Sigmundskvadet
Enslaved Lyrics

Í Føroyum búðu høvdingar tveir,
In the Faroe Islands there lived two chieftains,

Tróndur og Sigmundur itu teir.
Tróndur and Sigmundur were their names.

Noregs menn! dansið væl í stillum;
Norwegian men! Dance well in silence;

stilli tykkum allar,
Show your gracefulness and nobility, all of you,

riddarar, Noregs menn!
Knights, Norwegian men!

dansið væl í stillum.
Dance well in silence.

Sigmundur búði Skúvoy á,
Sigmundur lived on Skúvoy island,

Tróndur búði við Gøtuvág.
Tróndur lived near Gøtuvág.

So grammur var Tróndur, hann hugsar ilt:
But Tróndur was cruel, he thinks evil thoughts:

Sigmundur hevur vár' veitslu spilt.
Sigmundur has ruined our feast.

Tróndur hann situr í sínari lon:
Tróndur sits alone in his dwelling:

"Tit heintið mær Sjúrða Tollaksson.
"You did not invite me, Sjúrður Tollaksson.

Tit heintið mær Gutta og láa Tór."
You invited Gutta and Tór, but not me."

Snarliga boð eftir teimum fór.
Quickly, messengers were sent after them.

Inn komu garpar og søgdu so:
Crows came in and said so:

"Hvat vilt tú, Tróndur, tú sendi oss boð?"
"What do you want, Tróndur, you sent us a message?"

"Eg havi sent tykkum boðini tey,
"I sent you the messages,

at tit skulu hjálpa til Sigmunds deyð.
that you should help with Sigmund's death.

Tit hvessið spjót, tit hvessið knív;
Sharpen your spears, sharpen your knives;

tað skal galda Sigmunds lív.
It will determine Sigmund's fate.

Hetta mítt ráð man vera gott:
This plan of mine will be good:

Vit skulu herja á hann á nátt."
We will attack him at night."

Teir samlaðu saman sveinar og menn
They gathered together boys and men

og gingu til strandar allir í senn.
And all went to the shore together.

So sigldi Tróndur Skúvoyarfjør,
Then Tróndur sailed across Skúvoyarfjør,

skútan bognaði sum ein gjør.
The boat swayed like a twig.

So myrk var náttin, og skútan gegg,
The night was so dark, and the boat swayed,

so blíðan byrðin Tróndur fekk.
Tróndur got a pleasant wind.

Myrk var náttin, og skútan rann,
The night was dark, and the boat sailed on,

teir hildu beint mót Skúvoy fram.
They went straight towards Skúvoy.

Eingin vardi, teir komu hartil,
No one guarded, they arrived there,

alt gekk til, sum Tróndur vil.
Everything went as Tróndur desired.

Skramblaðu teir við vápnum hart,
They fought fiercely with weapons,

so hurðar gingu í smildur snart.
And soon doors were broken.

Sigmundur vaknar úr svøvni brátt:
Sigmundur woke up suddenly from his sleep:

"Hvør brýtur inn á meg í nátt?"
"Who is breaking into my house at night?"

"Hann, sum brýtur tínar dyr,
"He, who breaks your doors,

tað er tann maður, tú háaði fyrr.
That is the man you insulted before.

Sigmund helt sítt svørð ímót,
Sigmund grabbed his sword in response,

fimm fullu høvur á Tróndar fót.
Five full blows on Tróndur's foot.

Sigmundur høggur av makt og vold,
Sigmundur hacks with power and violence,

trý fullu høvur á Tróndar skjold.
Three full blows on Tróndur's shield.

Tróndur hann var til ilsku fús:
Tróndur was eager for revenge:

"Tit setið nú eld á Sigmunds hús!"
"Now set fire to Sigmund's house!"

Sigmundur talar til frænda sín:
Sigmundur speaks to his relative:

"Nú má eg rýma av húsi mín'."
"Now I must flee from my house."

Einar úr Suðuroy, hans frændi Tór,
Einar from Suðuroy, his relative Tór,

eingin annar við Sigmundi fór.
No one else went with Sigmundur.

Sigmunds hústrú stendur við vegg:
Sigmundur's wife stands by the wall:

"Tú hoyr meg, Tróndur Gøtuskegg.
"Listen to me, Tróndur with the beard.

Stríðist tú móti konu og børn,
If you fight against women and children,

so ert tú grískari enn ein bjørn."
Then you are more savage than a bear."

"Tit sløkkið eld, tit stingið inn knív!
"Extinguish the fire, put away your knives!

Eg stríðist bert um Sigmunds lív."
I only fight for Sigmund's life."

Tróndur vendi borgini frá,
Tróndur turned away from the city,

beint ímót' sum Sigmundur lá.
Straight towards Sigmundur he went.

Tróndur hevði so fyri orð:
Tróndur had spoken the truth:

"Eg kenni royk av Sigmunds sporð."
"I smell the scent of Sigmund's blood."

Tróndur biður teir hava mót:
Tróndur demands that they face him:

"Eg kenni royk av Sigmunds fót."
"I smell the scent of Sigmund's foot."

Teir gingu fram um grøna lund,
They walked through the green meadow,

teir dvøldust við gjónna eina stund.
They paused at a small stream for a moment.

Sigmundur sær um gjónna brá:
Sigmundur looked across the stream:

Steingríms høvur á vølli lá.
Steingrím's head lay on the field.

