Eigu skjól und skógi
skafnir snekkju stafnar;
læsir leiðangrs vísi
lǫnd herskipa brǫndum.
Almenningr liggr innan
— eið láta sér skeiðar
hábrynjaðar hlýja —
hverja vík í skerjum.
Skafnir stafnar snekkju eigu skjól und skógi; vísi leiðangrs læsir lǫnd brǫndum herskipa. Almenningr liggr innan hverja vík í skerjum; hábrynjaðar skeiðar láta eið hlýja sér.
The planed stems of the vessel get shelter in the lee of the wood; the fleet’s prince encloses the lands with the prows of warships. The host lies at anchor in every bay in the skerries; the longships, armoured around the oarports, let the headland protect them.
[5] Almenningr: almenning Hr
[3, 5] leiðangrs; almenningr ‘the fleet’s; the host’: Leiðangr refers to a fleet of ships together (at least in some contexts) with their crews, and almenningr to a body of people. Malmros (1985) argued that these words constitute proof that an organised levy system already existed under Haraldr, but the skaldic evidence does not support this, though it does support the sense ‘expeditionary fleet’ for at least some instances of leiðangr (Jesch 2001a, 196-8; Note to Bǫlv Hardr 8/1).