Fyrr rauð Fenris varra
flugvarr konungr sparra
— malmhríðar svall meiðum
móðr — í Gamla blóði,
þás óstirfinn arfa
Eiríks of rak — geira
nú tregr gæti-Gauta
grams fall — á sæ alla.
Fyrr rauð flugvarr konungr sparra varra Fenris í blóði Gamla; móðr svall meiðum malmhríðar, þás óstirfinn of rak alla arfa Eiríks á sæ; nú tregr fall grams gæti-Gauta geira.
Earlier the flight-reluctant king [Hákon] reddened the prop of the lips of Fenrir <wolf> [SWORD] in Gamli’s blood; courage swelled in the trees of the metal-storm [BATTLE > WARRIORS], when, agreeable, he drove all Eiríkr’s heirs to sea; now the fall of the king distresses the guarding Gautar <= Óðinn’s> of spears [WARRIORS].
[5] óstirfinn: óstirfins FskAˣ
[5] óstirfinn ‘agreeable’: This is the only citation for the adj. in LP: óstirfinn and its meaning is unclear, except that it is the antonym of stirfinn ‘stiff-minded, stubborn, obstinate’ (see Fritzner, AEW: stirfinn). Konráð Gíslason (1892, 69, followed by Hkr 1893-1901, IV; Skj B; ÍF 26) suggests ‘cheerful and friendly [towards his men]’, which would fit with the wider context; Konráð notes a number of partial parallels to this motif. Bjarni Einarsson (ÍF 29) tentatively suggests an extended sense ‘brave, keen’.