Gerðak veig of virða
víðis illrar tíðar
(þat vann ek, meðan aðrir)
ǫrr Váfaðar (svôfu).
Komkat þess, þars þótti,
þingsættis, fé betra
— meiðr sparir hodd við hróðri
hverr — en skald it verra.
Illrar tíðar gerðak ǫrr veig Váfaðar of virða víðis; vann ek þat, meðan aðrir svôfu. Komkat þess þingsættis, þars fé þótti betra en skald it verra; hverr meiðr sparir hodd við hróðri.
At an unfortunate time I composed, eager, strong drink of Váfuðr <= Óðinn> [POETRY] about men of the ocean [SEAFARERS]; I did that while others slept. I have not come to that assembly-reconciler [RULER] where money seemed better but the poet worse; each tree [man] withholds treasure from praise poetry.
[1] veig: víg Flat, om. 510, M
[1] veig ‘strong drink’: Omitted in 510 and M, but present in 291 and undoubtedly correct, as it restores metrical and alliterative regularity to the line, as well as providing the base-word of a conventional kenning for ‘poetry’. Flat’s víg ‘killing’ is not appropriate in context.
case: acc.