‘Þat Lundúnum líkar illa;
eykr hon þrimr hlutum þykka veggi.
Kostar hon keppa við konungíðnir;
ferr suðr of fjall frægð af smíði,
en* Tems of borg tekr at geisa.
‘Þat líkar Lundúnum illa; hon eykr þykka veggi þrimr hlutum. Hon kostar keppa við konungíðnir; frægð af smíði ferr suðr of fjall, en* Tems tekr at geisa of borg.
‘That will displease London; she will increase her thick walls threefold. She will attempt to compete with the king’s exploits; news of the work will travel south over the mountain and the Thames will start to surge around the city.
[5] keppa: keppir Hb
[5] keppa ‘to compete’: Emended in Skj B (followed by Skald) from ms. keppir (refreshed) ‘[he] competes’. Merl 2012 retains keppir, evidently construing kostar as a noun but without explaining its sense and function.