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.
[7, 8] bǫrvar baugs ‘trees of the ring [MEN]’: Baugr probably refers to arm- or neck-rings, which commonly qualify words referring to trees in order to form man-kennings. Baugr can also refer to rings painted on shields, and hence shields themselves, which would be fitting in this military context, but the examples of this are late according to LP. Bǫrr ‘tree’ may refer specifically to conifers, but this is not certain (ONP).