Sunday, August 26, 2018

Stanza 156



Original Old Norse: Auden & Taylor: Bellows: Bray:
Þat kann ek it ellipta
ef ek skal til orrostu
leiða langvini
undir randir ek gel
en þeir með ríki fara
heilir hildar til
heilir hildi frá
koma þeir heilir hvaðan
I know an eleventh:
when I lead to battle Old comrades in-arms,
I have only to chant it behind my shield,
And unwounded they go to war,
Unwounded they come from war,
Unscathed wherever they are.
An eleventh I know, | if needs I must lead
To the fight my long-loved friends;
I sing in the shields, | and in strength they go
Whole to the field of fight,
Whole from the field of fight,
And whole they come thence home.
155.
An eleventh I know: if haply I lead
my old comrades out to war,
I sing 'neath the shields, and they fare forth mightily
safe into battle,
safe out of battle,
and safe return from the strife.
Chisholm: Hollander: Terry: Thorpe:
I know an eleventh: If I lead
old friends into the fray,
I sing under the shield
and they fare into battle mighty and whole,
they fare from battle whole,
they are whole, wherever they go
That eleventh I know, if I am to lead
old friends to the fray:
under buckler I chant that briskly they fare
hale and whole to battle,
hale and whole from battle:
hale whereever they are.
I know an eleventh: if I lead to war
good and faithful friends,
under a shield I shout the spell that speeds them --
well they fare in the fight,
well they fare from the fight,
wherever they go they fare well.
158. For the eleventh I know,
if I have to lead
my ancient friends to battle,
under their shields I sing,
and with power they go
safe to the fight,
safe from the fight;
safe on every side they go.




The last line looks like an unwarranted addition, and line 4 may likewise be spurious.

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