Mildingr rauð í móðu
— mót hart vas þar — spjóta
(Dǫnum vôru goð) geira,
(grǫm) en þat vas skǫmmu.
Setti niðr á sléttu
Serklandi gramr merki;
— stóð at stillis ráði
stǫng — en þat vas lǫngu.
Mildingr rauð geira í móðu spjóta; hart mót vas þar; en þat vas skǫmmu; goð vôru grǫm Dǫnum. Gramr setti merki niðr á sléttu Serklandi; stǫng stóð at ráði stillis; en þat vas lǫngu.
The gracious ruler reddened lances in the river of spears [BLOOD]; a harsh encounter took place there; and that was a short time ago; the gods were wrathful towards the Danes. The lord planted his banner on level Serkland; the standard stood [high] at the command of the ruler; but that was a long time ago.
[1] í móðu: so all others, af móði F
[1, 2] í móðu spjóta ‘in the river of spears [BLOOD]’: (a) So Andersson and Gade 2000. (b) Alternatively, í móðu could stand alone as a rather curious ‘in the river’, and spjóta would form the determinant in a battle-kenning, mót spjóta ‘meeting of spears’ (Skj B). (c) Í móðu geira could be taken as ‘in the river of spears [BLOOD]’, with the object of rauð ‘reddened’ understood as weapons (Fidjestøl 1971, 49 n., as one option). (d) The F reading af móði would presumably mean ‘in his zeal’ or ‘in anger’ (Fidjestøl 1971, 49 n.).