Hlýði! Hapta beiðis
hefk mildinga gildi;
því biðjum vér þagnar,
þegna tjón at fregnum.
Hlýði! Hefk gildi beiðis hapta mildinga; því biðjum vér þagnar, at fregnum tjón þegna.
Listen! I begin the banquet of the ruler of the gods [= Óðinn > POETRY] of princes; we [I] ask for silence because we [I] have heard of the loss of the man.
[1, 2] gildi beiðis hapta ‘the banquet of the ruler of the gods [= Óðinn > POETRY]’: One of several skaldic kennings based on the myth of the mead of poetry, on which, see Note to ESk Vell 1 [All].
case: gen.