Fjǫrspillir lét falla
fjalfrs ólágra gjalfra
bǫlverðungar Belja
bolm á randar holmi.
Þar hné grundar gilja
gramr fyr skǫrpum hamri,
en berg-Dana bagði
brjótr við jǫrmunþrjóti.
Fjǫrspillir bǫlverðungar Belja lét bolm fjalfrs ólágra gjalfra falla á holmi randar. Þar hné gramr grundar gilja fyr skǫrpum hamri, en brjótr berg-Dana bagði við jǫrmunþrjóti.
The life-destroyer of the evil-causing troop of Beli <giant> [GIANTS > = Þórr] made the bear of the hiding-place of not low roaring waters [CAVE > GIANT = Hrungnir] fall on the island of the shield-rim [SHIELD]. There the ruler of the land of ravines [MOUNTAINS > GIANT = Hrungnir] sank down on account of the tough hammer, and the breaker of rock-Danes [GIANTS > = Þórr] caused injury to the mighty obstinate one.
[2] gjalfra: ‘gialbra’ all
[2, 4] bolm fjalfrs ólágra gjalfra ‘the bear of the hiding-place of not low roaring waters [CAVE > GIANT = Hrungnir]’: As often in giant-kennings, an animal base-word is employed (cf. Meissner 258-9). Here Hrungnir is compared to a bear, and his dwelling to a mountain cave, which is fjalfr ólágra gjalfra ‘the hiding-place of not low [i.e. high] roaring waters’. Ólágr lit. ‘un-low’ could be understood in two senses: high, in the sense of stormy, rising high (of roaring waters or seas), or high in the sense of high up in the mountains. The latter is probably the more likely here.