Leysti lögrastar
landa stýrandi
— heldu of haf aldir
húfum — bládúfur.
Lýstiz hrein hæstum
höfn af skipstöfnum
eldi álfoldar
auðar glóðrauðum.
Stýrandi landa leysti bládúfur lögrastar; aldir heldu húfum of haf. Hrein höfn lýstiz eldi álfoldar af hæstum skipstöfnum, glóðrauðum auðar.
The controller of lands [RULER] launched the dark doves of the water-way [SEA > SHIPS]; men steered the hulls across the sea. The safe harbour was illuminated by the fire of the eel-ground [SEA > GOLD] from the loftiest ship-prows, red-glowing with wealth.
[8] auðar (f. gen. sg.) ‘with wealth’: Lit. ‘of wealth’. Following NN §2580, the noun is taken here with the adj. glóðrauðum ‘red-glowing’ (l. 8) qualifying skipstöfnum ‘ship-prows’ (l. 6). Skj B construes it with af hæstum skipstöfnum ‘from the loftiest ship-prows’ (ll. 5, 6; af auðar-hæstum skipstöfnum), translated as på de rigt smykkede skibstavne ‘on the richly adorned ship-prows’, which is less likely from the point of view of w. o. According to that interpretation, glóðrauðum ‘red-glowing’ qualifies eldi ‘fire’ (l. 7). The ‘wealth’ likely refers either to the adorned strips of wood curving down from the prow or to gilded weather-vanes. See Notes to Sturl Hákkv 12/5, Arn Hryn 10/7-8, Bǫlv Hardr 2/2, Halli XI Fl 1/5, 8, Valg Har 10-11 and Ív Sig 16/1.