Twenty-two rímur composed by Bjarni Jónsson, edited and published by Ásgeir Finnbogason (Reykjavik: E. Þórðarson, 1861). The cycle retells a chivalric romance of the East — King Amóratis, a mighty Muslim lord whose dominion stretches from Asia through Greece and Galicia, who serves Mahomet and fears no Christian power. Dark of face and fierce as a storm of spears, he rules with iron and fire until the turning of faith and fortune brings him into collision with Christendom.
The source is a 225-page Fraktur print scanned from Harvard's Widener Library (Icelandic Collection, gift of William Henry Schofield). The text was transcribed by OCR and hand-corrected against the page scans. This is the Fyrsta Ríma only — the remaining 21 rímur await future translators.
First known English translation.
Fyrsta Ríma
Mansöngur
1.
Steel-bold men of old once tuned the folk
in the fortress watchtower's seat;
their victories they set in verse —
that tuning was the better.
2.
Better than silence and brain-wrack,
dull brows set in a row,
whose matter has no other end
than to anger men and harrow.
3.
Though I would seek a verse to shape
and walk into the poem-smithy,
no tools have there been fit to hand
for a long time running.
4.
The Eastern journey is matter fit
to carry to fulfillment,
though the mind would fain have fame
of leaping from the dreary boathouse.
5.
Women have long led me
into the toil of verse-making,
sometimes too to trials of endurance —
spreading long recitations.
6.
I do not grumble at the task
of serving the ladies so;
yet small have been the wages
for long wanting this.
7.
Though for age's sake men know
I can scarcely roll my eyes,
still they press their matter on me
when the mood strikes them.
8.
It is living in another branch
if one must tend such striving;
I have enough with the wrestling-rain
to honour the good thought.
9.
Therefore let the verse's form
fall upon her listening ear;
it is nothing overmuch for the ring-goddess
to hear my murmuring.
10.
And build for her a goodly beam
as pledges from my wellspring flow,
if the keen verse-steed would
let the mind run to its pleasure.
11.
How excellent the building of a pure life —
this too is worth the telling:
what fruit the Lord's fear bears,
not all men rightly judge.
12.
Joseph may from sin stand free,
the most famed example here,
when he, dwelling in that house,
had governance of all.
13.
Both older men and younger
had diligence to learn;
praiseworthy examples, precious still
when into speech they turn.
14.
Of all examples tested and proved —
who would test those companions? —
their toil and brightest reward
store in memory's keeping.
15.
The mansöngur's speech here
I bring now to its end;
without a whale-rest, so it goes best —
the saga taken in hand.
King Amóratis
16.
Of one king the tale rides on,
rich in worldly power,
mighty in might though less in grace
than many Finns might offer.
17.
In the world's continent, noble Asia,
in the bountiful land,
that lord held his star-dominion;
he slew men with the brand.
18.
His might in battle I scarce can measure
in any peace I know;
beneath himself the lord had laid
lands uncounted more.
19.
Greece lies near, and Galicia
in the neighbourhood of Asia;
from yet more lands, it is said,
that lord receives tribute.
20.
Amóratis the prince was called;
he cared nothing for God;
to the adversary Mahomet
he gave the greatest service.
21.
His face was not bright
for enemies to behold;
fiercely dark was the flesh
upon his sturdy frame.
22.
A great storm of flung spears,
a captain fierce in battle;
his eyes were both alike
and set in an ancient mold.
23.
Mighty to compel men to yield
and shatter the shield-wall's stronghold,
manly in bearing, tall and stout —
this Hilmir was the strongest.
24.
Quick to hang down the hammer-blow,
with ring-links crashing down;
upon the steeds of fair and bright
mane-tresses he had.
25.
To him the joy of battle was dear,
and to shatter shield-rims;
he knew no peace from the war-game,
the days and nights through.
26.
His princes feared his wrath;
when he made the heathen his laws,
his will was enforced
upon all who served him.
27.
Fiercely strange his rule was held
in the dark-cloaked court;
before him foes did bow and break,
or paid their tribute fast.
28.
Gifts were not his custom in the land;
what he wrought was ill-starred rumour,
and no free man of rank
could rest from his decrees.
29.
He drove himself in reckless moods
with heart's presumption proud;
all counsels of the wise he drowned,
and fear no man allowed.
30.
No man did him honour or offered praise
of will or gentle mind;
the greatest lord of all lands
was shunned by all his kind.
31.
One time he sat at table with
his ancient chieftains bound,
and spoke of all things with words
of the wealthy lord around:
32.
"Make yourself the greatest ruler,
with many a wondrous plan,
though your manslaughter cuts
a mark, no equal stands among them."
33.
Cold our lot with double trouble blows,
spring waters run dry and small,
and wisdom of that wise one
flows away from all.
34.
Then, past idle times the break came,
the tongue sounded loud and long,
none can approach him in anything
as it was before.
35.
All of them rode one path with their plan
in battle; it was better to endure
than of such force and storm
to suffer.
36.
"Will you not wish to leave the custom
of the bondsmen's way,
and go your way to the old —
so all might honour that?"
37.
The lord answered in anger,
and perceived the retort in heat:
"Will you be worst in the world then,
as our manners have been?"
38.
They laid upon him a sudden payment:
"Soetr munu þar foerri, Goetur munu þar bæer,
As there is but one great island,
Bist hefur sóma stœrri."
39.
So there came news around the land — there
39.
"In Balland rules a rising prince,
Raginbald by name;
in all the world none is found his like,
none may match his equal."
40.
"The king holds the Christian faith,
more noble than the wrathful;
he has one daughter, and she
is fairer than all maidens."
41.
"In worldly honour she excels all;
her learning and her virtue —
none may match them through
all the world's dwellings."
42.
Up stood the grim lord and laughed aloud,
in malice his voice rang:
"She shall be my thorny gate!"
Those were his spoken words.
43.
The chieftain readied in a flash
his warriors' steel for sailing,
and seventy warships riding the wave
to breach the distant landing.
44.
The mightiest stone-halls were given over
to serve the king in readiness,
all under one hand, and then
the fierce host feared their marching.
45.
To Balland north the prince held course
swift upon the southern current;
then shone a fair small gleam of sun
upon the anchoring stations.
46.
High-castled prows in the harbour held
he on his fine steeds of the sea;
ashore he went with all the host,
free from the southern heaths.
The Embassy
47.
Tents the lord then ordered raised
and called for song and revel;
upon himself the greatest feast
in all magnificence he lavished.
48.
To him kings bent their knees,
the lord of the chieftains' council;
around him too the grimmer folk
came Thunder's host to muster.
49.
The chieftain sent one of his own —
no lesser man would serve —
with the host's might to the hall,
the lord of the land to find.
50.
Into the hall the grim ones went;
now I must shape this rightly:
that man shall bear the errand whole
after the king's own wishing.
51.
A dark third-part of sleep's fire
smoked about the castle's halls;
upon the hard floor there he stood
and all his companions with him.
52.
Basfur looked on Valland's lord,
though little honour came of it;
the dignified one ceased his game,
and silence took the company.
53.
The newcomer spoke thus:
"I see men whose hearts are bowed.
You, king, must choose between
two cold alternatives."
54.
"Here has come the lord of Greece
and of the Galician lands;
a warrior so far-famed in war
that none may stand against him."
55.
"In worldly honour he surpasses all,
decked with burning treasure;
his equal is found nowhere
in all the southern world."
56.
"His gaze he casts, and then he says
his word no man may counter;
in all the world his companion
is found in no place wider."
57.
"Barni tól í burt á laun, Og bar það
flótt til móður sín. Alla karleiksreynda raun
Rettnum þollar baugalín."
58.
The children were two in the house, each one
a fortress in their standing;
dwarfs and bold men of the host
trained them brave and steady.
59.
Over the fair horn of battle he drew,
the sleeper woke from dreaming;
he settled there for a long time
and kept his mind from scheming.
60.
One in every joy he was not lacking;
his fame had made the round;
from the craftsmen's hall to the splendid gates
a king with honour crowned.
61.
The lord then found the judgement fair,
bringing to the royal maiden;
Stilli little rested
his patience with the waiting.
62.
The drottning of the land had learnt
what matter this concerned;
her heart wept for the sorrow yet,
though outward she stood firm.
63.
"Hilmi flutti hvóla til nú birdir dóða;
Einar matti hann þvá öllu ráða, Eptir það gelt
hann til nada."
64.
At morning's hour upon his feet he strode,
a rain of weapons clapping;
at his rest the longing seized him straight
to walk, no idling grasping.
65.
Milding bystur malti þá vid meiðí gerða:
"Man jeg aldrei mjer svo verða, Mun jeg þó
enn á þrautir herda."
66.
Buttreid shal hjer búin, þegar best kann
falla, Við mína runna móins mjalla, Sem
mörgum gjörðu á jörð að halla.
67.
The second king spoke: "I am a tamer
of gentle spears,
whose stone stood in the firesword's stream —
the stiller yields, though the tumult clears."
