Vígf Hák 1I/7 — danskra ‘of the Danish’
Varðat hœgt, þás hurðir
hjǫrklofnar sák rofna
(hôtt sǫng Hǫgna) Geitis,
(hregg) til Vagns at leggja.
Þar gengum vér, þrøngvar
þunníss, í bǫð, Gunnar,
(strǫng vas) danskra drengja
(darra flaug) til knarrar.
Varðat hœgt at leggja til Vagns, þás sák hjǫrklofnar hurðir Geitis rofna; hregg Hǫgna sǫng hôtt. Þar gengum vér í bǫð til knarrar danskra drengja, þrøngvar þunníss Gunnar; flaug darra vas strǫng.
It was not easy to attack Vagn, when I saw the sword-riven doors of Geitir <sea-king> [SHIELDS] split; the storm of Hǫgni <legendary hero> [BATTLE] sang loudly. There we advanced into battle towards the vessel of the Danish warriors, forcers of the slender ice of Gunnr <valkyrie> [SWORD > WARRIORS]; the flight of spears was mighty.
notes
[7] danskra drengja ‘of the Danish warriors’: This phrase could instead be taken with darra flaug ‘flight of spears’ (l. 8), as by Kock in Skald and NN §386, though Kock does not rule out the arrangement above, which is adopted by most eds. Jesch (2001a, 130, cf. 232) finds the use of the word drengr to refer to opponents ‘rather odd’ since in early usage it generally refers to fellow-warriors on the same side, and she counts the stanza’s authenticity as ‘doubtful on other grounds’, but drengr could be honorific, showing how tough the opposition was. An ironic use of drengr is possible (e.g. Þvíðf Lv 1/2IV), but unlikely here. On the word, see Jesch (2001a, 216-32) and Goetting (2006).