In accordance with the traditions of Icelandic folklore, Hallgrímsson represented his insomnia, his recurrent and oppressive thoughts, fears and fantasies as demonic spirits hostile to human beings. This tradition is depicted most clearly in Grettis saga Ásmundarsonar, the Saga of Grettir the Strong, in which Grettir himself suffers from this condition: "Grettir said that his temper had not improved, that he had even less discretion than before, and was more impatient of being crossed. In one thing a great change had come over him; he had become so frightened of the dark that he dared not go anywhere alone at night. Apparitions of every kind came before him. It has since passed into an expression, and men speak of "Glam's eyes" or "Glam visions" when things appear otherwise than as they are." (Saga of Grettir the Strong, chapter 35)
For more information about Hallgrímsson and this poem in particular, the book Bard of Iceland: Jónas Hallgrímsson, Poet and Scientist by Dick Ringler can be consulted. He offers there his own non-literal translation of the poem.
Psalm of Insomnia
Cursed be, wicked wakefulness!
Be enjoyed by those who may.
You have lived with me,
given me many woeful dark hours
of distress and pining,
slaughtered my vitality and strength.
Few there is to help those
who are preyed on by the night.
Darkness is the devil of man,
laming both life and soul,
forever dim and forever silent -
just like the embers of hell
it is full of scoff and deception.
I know that this evil spirit
hardly ever sails upon this country
the days before the summer. (1)
Come, precious daylight!
Drive away the darkness;
come, lively Eye of the World! (2)
be yourself the holy witness,
that always does good, -
help me clear my mind and understanding
by guiding me, your creature;
I cannot suffer this slumber anymore.
Sunlight has greeted at my window; (3)
a good friend has come
to console the heart of the waking man;
I shook off the night away from me,
repaired my spirit, then went out.
Never should this be suspected:
the pitiful mask of the shadows
is carried away by the light.
NOTES:
(1) sumarmál, the last five days before summer.
(2) heimsaugað, oculus mundi, the eye of the world (http://lexis.hi.is/cgi-bin/ritmal/leitord.cgi?adg=daemi&n=183728&s=226860&l=heimsauga&r=p). It may be a reference to the Glámur augu that haunt Grettir the Strong in his Saga.
(3) Guðað er nú á glugga, "God's peace has been said at the window". Guða á glugga is a verb that refers to an old greeting used by travelers ("Hér sé Guð", "here is God") when they wanted to attract the attention of farmers by knocking at their windows. During the night, it was used as a way of asking for shelter.
ORIGINAL TEXT
Andvökusálmur
- Svei þér, andvakan arga!
- uni þér hvur sem má.
- Þú hefir mæðumarga
- myrkurstund oss í hjá
- búið með böl og þrá,
- fjöri og kjark að farga.
- Fátt verður þeim til bjarga
- sem nóttin níðist á.
- Myrkrið er manna fjandi,
- meiðir það líf og sál,
- sídimmt og síþegjandi,
- svo sem helvítisbál
- gjörfullt með gys og tál.
- Veit ég að vondur andi
- varla í þessu landi
- sveimar um sumarmál.
- Komdu, dagsljósið dýra,
- dimmuna hrektu brott;
- komdu, heimsaugað hýra,
- helgan sýndu þess vott
- að ætíð gjörir gott,
- skilninginn minn að skýra,
- skepnunni þinni stýra;
- ég þoli ekki þetta dott.
- Guðað er nú á glugga,
- góðvinur kominn er
- vökumanns hug að hugga;
- hristi ég nótt af mér,
- uni því eftir fer;
- aldrei þarf það að ugga,
- aumlegan grímuskugga
- ljósið í burtu ber.
