Valfasta, bjótt vestan,
veðrǫrr, tváa knