Ǫld hefr afráð goldit
illt; nú kveðk her stilltan;
bauð þessa fǫr þjóðum
þarflaust Haraldr austan.
Svá lauk siklings ævi
snjalls, at vér ’róm allir
— lofðungr beið inn leyfði
lífs grand — í stað vǫndum.
Ǫld hefr goldit illt afráð; nú kveðk her stilltan; Haraldr bauð þjóðum þessa fǫr austan þarflaust. Ævi snjalls siklings lauk svá, at vér ’róm allir í vǫndum stað; inn leyfði lofðungr beið grand lífs.
People have paid a dire penalty; now I declare the host is quelled; Haraldr commanded troops onto this expedition westwards needlessly. The life of the bold prince ended in such a way that we are all in a difficult position; the praised sovereign endured destruction of life.
[1] afráð: so F, E, J2ˣ, Mork, Hb, ‘afroð’ Kˣ, H, Hr, ‘afhrod’ Flat
[1] afráð ‘penalty’: Strictly, ‘tax, tribute, payment’, hence ‘loss, damage’. Gade suggests a possible echo of Vsp 23/5-6: hvárt scyldo æsir | afráð gialda ‘whether the gods should pay restitution’ (NK 6).