Stigi nefniz þú stafna
stálfríðundum smíði
traustr af tvennrar ástar
— tek ek minni þess — kinnum.
Framm kemr hverr á himna
hræskóðs ok fær góða
stétt, þá er stig þín hittir,
styrjar lundr af grundu.
Þú nefniz stigi, traustr af kinnum tvennrar ástar, smíði stafna stálfríðundum; ek tek minni þess. Hverr lundr styrjar hræskóðs kemr framm ok fær góða stétt af grundu á himna, þá er hittir þín stig.
You are called a ladder, trusty on account of side-poles of twofold love, a smith-work of stems for prow-adorners [SEAFARERS]; I take remembrance of this. Each tree of the tumult of the corpse-scathe [WEAPON > BATTLE > WARRIOR] advances and receives a good pathway from the earth to the heavens, when he gains your steps.
[3] traustr: ‘trau[...]r’ B, traụṣṭṛ 399a‑bˣ
[3] traustr ‘trusty’: Restoration based upon 399a-bˣ, supported by skothending. The m. sg. adj. modifies stigi ‘ladder’. Though Skj A acknowledges the trace of <r> in a note, it is not included in the diplomatic text; hence Skj B and Skald emend unnecessarily to n. traust for agreement with smíði ‘smith-work’, construed here as appositive.