Skeið ert fróns und fríðum
farsæl konungs þrælum
fljót ok farmi ítrum
fóstrlands á vit strandar.
Þú snýr böls hjá bárum
— boðar kasta þér lasta —
lýðs und líknar auði
lífs hafnar til stafni.
Ert farsæl, fljót skeið und fríðum þrælum konungs fróns ok ítrum farmi á vit strandar fóstrlands. Þú snýr stafni hjá bárum böls til lífs hafnar und auði líknar lýðs; boðar lasta kasta þér.
You are a voyage-prosperous, swift warship bearing [lit. under] beloved servants of the king of earth [RULER = Christ] and a glorious cargo towards the shore of our native land. You turn your prow past the waves of evil to life’s haven bearing the wealth of grace for mankind; billows of vices toss you.
[7] und auði líknar lýðs ‘bearing [lit. under] the wealth of grace for mankind’: A reference to Christ’s Passion and mankind’s consequent salvation, parallel to ítrum farmi ‘glorious cargo’ (l. 3). On ‘wealth of grace’, cf. the liturgical phrases copia miserationum ‘abundance of compassions’ and immensa clementia ‘immense mercy’ (Manz 1941, 124 §194; 225 §431).