Nú hykk rjóðanda reiðu
rógǫrs, þvít veitk gǫrva,
— þegi seimbrotar — segja
seggjum hneitis eggja.
Vasat ellifu allra
ormsetrs hati vetra,
hraustr þás herskip glæsti
Hǫrða vinr ór Gǫrðum.
Nú hykk segja seggjum reiðu rógǫrs rjóðanda hneitis eggja, þvít veitk gǫrva; seimbrotar þegi. Hati ormsetrs vasat allra ellifu vetra, þás hraustr vinr Hǫrða glæsti herskip ór Gǫrðum.
Now I mean to tell men of the career of the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges [WARRIOR], for I know it fully; let gold-breakers [GENEROUS MEN] be silent. The hater of the reptile’s home [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] was not fully eleven winters when [he], the valiant friend of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús], arrayed warships to leave Russia.
[1] reiðu: réðu 39, F, 73aˣ, Holm4, 325VII, 325V, ráða E, J2ˣ, ‘rędu’ 61, ‘tedu’ Tóm
[1] reiðu ‘the career’: Reiða covers a wide semantic range. This translation, like Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson’s sýsla, iðja ‘activity’ (ÍF 28), assumes that attention is here focussed on Magnús’s deeds, but reiða can also refer to a man’s material splendour, often manifested in generous entertainment or equipping of retainers.