Icelandic Rune Poem

The Old Norse version is Wimmer’s normalized one. Consult http://www.nordic-life.org/nmh/wd.htm (explanations in German) or http://www.nordic-life.org/nmh/we.htm (explanations in English) to check the variations among the manuscripts.

er frænda róg stirs strife in the household [or family, kindred].,

ok flædar viti fire of the sea

(one version with fyrða gaman pleasure of the warriors)

ok grafseiðs gata. Usual translation: the way of the serpent.

Alternate personal translation: the riddle of the open grave of seidhr.

Note: my personal translation may look strange. It is explained with rune Fehu on this site.

aurum [gold] fylkir [king]

er skýja grátr is the clouds' tears,

ok skara þverrir The destruction of harvest,

ok hirðis hatr The hatred of the shepherds.

umbre [pour imbre - rain shower] vísi [master of the army]

er kvenna kvöl this is suffering [or torture] of the women,

ok kletta búi And the dweller of the cliffs,

ok varðrúnar verr. And Varthrún’s husband.

saturnus. [Saturn] þengill. [king, chief]

er aldingautr is the ancient creator,

ok ásgarðs jöfurr and king of Ásgardhr,

ok valhallar vísi. and lord of Valhöll.

jupiter. [Jupiter] oddviti. [one who shows, who knows]

er sitjandi sæla is the merriment of who is sitting

ok snúðig ferð and a fast travel

ok jórs erfiði. and the weariness of the horse.

iter. [road, travel] ræsir. [noble or valuable person]

er barna bōl is a child’s bale,

ok bardagi and a flogging (or a scourge)],

ok holdfúa hús. and the home of mortification. (hold = flesh; fúa = putrefaction, rottenness )

flagella. [whips] konungr. [king]

er kaldakorn is a cold seed,

ok krapadrifa and a shower of sleet,

ok snáka sótt. sickness of the snakes.

grando. [hail] hildingr [warring king]

er þýjar þrá are the throes of the bondwoman [the servant]

ok þungr kostr and the load of a choice [þungr kostr: the heaviness of being responsible]

ok vássamlig verk. and a tiring work.

opera [work] niflungr [Nibelung]

er árbörkr is the crust of the rivers,

ok unnar þak and the roof of the wave vague,

ok feigra manna fár. and the far [or fár] of the feigr men.

feigr = ‘fey, strange, near to death’ – far = journey - fár = dangerous illness

glacies. [ice] jöfurr. [boar, warrior king]

er gumna góði is a profit [ or a goði, a Heathen priest] for the humans,

ok gott sumar and a good summer,

ok algróinn akr. and a thriving [also:‘perfectly healthy’] harvest.

annus. [year, production of the year] allvaldr [all powerful]

er skýja skjöldr est le shield of the clouds,

ok skínandi röðull and a gleaming halo,

ok ísa aldrtregi. and the ancient sadness of ice

rota. [wheel] siklingr. [king, one followed by victory]

er einhendr áss is the one-handed Áss,

ok úlfs leifar and what was left by the wolf,

ok hofa hilmir. and the prince of the temples.

mars. [Mars] tiggi. [chief, rich in fame]

er laufgat lim is branch showing ‘off’ its leaves,

ok lítit tré and a small tree,

ok ungsamligr viðr. and a forest of gathered young shoots.

abies. [pine-tree (or ship or spear)] buðlungr. [one who chooses, king]

er manns gaman is human’s pleasure,

ok moldar auki and even more soils [or clay, plural]

ok skipa skreytir. and who decorates the ships.

homo [human] mildingr [generous man]

er vellanda vatn is boiling [or swarming] water

ok víðr ketill and a large kettle [or basin],

ok glömmunga grund. and the ground of the glömmungr [a kind of fish].

lacus [lake] lofdhungr [Lofði’s hunger = hunger for becoming a hero]

er bendr bogi is a stretched bow,

ok brotgjarnt járn and iron ‘liable to rebel’

ok fífu fárbauti. and Farbauti of the arrow.

arcus ynglingr.

[bow, rainbow] [either ‘young’ or family name of the ‘Ynglingr’]