[4] ræðr ‘rules’: The pres. tense in ll. 4 and 8 reflects the fact that they belong to the stef and do not share the same temporal perspective as the rest of the stanza (cf. Konráð Gíslason 1879a, 185; Hkr 1893-1901; Skj B; ÍF 26; Hkr 1991). The alternative reading pret. réð ‘ruled’ is better supported in the mss (and F has réð at the repeat of the line in st. 8/4), but it has probably arisen through influence of the other verbs in the stanza. The other two verbs in the stef are uniformly pres. tense in the mss (dregr ‘draws’ in st. 2/8, semr ‘contrives’ in sts 4/8, 7/8), and semr is guaranteed by the metre.