Ok bôru í byr
blô segl við rô
— dýr vas dǫglings fǫr —
drekar landreka.
En, þeirs kómu,
kilir, vestan til,
of leið liðu
Limafjarðar brim.
Ok drekar landreka bôru blô segl við rô í byr; fǫr dǫglings vas dýr. En kilir, þeirs kómu til vestan, liðu brim Limafjarðar of leið.
And the dragon-ships of the land-ruler [Knútr] carried dark sails against the yard in the favouring wind; the sovereign’s journey was glorious. And the keels which arrived there from the west travelled the surf of Limfjorden on their way.
[4] drekar: dreka 73aˣ, 68, 325V, Bb, Flat
[4] drekar ‘the dragon-ships’: Ships with dragons’ heads carved on their prows, for which there is archaeological evidence. Jesch (2001a, 127-8) sees dreki as a poetic term (of which this appears to be the earliest skaldic example) rather than a technical term referring to a particular type of warship.