Fast bað fylking hrausta
friðvandr jǫfurr standa;
hamalt sýndisk mér hǫmlur
hildings vinir skilda.
Rammsyndan lauk rǫndum
ráðandi manndáða
nýtr fyr Nizi útan
naðr, svát hver tók aðra.
Friðvandr jǫfurr bað hrausta fylking standa fast; mér sýndisk vinir hildings skilda hǫmlur hamalt. Nýtr ráðandi manndáða lauk rammsyndan naðr rǫndum fyr útan Nizi, svát hver tók aðra.
The peace-concerned ruler ordered the valiant troop to stand firm; I witnessed [lit. it appeared to me that] the friends of the commander setting shields at the rowing-positions, in a wedge-shape. The excellent performer of manly deeds [RULER] enclosed the strong-swimming serpent with shields off the Nissan, so that each one abutted the next.
[3] sýndisk mér ‘I witnessed [lit. it appeared to me that]’: This is the majority reading, which yields an impersonal construction (so also ÍF 28 and Hkr 1991). The F reading, pl. sýndusk ‘they seemed’, would have vinir hildings ‘the friends of the commander’ (l. 4) as its subject (so Finnur Jónsson, as noted above).