Hróðr stofna ek heiðar
hjálmspennanda þenna
bæði hryggr ok blíðan
bjartr ok glaðr í hjarta,
ok mun árum þykkja
eggmóts, of hvárttveggja
vísi ljóss ef vissi,
vera sök til þess nökkur.
Bæði hryggr ok bjartr ok glaðr í hjarta stofna ek þenna blíðan hróðr heiðar hjálmspennanda, ok mun þykkja árum eggmóts vera nökkur sök til þess, ef ljóss vísi vissi of hvárttveggja.
Both sorrowful and bright and glad at heart, I begin this joyful encomium for him who spans the heath’s helmet [(lit. ‘helmet-spanner of the heath’) SKY/HEAVEN > = God], and it will seem to messengers of the edge-meeting [BATTLE > WARRIORS] that there is some cause for this, if a bright prince might know of both [i.e. sorrow and joy].
[8] þess: ‘[...]’ B, ‘þ[...]’ 399a‑bˣ
[8] til þess ‘for this’: Restoration proposed by Sveinbjörn Egilsson and adopted by all subsequent eds; the <þ> was legible to Jón Sigurðsson in 399a-bˣ, and there is no space in B for further characters, hence the standard abbreviation for þess, made more sure by the preceding til.