Ráðumk segja sundbáls viðum
spár spakligar spámanns gǫfugs,
þess’s á breiðu Bretlandi sat;
hét Merlínus margvitr gumi.
Ráðumk segja viðum sundbáls spakligar spár gǫfugs spámanns, þess’s sat á breiðu Bretlandi; margvitr gumi hét Merlínus.
I resolve to tell the trees of the channel-fire [GOLD > MEN] the wise prophecies of the noble prophet, who resided in extensive Britain; the man wise in many things was called Merlin.
[6] sat: om. Hb
[6] sat ‘resided’: Added in Bret 1848-9, following scribal emendations in transcriptions of Hb (the transcriptions concerned are not specified, but ‘sat’ is added in AM 281 4o, 82r and in the margin of AM 597b 4o, 30r), and in turn followed by all subsequent eds. The line is metrically deficient as it stands in Hb.