The following stanzas represent some of Kormákr's love poetry. He tells us of the first time he met Steingerðr. Read aloud.
Brunnu beggja kinna | The bright lights of both | Brightly beamed the lights-of- | bjǫrt ljós á mik drósar, | her cheeks burned onto me | both-her-cheeks upon me— |
oss hlœgir þat eigi, | from the fire-hall's felled wood; | e'er will I recall it— |
eldhúss of við felldan; | no cause of mirth for me in that. | o'er the heaped-up wood-pile; |
enn til ǫkkla svanna | By the threshold I gained a glance | and the instep saw I |
ítrvaxins gatk líta, | at the ankles of this girl | of the shapely woman— |
þrǫ́ muna oss of ævi | of glorious shape; yet while I live | no laughing matter, lo! my |
eldask, hjá þreskeldi. | that longing will never leave me. | longing—by the threshold. |
| | |
Brámáni skein brúna | The moon of her eyelash—that valkyrie | Brightly shone the beaming |
brims und ljósum himni | adorned with linen, server of herb-surf— | brow-moons of the goodly |
Hristar hǫrvi glæstrar | shone hawk-sharp upon me | lady linen-dight, how |
haukfránn á mik lauka; | beneath her brows' bright sky; | like a hawk's, upon me; |
en sá geisli sýslir | but that beam from the eyelid-moon | but that beam from forehead's- |
síðan gullmens Fríðar | of the goddess of the golden torque | bright-hued-orbs, I fear me, |
hvarmatungls ok hringa | will later bring trouble to me | of the Eir-of-gold doth |
Hlínar óþurft mína. | and to the ring goddess herself. | ill spell for us later. |
— Einar Ól. Sveinsson's edition | — Rory McTurk's translation | — Lee M. Hollander's adaptation |
1. ^Kormáks saga (Store norske leksikon)