Benfasti varð bresta
— bitu hjalm svalir malmar —
í háturnum hjarna,
heitr, kaldr, þars dreif sveiti*.
Strǫng vas guðr, áðr gengi
(geirmót) konungs Jóta,
bendr sparn almr til unda,
(óx) þvarr, boga stǫrrum.
Kaldr benfasti varð bresta í háturnum hjarna, þars heitr sveiti* dreif; svalir malmar bitu hjalm. Guðr vas strǫng, áðr gengi konungs Jóta þvarr; geirmót óx; bendr almr sparn stǫrrum boga til unda.
The cold wound-flame [SWORD] had to crack in high towers of the brain [HEADS] where hot blood spurted; cool weapons bit the helmet. The battle was strong before the company of the king of the Jótar [DANISH KING = Haraldr] diminished; the spear-meeting [BATTLE] intensified; the bent elm-bow kicked sedge-grass of the bow [ARROWS] towards wounds.
[4] heitr: heit papp25ˣ, R683ˣ
[4] heitr sveiti* ‘hot blood’: The emendations to heitr (m. nom. sg.) ‘hot’ and sveiti (m. nom. sg.) ‘blood’ (m. nom. sg.) are necessary to furnish the missing subject. For loss of final ‑r, see Note to st. 5/2, and for final, inorganic ‑r, see Note to st. 8/4.