Skotit frák skeptiflettum
skjótt ok mǫrgu spjóti,
— brôð fekk hrafn — þars hôðum
hjaldr, á breiða skjǫldu.
Neyttu mest sem môttu
menn at vápna sennu,
baugs en barðir lôgu
bǫrvar, grjóts ok ǫrva.
Frák skeptiflettum ok mǫrgu spjóti skotit skjótt á breiða skjǫldu, þars hôðum hjaldr; hrafn fekk brôð. Menn neyttu, sem môttu mest, grjóts ok ǫrva at sennu vápna, en bǫrvar baugs lôgu barðir.
I have learned that shafted javelins and many a spear were shot swiftly onto broad shields, where we joined battle; the raven got meat. Men made the best use they could of stones and arrows in the slander-match of weapons [BATTLE], and trees of the ring [MEN] lay beaten down.
[3] hôðum ‘we joined’: This is textually unproblematic, except that there is no other reference in the poem to Þjóðólfr’s presence at this battle, and frák ‘I have learned’ (l. 1) might be taken to imply that he was not present. Perhaps the thought is of ‘us, our side’; cf. st. 12/5.