Goll buðu opt, þeirs ollu
úthlaupum, gram kaupask
rautt, en ræsir neitti,
ríklunduðum undan.
Skǫr bað hann með hjǫrvi
— herland skal svá verja —
— ráns biðu rekkar sýna
refsing — firum efsa.
Buðu, þeirs ollu úthlaupum, opt ríklunduðum gram rautt goll kaupask undan, en ræsir neitti. Hann bað efsa skǫr firum með hjǫrvi; svá skal verja herland; rekkar biðu sýna refsing ráns.
Those who carried out plundering expeditions often offered the mighty-spirited prince red gold to buy themselves off, but the ruler refused. He ordered men’s hair to be cut with the sword; that is how to defend the people’s land; the warriors suffered visible punishment for their robbery.
[3] neitti: so papp18ˣ, 321ˣ, 68, 325V, 325XI 2 g, neytti Kˣ, netti Holm2, nítti J2ˣ, 321ˣ, 73aˣ, Holm4, 325VII, Bb, Flat, ‘⸜n⸝atti’ 61, veitti Tóm
[3] neitti ‘refused’: Neitti and nítti (as in several ÓH mss) are from neita and níta, both weak verbs meaning ‘to say no, refuse’, and both are metrically possible. However, the Kˣ variant neytti (from neyta ‘to use, enjoy’) and the other variants suggest an original neitti (as in papp18ˣ, an independent copy of K).