Píndr er stuldr, þar er standa
stafnreiðar hímleiðir
víða, vingameiði,
viðir hjá torgi miðju.
Morð eru hjólum hörðum
hegnd, þau er illa gegndu,
þar er riett vísar ræsir
rómsæll skipun dóma.
Stuldr er píndr vingameiði, þar er hímleiðir viðir stafnreiðar standa víða hjá miðju torgi. Morð, þau er gegndu illa, eru hegnd hörðum hjólum, þar er rómsæll ræsir vísar riett skipun dóma.
Theft is punished by the windswept tree [gallows] where universally loathed trees of the prow-chariot [SHIP > SEAFARERS] stand in many places near the middle of the market-place. Murders, which were bad, are chastised by hard wheels, where the praised ruler carries out correctly the order of the courts.
[3] víða ‘in many places’: Here construed as an adv. ‘in many places, widely’. So also SnE 1848-87 and FoGT 1884. Kock (Skald and NN §2355) emends to víðum ‘wide, broad’ (adj. m. dat. sg.) to agree with vingameiði ‘windswept tree’ (l. 3), while Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) and Longo (FoGT 2004) emend to víðu (adj. n. dat. sg.) to agree with torgi ‘market place’ (l. 4). Neither emendation is necessary to make sense of the helmingr.