Ferr þú eigi svá fjörðu breiða
né líðr yfir langa vága,
þótt sær um þik sægjum gangi;
þó skaltu brenna á Berurjóðri.
Þú ferr eigi svá breiða fjörðu né líðr yfir langa vága, þótt sær gangi sægjum um þik; þó skaltu brenna á Berurjóðri.
You will never travel thus over broad firths nor sail across long bays, though the sea may surge in billows around you; yet you will burn at Berurjóðr.
[6] sægjum: skrikkjum 173ˣ
[6] sægjum ‘in billows’: The meaning of this noun is not certain. Sœgr, later sægr, occurs as a simplex meaning ‘sea’ in several kennings (LP: sœgr), but here a sense like ‘waves, billows’ seems to be required (see NN §119 for probable cognates in other Germanic languages). However, as LP: sœgr suggests, it may here be identical in meaning with ModIcel. sægur ‘swarm, crowd’ (of people), in which case the meaning would refer to the multitude of waves rather than their size.