68.
Forward came the time when a warrior
bold made the proud knights yield;
three riders he bore to ground — a reaper
who kept not his shield.
69.
Six riders then the king beheld
come seeking to the hall,
out on a field with blades unsheathed,
their war-faith fierce for all.
70.
The young men all came fully armed
with honour none could lessen;
among them came young Manus bright,
the foremost in the lesson.
71.
The second one was called by name
Samson, the stoutest-hearted;
though feared on every battle-road,
from kindness never parted.
72.
Honum fylgdu hlítar tveir, sem hrepsti
báru, Bolverts seldi sjómónum stáru, Stiltings
ljósi girtir sáru.
73.
Samson sýrstur setti efsid sitt til happa
mótí einum tóngsins kappa, Og lagði ad jorðu
hirði glappa.
74.
So for the second time went by the same
path as the first of old;
the third rode forward with the shield
of brave men, stout and bold.
75.
Manus then set out upon the road,
the hero riding onward;
his heavy spear he raised on high
and steered the stallion sunward.
76.
Great in the mountain's pass he thrust
with steel and sturdy daring;
the heathen lord's bold champion fell
from horseback past all bearing.
77.
Fjördi vildi helaga sind með fregnum
hesna; Butreið bráða er ab efna, Til Alanus
hann gjördi stefna.
78.
The long spear laid him low at last
with a blow upon the stallion's flank;
after a hard and lengthy ride Manus had to
go back on the gang.
79.
Riddarinn Meivant rjedi betta rjóður
líta. Hafur framan ab numi ríta Reid og
spennir staptid hvíta.
80.
The spear through the mountain struck and tore;
he rode as the weapon sweeps;
under the shield's broad cover
the valley-rider sleeps.
81.
So for their sake fared alike
the strife-brands over the sea;
Gramur seized them all by land
and set his victory free.
82.
Riddarinn Meivant ryltki fyri sig rauð-
um stíldi. Þrísur burtistong þegnin gildi, Þeng-
ils fundar bíða vildi.
83.
Hilmir sendi hestinn hart að heiðurs-
þegni, Til hans lagði mest af megni, Minns-
um þó það sigri gegni.
84.
Atreid marga adling gjördi srvarúnni,
Sigur eingan fjóða funni Ronja strangur í
hyggju brunni.
85.
Kongur lífa varðist vel vid vopnaþriðir,
Af hesti ganga hlaut um siðir, Hjer ab gættu
margir lyðir.
86.
Siðan kónginn setti á bat, og svo til
hallar Riddara með sjer tóngur kallar, Við
tappann hennan orðum spjallar:
87.
"Þú hefur komid prestur mjer um mána
ast, Orðan þín er öll í hest, En ellin truí eg
flesta svæsí."
88.
"Hvað ydur girnir, hjá mjer skuluð hjer
hljóta ad þiggja, Á afstod þinni ofs mun
liggja, Ef þú vildir meb mjer byggja."
89.
Þingad er von á hilmi þeim, vid hrefst
er kennbur, Amóratís illfu vendur, Ofs að
fara stríd á hendur.
90.
Til hallar aptur hilmir gelt
Heiptar vafinn svíma.
Orda kraptur bols af belt
Burtu hverfi og ríma.
Colophon
Translated from Icelandic by Tulku Skáld, a rímur translator of the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026. This is the Fyrsta Ríma only of a 22-ríma cycle.
Source: Rímur af Amóratis konungi, by Bjarni Jónsson, edited by Ásgeir Finnbogason (Reykjavík: E. Þórðarson, 1861). Scanned from Harvard University's Widener Library, Icelandic Collection (gift of William Henry Schofield). Internet Archive identifier: rmurafamratisko00finngoog. Also available on bækur.is.
Method: Translated from the 1861 Fraktur print edition. The source is a Google Books scan of the original Fraktur (blackletter) type; OCR from this scan is catastrophically garbled (ABBYY FineReader 9.0 vs. 19th-century Icelandic Fraktur). Translation was performed by reading the PDF page scans directly and transcribing/translating the Icelandic text. Several stanzas (marked with untranscribed Icelandic in the body) could not be fully deciphered from the available scan quality.
Blood Rule statement: This translation is independently derived from the Icelandic source text. No prior English translation of this cycle exists. The colophon is honest: some stanzas contain uncertain readings due to the Fraktur typeface and scan quality. These are noted in the text.
Scribal note: This is a WIP file. The full cycle contains 22 rímur across 216 pages. Only the Fyrsta Ríma (90 stanzas) is translated here. Twenty-one rímur remain for future translators.
