Mjǫk lét stála støkkvir
styðja Gjúka niðja
flaums, þás fjǫrvi næma
Foglhildar mun vildu.
Ok bláserkjar birkis
ballfǫgr gǫtu allir
ennihǫgg ok eggjar
Jónakrs sonum launa.
Støkkvir flaums stála lét mjǫk styðja niðja Gjúka, þás vildu næma mun Foglhildar fjǫrvi. Ok allir launa sonum Jónakrs ballfǫgr ennihǫgg birkis bláserkjar ok gǫtu eggjar.
The impeller of the eddy of steel [BATTLE > WARRIOR = Jǫrmunrekkr] caused the descendants of Gjúki <legendary king> [= Hamðir and Sǫrli] to be greatly pressed, when they intended to deprive the delight of Bird-hildr <= Svanhildr> [= Jǫrmunrekkr] of life. And all repay the sons of Jónakr <legendary king> [= Hamðir and Sǫrli] for the powerfully splendid forehead blows of the birch-branch of the dark shirt [SWORD] and the path of the sword-blade [WOUND].
[6] ballfǫgr ‘powerfully splendid’: Qualifies ennihǫgg n. pl. and is understood as a cpd formed from two adjectives ballr ‘bold, powerful’ and fagr ‘splendid, fair’. The word is written as a cpd in all mss. Both R and Tˣ indicate the spelling bǫll-, while C has ball- (adopted here). Another possibility (but not indicated by the ms. spellings) is bǫl- ‘evil(ly)’ (cf. Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 239).