Hart ríðr hildar birti
hjalmrunnr í folkgunni
Jóans ættstuðill einart
allfróðr í styr þjóða.
Hjalmrunnr ríðr birti hildar hart í folkgunni, allfróðr ættstuðill Jóans, einart í styr þjóða.
The helmet-tree [WARRIOR] swings the brightness of battle [SWORD] hard in the pitched battle, the all-wise kin-pillar of Jón [= Víðkunnr], steadily, in the war of nations.
[4] í styr þjóða ‘in the war of nations’: Skj B interprets this as ‘in the men’s battle’ (i mændenes kamp) and Kock (NN §§919, 1151) as ‘in the tumult of hosts’ (uti skarornas tumult). Because the only pitched battle that Viðkunnr is known to have participated in was Magnús berfœttr’s last battle against the Irish in Ulster (1103), þjóðir (gen. pl. þjóða) is taken here to mean ‘nations’ (see Fritzner: þjóð 3).