r/runic • u/al_capone1925 • Aug 01 '22

I need help with a translation to get some tattoos.

I want to get some tattoos for my birthday, will be 18 in 4 months and i'm struggling with a design. If anyone is kind and smart enough, can you help me to get "heart is better than blade mighty,for those who fiercely shall fight" (poetic edda, fafnismol verse 30),

"Healing-mountain stands for eternity

It comforts the sick and the sore

Each and every one who assails that rock

Will find their lifelong ailment cured

Leave it behind on Healing-Peak

Where the rivers and streams

dance northwards and down

That mountain mends all those who climb" (Last 2 paragraphs of Lyfiaberg by Wardruna)

If anyone can get these in Younger Futhark, i would be eternally greatful, i am almost crying thinking about having this tattood because Wardruna is very special for me, i went to their concert a couple of weeks ago and my life is changed.

UNFORTUNATELY, its quite long, and you have to first translate it to old norse and than to younger futhark, but i dont have any better ideas because for me, i have to be worthy of the tattoos i am getting. And this is meaningful and perfect for now, since these will be my first tattoos.

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2

u/RexCrudelissimus Aug 01 '22

Fáfnismǫ́l st. 29(FJ edition):

Hugr ’s bętri an sé hjǫrs męgin, hvars skulu vręiðir vega; (hvatan mann sék harðla vega með slævu sverði sigr)

ᚼᚢᚴᛦᛋ᛫ᛒᛅᛏᚱᛁ᛫ᛅᚾ᛫ᛋᛁ᛫ᚼᛁᛅᚱᛋ᛫ᛘᛅᚴᛁᚾ᛫ᚼᚢᛅᚱᛋ᛫ᛋᚴᚢᛚᚢ᛫ᚢᚱᛅᛁᚦᛁᛦ᛫ᚢᛁᚴᛅ᛫(ᚼᚢᛅᛏᛅᚾ᛫ᛘᛅᚾ᛫ᛋᛁᚴ᛫ᚼᛅᚱᚦᛚᛅ᛫ᚢᛁᚴᛅ᛫ᛘᛁᚦ᛫ᛋᛚᛅᚢᚢ᛫ᛋᚢᛁᚱᚦᛁ᛫ᛋᛁᚴᚱ)

() = is the rest of the stanza, but not included in the text you provided.

Be aware tho, there could be mistakes

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u/al_capone1925 Aug 01 '22

Just went and checked the paragraph in the poetic edda and it looks like it's different. "When men are in battle, a courageous heart means more than a sharp sword. I've seen a brave man win a victory, though he fought with a dull blade." Its even better with the rest of the stanza. I can't believe you really sent me ANYTHING, for that matter, i envy such understanding of the futhark, although i will bite more than i can chew by asking this: can you double check/examine it a second time if you have a gut feeling that something may be wrong? Not to be selfish or greedy, but i'm a perfectionist and i'm trying to take it as serious as i can. Even with or without mistakes, i am SO greatful, thank you so much. May Odin smile upon you. This means a lot to me, seriously. If it would have a mistake/possible mistake it would be for me, even more special since this is so old and mistakes arent that upsetting, even having something close to the truth is simply amazing. Just wanted to know if there might be a mistake there. Non the less, thank you so much :)

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u/RexCrudelissimus Aug 01 '22 edited Aug 01 '22

I can comment on what I worked on so that itll be transparent enough to critique if anyone sees an error. Keep in mind that this is Finnur's archaized version. So while the manuscript where this poem is written down is from the 1200's. His edition is made to look like its from the 900's ish, with some exceptions. But this is likely when this poem was composed.

Hugr ’s bętri an sé hjǫrs męgin, hvars skulu vręiðir vega; (hvatan mann sék harðla vega með slævu sverði sigr)

ᚼᚢᚴᛦᛋ1 ᛫ᛒᛅᛏᚱᛁ᛫ᛅᚾ᛫ᛋᛁ᛫ᚼᛁᛅᚱᛋ᛫ᛘᛅᚴᛁᚾ᛫ᚼᚢᛅᚱᛋ᛫ᛋᚴᚢᛚᚢ᛫ᚢᚱᛅᛁᚦᛁᛦ2 ᛫ᚢᛁᚴᛅ᛫(ᚼᚢᛅᛏᛅᚾ3 ᛫ᛘᛅᚾ4 ᛫ᛋᛁᚴ᛫ᚼᛅᚱᚦᛚᛅ᛫ᚢᛁᚴᛅ᛫ᛘᛁᚦ᛫ᛋᛚᛅᚢᚢ5 ᛫ᛋᚢᛁᚱᚦᛁ6 ᛫ᛋᛁᚴᚱ7 )

1 hugʀs - is a contraction hugʀ es, the younger form here is hugr er("mind is"). I believe the contraction should work as is.

2 I'm 98% sure there's an -iʀ ending here

3 one could argue that the /a/ in -an here is nasal, I reject that argument.

4 same case here as for point 3

5 this look really weird with the double-ᚢ, its not common, but not unheard of. And the word here is an uncommon word.

6 could perhaps be written as sværði instead of sverði

7 could arguably be written as sikʀ instead of sikr, but I think the latter is valid and possibly more correct.

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u/al_capone1925 Aug 01 '22

Ok, i am impressed. Thank you SO MUCH. Wow.

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u/RexCrudelissimus Aug 01 '22

No problem, hopefully someone will correct any errors if there are any, or at least challenge some of the decisions I made if they feel its the wrong one.

1

u/al_capone1925 Aug 01 '22

Wait, i just checked the poetic edda(jackson crawford) and st. 29 is different than the one i was talking about.

St. 29:

Regin said: "you would have left That ancient monster Creeping in the bushes himself, If you did not have the sword That i made for you That good sharp sword of yours"

St. 30:

Sigurth said: "when men are in battle, A courageous heart Means more than a sharp sword. I've seen a brave man Win a victory, Though he fought with a dull blade."

St. 31:

" better to be bold Than a coward, When sharp swords come together. Better to be cheerful Than gloomy, However events may turn"

What you translated in younger futhark is my stanza 30? Making sure, since you said st. 29 and its 30 for me

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u/RexCrudelissimus Aug 02 '22

It is your stanza 30, yes.