Hættr vas hersa dróttinn
hjǫrdjarfr Gota fjǫrvi;
gollskerði frák gerðu
geirþey á Skáneyju.
Bǫðserkjar hjó birki
barklaust í Danmǫrku
hleypimeiðr fyr Heiða-
hlunnviggja -bý sunnan.
Hjǫrdjarfr dróttinn hersa vas hættr fjǫrvi Gota; frák gollskerði gerðu geirþey á Skáneyju. Hleypimeiðr hlunnviggja hjó barklaust birki bǫðserkjar í Danmǫrku fyr sunnan Heiðabý.
The sword-bold lord of hersar [RULER] was dangerous to the life of the Gotar; I have learned that the gold-diminisher [GENEROUS MAN] made spear-breeze [BATTLE] in Skåne. The impelling tree of the roller-steeds [SHIPS > SEAFARER] cut down the barkless birches of the battle-shirt [MAIL-SHIRT > WARRIORS] in Denmark south of Hedeby.
[8] bý: bú 54
[7, 8] Heiðabý ‘Hedeby’: A major Viking trading centre in the south of Jutland. This is an early example of the skalds’ practice of fitting place names into the dróttkvætt lines using tmesis; cf. Þfagr Sveinn 1/3, 4II for a similar tmesis on this p. n., and for another example see Þloft Tøgdr 1/5, 6 and Note; also Kuhn (1983, 111-12).