Bragningr réð í branda regni
benja linn* til sára spenja;
allvaldr rauð, þars ýtar fellu,
unda naðr í hræva sundi.
Bitran spurðak bǫðvar Njǫrðum
brynju snák í hausum dynja;
reiða tóku ríkar þjóðir
randar orm at svarðar strǫndu.
Bragningr réð spenja linn* benja til sára í regni branda; allvaldr rauð naðr unda í sundi hræva, þars ýtar fellu. Spurðak bitran snák brynju dynja í hausum Njǫrðum bǫðvar; ríkar þjóðir tóku reiða orm randar at strǫndu svarðar.
The lord enticed the serpent of wounds [SWORD] to injuries in the rain of blades [BATTLE]; the mighty ruler reddened the adder of wounds [SWORD] in the sea of carrion [BLOOD] where men fell. I heard that the bitter snake of the byrnie [SWORD] crashed against the skulls of the Nirðir <gods> of battle [WARRIORS]; powerful people began to swing the reptile of the shield-rim [SWORD] towards the beach of the scalp [HEAD].
[2] linn*: linns papp25ˣ, R683ˣ
[2] linn* (m. acc. sg.) ‘the serpent’: Linns (m. gen. sg.) has been emended to the acc. because the verb spenja ‘entice’ takes the acc. case (so all earlier eds).
case: acc.