Ádám sá, þann alt í heimi
orði skóp í gaungu forðum;
þenna kiendi Stephánus standa
stórum vitr og spámenn sitja.
Reiði tala hans bækr sem blíðu
brögnum jafnt sem hryggð og fögnuð
ástargnótt með öðrum háttum
ýta kyns, þeim er guðdóm lýta.
Ádám sá forðum í gaungu, þann skóp alt í heimi orði; stórum vitr Stephánus kiendi þenna standa og spámenn sitja. Bækr tala brögnum reiði hans sem blíðu, ástargnótt jafnt sem hryggð og fögnuð með öðrum háttum kyns ýta, þeim er lýta guðdóm.
Adam once saw walking along that one who created everything in the world by means of a word; greatly wise Stephen recognised him standing and prophets [saw him] sit. Books speak to men of his anger as well as his kindness, an abundance of love equally with sorrow and joy along with other characteristics of the race of men that demean the Godhead.
[3-4] stórum vitr Stephánus kiendi þenna standa ‘greatly wise Stephen recognised him standing’: The reference is to Acts VI, in which a certain deacon named Stephen, a man of wisdom and faith (VI.6), rails against persecutors of the infant Church and has a vision of heaven in which he sees Jesus standing on God’s right hand (Acts VII.55-6). Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) gives the name in the form Stéfánús, Kock (Skald) as Stefánús, but there is no reason to depart from W’s spelling with <ph>. Length has been judged here to be on the penultimate syllable (cf. ModIcel. Stefán) in a Type A-line, positions 5-6, treated as disyllabic with resolution in position 1.