Monday, September 3, 2018

Stanza 165



Original Old Norse: Auden & Taylor: Bellows: Bray:
Nú era Háva mál
kveðin Háva höllu í
allþörf ýta sonum
óþörf jötna sonum
heill sá er kvað
heill sá er kann
njóti sá er nam
heilir þeirs hlýddu
The Wise One has spoken words in the hall,
Needful for men to know,
Unneedful for trolls to know:
Hail to the speaker,
Hail to the knower,
Joy to him who has understood,
Delight to those who have listened.
---- 164.
Now the sayings of the High One are uttered in the hall
for the weal of men, for the woe of Jötuns,
Hail, thou who hast spoken! Hail, thou that knowest!
Hail, ye that have hearkened! Use, thou who hast learned!
Chisholm: Hollander: Terry: Thorpe:
164.
Now are Har’s sayings said, in Har’s hall
needful for the sons of men
unneeded by ettins’ sons.
Hail the one who speaks them, hail the one who knows them
useful to he who gets them
hail they who heed them.
Now are Har's sayings spoken in Har's hall,
of help to the sons of men,
of harm to the sons of etins;
hail to whoever spoke them, hail to whoever knows them!
Gain they who grasp them,
happy they who heed them!
The sayings of the High One heard in his hall
are helpful to sons of men,
harmful to giants.
Hail to the speaker, hail the one he taught!
They're lucky who have the lore,
happy if they heed it!
166. Now are sung the
High-one’s songs,
in the High-one’s hall,
to the sons of men all-useful,
but useless to the Jötun’s sons.
Hail to him who has sung them!

Hail to him who knows them!
May he profit who has learnt them!
Hail to hose who have listened to them!




This is our final verse of the Havamal. I hope you have enjoyed reading through them with me each day, and have gleaned a little bit of information for yourself on your journey.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Stanzas 163 - 164



Original Old Norse: Auden & Taylor: Bellows: Bray:
Þat kann ek it átjánda
er ek æva kennik
mey né manns konu
alt er betra
er einn um kann
þat fylgir ljóða lokum
nema þeiri einni
er mik armi verr
eða mín systir sé
To learn to sing them, Loddfafnir,
Will take you a long time,
Though helpful they are if you understand them,
Useful if you use them,
Needful if you need them.
164. Long these songs | thou shalt, Loddfafnir,
Seek in vain to sing;
Yet good it were | if thou mightest get them,
Well, if thou wouldst them learn,
Help, if thou hadst them.
162.
These songs, Stray-Singer, which man's son knows not,
long shalt thou lack in life,
though thy weal if thou win'st them, thy boon if thou obey'st them
thy good if haply thou gain'st them.
Chisholm: Hollander: Terry: Thorpe:
- In this lore wilt thou, Loddfafnir, be
unversed forever and say:
thy weal were it, if this wisdom thine--
'tis helpful, if heeded,
'tis needful, if known.
But all this lore you, Loddfafnir,
will long be lacking --
though it would help you to have it,
do you good to get it,
be needed if you knew it.
-




This stanza is almost certainly an interpolation, and seems to have been introduced after the list of charms and the Loddfafnismol (stanzas 111-138) were combined in a single poem, for there is no other apparent excuse for the reference to Loddfafnir at this point. The words "if thou mightest get them" are a conjectural emendation.








Original Old Norse: Auden & Taylor: Bellows: Bray:
Nú era Háva mál
kveðin Háva höllu í
allþörf ýta sonum
óþörf jötna sonum
heill sá er kvað
heill sá er kann
njóti sá er nam
heilir þeirs hlýddu
I know an eighteenth that I never tell
To maiden or wife of man,
A secret I hide from all
Except the love who lies in my arms,
Or else my own sister.
165. An eighteenth I know, | that ne'er will I tell
To maiden or wife of man,--
The best is what none | but one's self doth know,
So comes the end of the songs,--
Save only to her | in whose arms I lie,
Or who else my sister is.
163.
An eighteenth I know: which I ne'er shall tell
to maiden or wife of man
save alone to my sister, or haply to her
who folds me fast in her arms;
most safe are secrets known to but one-
the songs are sung to an end.
Chisholm: Hollander: Terry: Thorpe:
163.
I know an eighteenth that none know,
neither maid, nor man’s wife.
It is always better kept secret,
except to the one
who lies in my arms,
or my sister.
That eighteenth I know which to none I will tell,
neither maid nor man's wife--
'tis best warded I but one know it:
this speak I last of my spells--
but only to her in whose arms I lie,
or else to my sister also.
I know an eighteenth which I never tell
a maiden or any man's wife --
the best of charms if you can chant it;
this is the last of my lay --
unless to a lady who lies in my arms,
or I'll sing it to my sister.
165. For the eighteenth I know
that which I never teach
to maid or wife of man,
(all is better
what one only knows.
This is the closing of the songs)
save her alone
who clasps me in her arms,
or is my sister.




Some translators insert Stanza 163 before 164, some do not. I've combined them both here to keep in line with the groupings.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Stanza 162



Original Old Norse: Auden & Taylor: Bellows: Bray:
Þat kann ek it sjautjánda
at mik mun seint firrask
it manunga man
ljóða þessa
mun þú Loddfáfnir
lengi vanr vera
þó sé þér góð ef þú getr
nýt ef þú nemr
þörf ef þú þiggr
I know a seventeenth:
if I sing it,
the young Girl will be slow to forsake me.
163. A seventeenth I know, | so that seldom shall go
A maiden young from me;
161.
A seventeenth I know: so that e'en the shy maiden
is slow to shun my love.
Chisholm: Hollander: Terry: Thorpe:
I know a Seventeenth to keep her
from shirking me for any other man.
Mind this Loddfafnir,
long will you lack it,
but it will get you good, once you learn it,
it will be useful to you when you understand it,
and needful if known.
That seventeenth I know, (if the slender maid's love
I have, and hold her to me:
this I sing to her) that she hardly will
leave me for other man's love.
I know a seventeenth, and with that spell
no maiden will forsake me.
164. For the seventeenth I know,
that that young maiden will
reluctantly avoid me.
These songs, Loddfafnir!
thou wilt long have lacked;
yet it may be good if thou understandest them,
profitable if thou learnest them.




Some editors have combined these two lines with stanza 164. Others have assumed that the gap follows the first half-line, making "so that-from me" the end of the stanza.