Skrjúpt es líf lýða barna
und hreggská heiðar tjaldi.
En lífs lau*n líða eigi
góð eða ill gumna mengis.
Skrjúpt es líf barna lýða und hreggská tjaldi heiðar. En lau*n lífs mengis gumna, góð eða ill, líða eigi.
Brittle is the life of the children of men [MANKIND] under the storm-worn awning of heaven [SKY/HEAVEN]. But the rewards, good or evil, of the life of the multitude of men [MANKIND] do not pass away.
[4] heiðar: hliðar corrected from heiðar during the process of refreshing Hb
[4] heiðar ‘of heaven’: The reading adopted in this edn derives from Bret 1848-9 (followed by Skj B), where it is restored from ms. hliðar (refreshed); letter <e> is visible beneath refreshed <l>. The erroneous reading hliðar is retained (without reference to the ms.) in Skald, presumably interpreted as hlíðar ‘of the hill-slope’, and this is followed in Merl 2012, which glosses as Abhangs ‘of the incline’.