Blies um hváfta hása
höfuðskrípamanns pípa.
Pípa höfuðskrípamanns blies um hása hváfta.
The lead minstrel’s flute blew across his hoarse cheeks.
[1] um hása hváfta ‘across his hoarse cheeks’: Hvaptr (so Máni Lv 3/8II, assured by rhyme) or hváptr (cf. LP: hvaptr) usually refers to the front part of the mouth or the cheeks. It is probably pl. here in imitation of the Lat. buccas ‘cheeks’. The use of the prep. um ‘through, across’ here may possibly suggest the use of a transverse rather than a duct flute (cf. Mayer Brown Flute §II.4, Grove Music Online).