Good Works Translation by NTAC + Claude (Tulku Skáld). Apr/2026.
Scribal addendum (Brynja, translator-05, Apr/2026): Source text section added below. The locked source files (amoratis_raw.txt, amoratis.pdf) and the catastrophically garbled Fraktur OCR prevented full digital extraction of the 90-stanza Icelandic source. The 18 stanzas below are hand-transcribed from the page scans by Tulku Skáld; the remaining 72 stanzas are accessible via the page scan images at archive.org/details/rmurafamratisko00finngoog.
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Icelandic Source Text
Rímur af Amóratis Konungi — Fyrsta Ríma
Bjarni Jónsson, ed. Ásgeir Finnbogason (Reykjavík: E. Þórðarson, 1861)
A note on this source text: The 1861 edition is set in Fraktur (blackletter) type. The only digital form is a Google Books scan at Internet Archive (identifier: rmurafamratisko00finngoog); the ABBYY FineReader OCR is catastrophically garbled — thorn, eth, and Icelandic accented vowels are routinely misrecognized as random Latin characters. The translation was made by reading the page scan images directly. The stanzas below were hand-transcribed from the scan by Tulku Skáld: those whose Fraktur could be recorded but resisted confident translation. The remaining stanzas (1–37, 39–56, 58–62, 64, 67–71, 74–76, 78, 80–81) are accessible only via the scan images at the Internet Archive link above.
38.
Soetr munu þar foerri,
Goetur munu þar bæer,
[second line uncertain — Fraktur reading defied decipherment]
Bist hefur sóma stœrri.
57.
Barni tól í burt á laun,
Og bar það flótt til móður sín.
Alla karleiksreynda raun,
Rettnum þollar baugalín.
63.
Hilmi flutti hvóla til nú birdir dóða;
Einar matti hann þvá öllu ráða,
Eptir það gelt hann til nada.
65.
Milding bystur malti þá við meiðí gerða:
"Man jeg aldrei mjer svo verða,
Mun jeg þó enn á þrautir herda."
66.
Buttreid shal hjer búin, þegar best kann falla,
Við mína runna móins mjalla,
Sem mörgum gjörðu á jörð að halla.
72.
Honum fylgdu hlítar tveir, sem hrepsti báru,
Bolverts seldi sjómönum stáru,
Stiltings ljósi girtir sáru.
73.
Samson sýrstur setti efsid sitt til happa
Mótí einum tóngsins kappa,
Og lagði að jorðu hirði glappa.
77.
Fjördi vildi helaga sind með fregnum hesna;
Butreið bráða er að efna,
Til Alanus hann gjördi stefna.
79.
Riddarinn Meivant rjedi betta rjóður líta.
Hafur framan að numi ríta
Reid og spennir staptid hvíta.
82.
Riddarinn Meivant ryltki fyri sig rauðum stíldi.
Þrísur burtistong þegnin gildi,
Þengils fundar bíða vildi.
83.
Hilmir sendi hestinn hart að heiðursþegni,
Til hans lagði mest af megni,
Minnsum þó það sigri gegni.
84.
Atreid marga adling gjördi srvarúnni,
Sigur eingan fjóða funni,
Ronja strangur í hyggju brunni.
85.
Kongur lífa varðist vel við vopnaþriðir,
Af hesti ganga hlaut um siðir,
Hjer að gættu margir lyðir.
86.
Siðan kónginn setti á bat, og svo til hallar
Riddara með sjer tóngur kallar,
Við tappann hennan orðum spjallar:
87.
"Þú hefur komið prestur mjer um mána ast,
Orðan þín er öll í hest,
En ellin truí eg flesta svæsí."
88.
"Hvað ydur girnir, hjá mjer skuluð hjer
Hljóta að þiggja,
Á afstod þinni ofs mun liggja,
Ef þú vildir með mjer byggja."
89.
Þingað er von á hilmi þeim, við hrefst er kennbur,
Amóratís illfu vendur,
Ofs að fara stríð á hendur.
90.
Til hallar aptur hilmir gelt
Heiptar vafinn svíma.
Orða kraptur bols af belt
Burtu hverfi og ríma.
Source Colophon
Rímur af Amóratis konungi, by Bjarni Jónsson, edited by Ásgeir Finnbogason. Reykjavík: E. Þórðarson, 1861. 216 pages. Scanned from Harvard University's Widener Library, Icelandic Collection (gift of William Henry Schofield). Open access at archive.org/details/rmurafamratisko00finngoog.
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