Aldri bǫrðusk afli stœrðir
(ógnsveipanda) blóðgum greipum
(hirð sótti þar hvǫss at garði)
harrar tveir af drengskap meira.
Undan reið, sás fremstr vas fundinn,
fyrða gramr, at jǫfnum byrðum;
Sverris ætt fekk sigr at réttu;
svá vildi guð framiðr mildi.
Aldri bǫrðusk tveir harrar, blóðgum greipum, stœrðir afli, af meira drengskap; hvǫss hirð ógnsveipanda sótti þar at garði. Gramr fyrða, sás vas fundinn fremstr at jǫfnum byrðum, reið undan; ætt Sverris fekk sigr at réttu; guð, framiðr mildi, vildi svá.
Never have two lords, with bloody hands, empowered with strength, fought with more bravery; the fierce retinue of the terror-spreader [WARRIOR = Hákon] attacked there at the churchyard. The leader of the people [RULER = Skúli], who was found to be foremost among those of equal birth, rode away; Sverrir’s descendant [= Hákon] rightly won victory; God, excellent in mercy, willed it so.
[6] byrðum: burðum all
[6] byrðum (f. dat. pl.) ‘birth’: The f. i-stem byrð ‘birth’ is much rarer in ON than its m. counterpart burðr ‘birth’ (all other cognates in Gmc are f.). However, in keeping with previous eds, burðum (so all mss) has been emended to byrðum in order to supply the full internal rhyme in l. 6 (fyrða : byrðum).