APPENDIX

Ten Stanzas from a ríma

Ten stanzas from the ríma of Rímur af Atla Ótryggssyni performed by Gunnar Alexandeersson on HJ 71/72. The text follows the printed edition. Meanings of the kenningar are given in the margin of the English translation.

Mín vard undra mælskan lú
un morgustund á bei,
thar sem undir uxahú
Atli blunda réi.

Gekk burt njóla en grund of haf
gylla sólin tekur,
stiginn bóli Bövar af
börinn kjóla vekur.

Gegnin eigi Atli thá
öldnum beygir geira,
grafkyr treyju lundur lá,
lézt nú thegi heyra.

Toga fór thá hör me hót
í húina stóru Bövar,
ekki sljór hélt Atli mót
uxabjórinn stövar.

Randa haflar röskir tveir
rúms í gaflinn spyrna,
stundar kafla thannig their
theyttu afli firna.

My astonishing eloquence got tired
in the morning in the bed,
where under an ox hide
Atli did sleep.

Night went away but the earth and the sea
are gilded by the sun,
risen from bed Bövar
wakes the tree of ships . man

Atli does not answer
the bender of spears , man
stock-still the grove of coat lay man
pretending not to hear.

Then pulled unfriendly
the big hide Bövar,
not dull Atli held back
and stops the ox hide.

The two strong giants of shields men
brace against the bed posts,
for a while in this way they
tried their enormous strength.

Gaflinn sprengjast gjöri frá,
gránai drengja fundur,
rammot og lengi rikktust á,
rúmi gengur stundur.

Gnötrai og stundi sofan hl´y
stinnt til mundum thrifu,
hamair undrum höldar thví
húina sundur rifu.

Negg ei bera náu hrelt
nöru verar d´ynu,
slarkinu thvera sleit, en hélt
slitri hver á sinu.

Atli vekur mætur máls
mann vi threkinn bura,
"Thó mig hrekir thundur stáls
thjó ei tekur fura.

Snemma í bóli bröltir, hvar
baugs hjá sólu tafir,
vildara skjól of vistirnar
vist um njólu harir..."

The bed posts broke away,
the meeting aggravated,
forcefully and for a long time they jerked,
the bed goes to pieces.

Trembled and moaned the warm room,
firmly the hands gripped,
besides themselves with strenght the men thus
tore the hide in two.

The heart was not faint
of the husbands of the serpent's bolster, men
the hard struggle ended
but each kept his scrap.

The worthy Atli speaks
to the sturdy man,
"That you knockest me about, Odin of steel, man
will surprise no one.

Early to bed you scrambled, where
by the sun of bracelets you dwelt, woman
better lodging and boarding
certainly during the night you had..."