Jór rinnr aptanskœru
allsvangr gǫtur langar;
vǫll kná hófr til hallar
— hǫfum lítinn dag — slíta.
Nús, þats blakkr of bekki
berr mik Dǫnum ferri;
fákr laust drengs í díki
— dœgr mœtask nú — fœti.
Allsvangr jór rinnr langar gǫtur aptanskœru; hófr kná slíta vǫll til hallar; hǫfum lítinn dag. Nús, þats blakkr berr mik of bekki ferri Dǫnum; fákr drengs laust fœti í díki; dœgr mœtask nú.
[My] famished steed runs on the long tracks in the twilight; the hoof can tear the ground on the way to the hall; we have little daylight. Now it is that [my] dark mount carries me over streams far from the Danes; the good fellow’s [my] charger struck with its foot [stumbled] in a ditch; night and day meet now.
[7, 8] fákr drengs laust fœti í díki ‘the good fellow’s [my] charger struck with its foot [stumbled] in a ditch’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) supposes that díki refers to a brook (bækken). To the horse’s stumbling, Frank (1978, 73) cites parallels in the sagas that bear connotations of bad luck and fate. The use of drengr ‘good fellow, warrior’ is probably ironic or mock-heroic here; cf. Note to st. 5/2.