Sigmundur aftur um gjónna sprakk,
Sigmundur jumped back across the stream,

svørðið úr hans hondum stakk.
And his sword pierced from his hand.

Sigmundur flýddi á oynna norð,
Sigmundur fled to the northern island,

Tróndur hevði tá manndómsorð.
Tróndur had lost his honor.

Sigmundur kastaði í havið seg,
Sigmundur threw himself into the sea,

Einar og Tóri sama veg.
Einar and Tór followed the same path.

Tá ið Tróndur hetta sá,
When Tróndur saw this,

aftur at báti skundar hann tá.
He hurried back to the boat.

Aftur at báti skundar hann tá,
Hastily he returned to the boat,

men ikki kundi hann Sigmundi ná.
But he could not reach Sigmundur.

Svimja teir tríggir við miklari ferð,
The three of them swam with great effort,

sum streymur harður á firði er.
Against the strong current in the fjord.

Tórur aftur um seg sá:
Tórur saw behind himself:

"Nú tekur Einar at dragna frá."
"Now Einar begins to fall behind."

Sigmundur gjørdi sær tann ómak:
Sigmundur made a great effort for himself:

hann legði Einar á sítt bak.
He placed Einar on his back.

Tórur rætti Sigmundi hond:
Tórur reached out his hand to Sigmundur:

"Nú hevur Einar givið upp ond."
"Now Einar has given up."

Sigmund slepti Einar' av,
Sigmundur let go of Einar,

Suðuroyarfjørður varð hans grav.
Suðuroyarfjørður became his grave.

Sigmundur svimur og frændi hans,
Sigmundur swims with his relative,

enn er fjórðingur eftir til lands.
Only a quarter left to reach land.

Tórur legði seg bylgju ímót.
Tórur lay down against the wave.

"Nú eri eg givin í hond og fót."
"Now I am given up, body and soul."

Tú svim til lands, legg einki í meg!
You swim to land, pay no attention to me!

Eg eri farin, men redda teg.
I am gone, but save yourself.

Svaraði Sigmund', í sjónum sat:
Sigmundur replied, while sitting in the sea:

"Ei, mín frændi, skiljast vit at.
"No, my relative, let us not part.

Vit vóru saman í mangari ferð,
We were together on many journeys,

ei mín frændi, skiljast vit her."
Oh my relative, let us not part here."

Sigmundur var í orðum trygg',
Sigmundur was reassured in his words,

hann legði Tóra á sín rygg.
He put Tór on his back.

Sigmundur svimur av allari makt:
Sigmundur swims with all his strength:

"Nú hava vit at landi lagt."
"Now we have reached land."

Brimið tað brýtur sum boðaslóð,
The waves break like a message trail,

Tað Tóra niður at botni dró.
That pulled Tór down to the bottom.

Sigmundur var ein menskur mann,
Sigmundur was a human being,

men ikki bóru beinini hann.
But his bones did not bear him.

Tá hann hevði svomið tann veg so lang,
When he had swum for so long,

hann legði seg stillan niður í tang.
He lay down calmly in the seaweed.

Torgrímur átti Sandvík fyrr,
Torgrímur owned Sandvík before,

hann sá ein morgun út fyri dyr.
He saw one morning outside his door.

Torgrímur hugdi mót tara út:
Torgrímur gazed out towards the tears:

"Eg meini, eg síggi ein reyðan klút."
"I think I see a red cloth."

Tórgrímur talar til dreingir tveir:
Torgrímur speaks to two young men:

"Tit vitið, um har er nakað meir."
"You know, if there is something more."

Inn koma dreringir og siga frá,
Crows come in and tell the story,

stórur maðu rí tara lá.
A large man lies in a sea of tears.

Ein stórur maður í tara lá,
A big man lay in tears,

ongum líkari enn Sigmund' at sjá.
No one resembled him more than Sigmundur.

Torgrímur tók sær øks í hond,
Torgrímur took an axe in his hand,

so fór hann til sjóvarstrond.
And he went to the shore.

Torgrímur niður í taran sær,
Torgrímur went into the tears,

maktarleysur lá Sigmundur har.
Powerless, Sigmundur lay there.

Torgrímur talar til sveinar sín':
Torgrímur speaks to his boys:

"Gullringur Sigmunds skal vera mín!"
"Sigmundur's gold ring shall be mine!"

"Dreingir, tit haldið mær í hans hár,
"Boys, hold his hair for me,

meðan eg gevi honum banasár.
While I give him fatal wounds.

Dreingir, tit haldið (í) hans hár í topp,
Boys, hold onto his hair at the top,

meðan eg skilji høvur frá kropp'."
While I separate his head from his body."

Dreingirnir hildu í hans hár,
The boys held onto his hair,

meðan hann gav honum banasár.
While he inflicted fatal wounds on him.

Dreingirnir hildu (í) hans hár í topp,
The boys held onto his hair at the top,

meðan hann skilti høvur frá topp.
While he separated his head from the top.

Gullringin bóru teir heim til hús,
They carried the gold ring home,

men kroppin gróvu teir í sand og grús.
But his body they buried in sand and gravel.

Ein slíkan enda Sigmundur fekk,
Such was the fate Sigmundur received,

hans líki ei í Føroyum gekk.
His body did not rest in the Faroe Islands.