Hlýð, manngǫfugr, minni
myrkblás, þvít kannk yrkja;
finnum yðr ok annan,
allvaldr, konung fallinn.
Þat telk, garms ok Gauta
glaðnistanda misstak,
dǫglings verk at dýrka,
dýrr þengill, mitt lengi.
Hlýð, manngǫfugr, minni myrkblás, þvít kannk yrkja; finnum yðr, allvaldr, ok annan fallinn konung. Þat telk mitt at dýrka verk dǫglings lengi, dýrr þengill, ok misstak glaðnistanda garms Gauta.
Listen, noble with your retinue, to the recollection of the dark black one [Óttarr], because I know how to compose; we [I] come to you, mighty ruler, and another worthy king. I reckon it my [task] to glorify the work of the prince for a long time, precious ruler, and I have lost the glad feeder of the hound of Gauti <= Óðinn> [WOLF > WARRIOR = Óláfr Eiríksson].
[2] kannk ‘I know how to’: Tóm reads ek kann ‘I know how to’, with typical scribal addition of a pron. subject producing a hypermetric line. The present edn, with Skald, normalises to kannk, but the original reading could have been 3rd pers. sg. kann, which would be suitable in the light of Óttarr’s apparent 3rd-pers. reference to himself in myrkblás ‘of the dark black one’ (cf. Note above).