Yfirhilding biðk aldar
einn hróðtǫlu beina*
mér, þanns mestum stýrir
mætti, hverrar ættar,
þvít veglyndum vanda
vin þínum skalk, Rínar,
brag, þeims bjartleyg fǫgrum
bauð ótta, goð dróttinn.
Biðk einn yfirhilding hverrar ættar aldar, þanns stýrir mestum mætti, beina* mér hróðtǫlu, þvít skalk vanda brag, goð dróttinn, veglyndum vin þínum, þeims bauð ótta fǫgrum bjartleyg Rínar.
I ask the sole overlord of every family of men [= God], he who wields most power, to set praiseful speech in motion for me, because I shall fashion poetry, Lord God, about your high-minded friend, he who struck fear into the beautiful bright flame of the Rhine [GOLD].
[2] beina* ‘set in motion’: Of all the possible explanations of ms. beinar, including f. nom. pl. of adj. beinn ‘straight’ or nom. pl. of beini m. ‘help, hospitality’, none fits the helmingr’s sense or syntax. Sveinbjörn Egilsson’s emendation (1832, 7) to the verb beina ‘set in motion, steer, direct’ is accepted by all subsequent eds. Biðk ... beina ‘I ask ... to direct’ also occurs in Anon Hafg 2/1-2IV.