hornklofi, ca. 900
Old Norse (Jonsson)
1. Hlýði hringberendr,
meðan frá Haraldi
segik odda íþróttir
enum afarauðga;
frá mǫ́lum munk segja,
þeims ek mey heyrða,
hvíta, haddbjarta,
es við hrafn dœmði.
2. Vitr þóttisk valkyrja,
verar né óru
þekkir svá enni fránleitu,
es foglsrǫdd kunni;
kvaddi en glæhvarma
ok en kverkhvíta
Hymis hausrofa,
es sat á horni vinbjarga.
3. Hvat es yðr hrafnar?
Hvaðan eruð ér komnir
með dreyrgu nefi
at degi ǫndverðum?
hold loðir yðr í klóm,
hræs þefr gengr ór munni,
nær hykk í nǫ́tt bjogguð
því's vissuð nái liggja.
4. Hreyfðisk enn hǫsfjaðri
ok of hyrnu þerði,
arnar eiðbróðir,
ok at andsvǫrum hugði:
Haraldi vér fylgðum
syni Halfdanar,
ungum ynglingi,
síðan ór eggi kómum.
5. Kunna hugðak þik konung,
þanns á Kvinnum býr,
dróttin Norðmanna,
djúpum ræðr kjólum,
roðnum rǫngum
ok rauðum skjǫldum,
tjǫrguðum ǫ́rum
ok tjǫldum drifnum.
6. Úti vill jól drekka,
ef skal einn ráða,
fylkir enn framlyndi,
ok Freys leik heyja;
ungr leiddisk eldvelli
ok inni at sitja,
varma dyngju
eða vǫttu dúns fulla.
7. Heyrði í Hafrsfirði,
hvé hizug barðisk
konungr enn kynstóri
við Kjǫtva enn auðlagða;
knerrir kómu austan,
kapps of lystir,
með gínǫndum hǫfðum
ok grǫfnum tinglum.
8. Hlaðnir óru hǫlða
ok hvítra skjalda,
vigra vestrœnna
ok valskra sverða;
grenjuðu berserkir,
guðr vas þeim á sinnum,
emjuðu ulfheðnar
ok ísǫrn dúðu.
9. Freistuðu ens framráða,
es þeim flœja kendi,
allvalds austmanna,
es býr at Útsteini;
stóðum Nǫkkva brá,
es vas styrjar væni,
hlǫmmun vas á hlífum,
áðr Haklangr felli.
10. Leiddisk þá fyr Lúfu
landi at halda
hilmi enum halsdigra,
holm lézk at skildi;
slógusk und sessþiljur,
es sárir óru,
létu upp stjǫlu stúpa,
stungu í kjǫl hǫfðum.
11. Á baki létu blíkja,
barðir óru grjóti,
Sváfnis salnæfrar
seggir hyggjandi;
œstusk austkylfur
ok of Jaðar hljópu
heim ór Hafrsfirði
ok hugðu á mjǫðdrykkju.
12. Valr lá þar á sandi
vitinn enum eineygja
Friggjar faðmbyggvi;
fǫgnuðum dǫ́ð slíkri.
13. Annat skulu þær eiga
ambáttir Ragnhildar
dísir dramblátar
at drykkjumǫ́lum,
an ér séð hergaupur,
es Haraldr hafi
sveltar valdreyra
en verar þeira bræði.
14. Hafnaði Holmrygjum
ok Hǫrða meyjum,
hverri enni heinversku
ok Hǫlga ættar,
konungr enn kynstóri,
es tók konu ena dǫnsku.
15. Hversu es fégjafall,
þeim es fold verja,
ítra ógnflýtir
við íþróttarmenn sína?
16. Mjǫk eru reifðir
rógbirtingar,
þeirs í Haralds túni
húnum verpa;
féi eru þeir gœddir
ok fǫgrum mækum,
malmi húnlenzkum
ok mani austrœnu.
17. Þá eru þeir reifir,
es vitu rómu væni,
ǫrvir upp at hlaupa
ok árar at sveigja,
hǫmlur at slíta
en hái at brjóta;
ríkula hykk þá vǫrru
þeysa at vísa ráði.
18. At skalda reiðu vilk spyrja,
alls þykkisk skil vita;
greppa ferðir,
þú munt gǫrla kunna,
þeira 's með Haraldi hafask.
19. Á gerðum sér þeira
ok á gollbaugum
at eru í kunnleikum við konung,
feldum ráða rauðum
ok vel fagrrenduðum,
sverðum silfrvǫfðum,
serkjum hringofnum,
gyltum andfetlum
ok grǫfnum hjǫlmum,
hringum handbærum,
es þeim Haraldr valði.
20. At berserkja reiðu vilk spyrja,
bergir hræsævar,
hversu es fengit
þeims í folk vaða
vígdjǫrfum verum?
21. Ulfheðnar heita,
þeirs í orrostum
blóðgar randir bera;
vigrar rjóða,
es til vígs koma;
þeim's þar sýst saman;
áræðismǫnnum einum
hykk þar undir felisk
skyli sá enn skilvísi,
þeim's í skjǫld hǫggva.
22. At leikurum ok trúðum
hefk þik lítt fregit,
hverr es ǫrgáti
þeira Andaðar
at húsum Haralds?
