Kveða skal hróðr fyr hríðar
hræblakks viðum sævar
— drykkr var Dúrnis rekkum
døkkr — ljósara nøkkvi.
Skal kveða nøkkvi ljósara hróðr fyr viðum hræblakks sævar hríðar; drykkr Dúrnis var døkkr rekkum.
I must recite somewhat more transparent praise before the trees of the corpse-dark sea of battle [BLOOD > WARRIORS]; the drink of Dúrnir <dwarf> [POETRY] was obscure to the men.
[3] drykkr Dúrnis ‘the drink of Dúrnir <dwarf> [POETRY]’: The dwarf Dúrnir is otherwise mentioned in Anon Þul Dverga 3/8 and in Þjóð Yt 2/2I (for discussions of this name, see Notes there). Kennings of the type ‘drink of the dwarfs [POETRY]’ originated in the myth about the dwarfs Galarr and Fjalarr brewing the mead of poetry from the blood of Kvasir (see Skm, SnE 1998, I, 3-4; Meissner 428).