23. At hundi elskar Andaðr ok heimsku drýgir eyrnalausum ok jǫfur hlœgir; hinir eru ok aðrir, es of eld skulu brinnanda spǫ́n bera; logǫndum húfum hafask und linda drepit hældræpir halir.
Hollander translation
1 Hearken, ye ring-bearers, while of Harold I tell you,
the mightily wealthy, and his manful war-deeds;
words I o’erheard a maiden high-minded speaking,
golden-haired, white-armed, with a glossy-beaked raven.
2 Wise thought her the valkyrie; were welcome never
men to the bright-eyed one, her who birds’ speech knew well.
Greeted the light-lashed maiden, the lily-throated woman,
the Hymir’s-skull-cleaver as on cliff he was perching.
3 “How is it, ye ravens— whence are ye come now
with beaks all gory, at break of morning?
Carrion-reek ye carry, and your claws are bloody.
Were ye near, at night-time, where ye knew of corpses?”
4 Shook himself the dun-hued one, and dried his beak,
the eagle’s oath-brother, and of answer bethought him:
“Harold we follow, Halfdan’s first-born,
I the young Yngling, since out of egg we crept.
5 “That king thou knowest, him who at Kvinnar dwelleth,
the hoard-warder of North men, who has hollow war-ships
with reddish ribs and with reddened war-shields,
with tarred oar-blades and with tents foam-besprinkled.
6 “Fain outside would he drink the ale at Yule-tide,
the fight-loving folk-warder, and Frey’s-game play there.
Even half-grown, he hated the hearthfire cozy,
the warm women’s room, and the wadded down-mittens.
7 “Hearken how the high-born one in the Hafrs-firth fought there,
the keen-eyed king’s son, against Kiotvi the wealthy:
came the fleet from the eastward, eager for fighting,
with gaping figureheads and graven ship-prows.
8 “They were laden with franklins and lindenshields gleaming,
with Westland spearshafts and with Welsh broadswords.
The berserkers bellowed as the battle opened,
the wolf-coats shrieked loud and shook their weapons.
9 “Their strength would they try, but he taught them to flee,
the lord of the Eastmen who at Útstein dwelleth.
The steeds-of-Nokkvi he steered out when started the battle.
Then boomed the bucklers ere a blow felled Haklang.
10 “The thick-necked atheling behind the isle took shelter:
he grew loath, against Lúfa to hold the land of his fathers.
Then hid under benches, and let their buttocks stick up,
they who were wounded, but thrust their heads keelward.
11 “Their shoulders shielded the shifty heroes—
were they showered with slung-shot— with the shingles-of-Gladhome.
Home from Hafrs-firth hastened they eastward,
fled by way of Iathar, of ale-cups thinking.
12 “On the gravel lay the fallen, given to the one-eyed
husband of Fulla; were we fain of such doings.
13 “Of more and other things shall the maids of Ragnhild,
the haughty women-folk, now have to gabble
than of the heath-dwellers which Harold not ever
feasted on the fallen, as their friends had done oft.
14 “The high-born liege-lord took the lady from Denmark— broke with his Rogaland sweethearts and their sisters from Horthaland, with those from Heithmork and Hálogaland eke.”
THE VALKYRIE
15 “Whether is open-handed he-who-hastens-the-battle,
to those who fend faithfully foemen from his homeland?”
THE RAVEN
16 “With much goods are gladdened the gallant warriors,
who in the hall of Harold while the time with chess-play:
with much wealth he rewards them, and with well-forged broadswords,
with gold from Hunland and with girls from the Eastfolks.
17 “Most happy are they when there is hope for battle,
all ready to rouse them and to row strongly,
so as to snap the thongs and to sunder the thole-pins,
to churn the brine briskly at the beck of their liege-lord.”
THE VALKYRIE
18 “Of the skalds’ lot would I ask thee, since thou skill of that boastest:
how the bards fare there thou full well knowest—
they who are in Harold’s hall.”
THE RAVEN
19 “Is seen from their raiment and their red-gold finger-rings
that a kind king they have.
Red fur-cloaks own they, most fairly bordered,
swords wound with silver, and sarks ring-woven,
gilded baldricks and graven helmets,
heavy gold bracelets which Harold bestowed on them.”
THE VALKYRIE
20 “Of the berserkers’ lot would I ask thee, thou who batten’st on corpses:
how fare the fighters who rush forth to battle,
and stout-hearted stand ’gainst the foe?”
THE RAVEN
21 “Wolf-coats are they called, the warriors unfleeing,
who bear bloody shields in battle;
the darts redden where they dash into battle
and shoulder to shoulder stand.
’T is men tried and true only, who can targes shatter,
whom the wise war-lord wants in battle.”
THE VALKYRIE
22 “Of Andath and all his ilk, too, have I asked thee but little:
how fare the fiddlers, how fare the jugglers
in the halls of Harold?”
THE RAVEN
23 “His earless dog does your Andath fondle; the churl with his fool-tricks makes the folk-warder chuckle. Yet be there others who about the fire bowls of hot wine bear; their flapping fools’-caps they tuck fast in their belts— fellows you’re free to kick.”
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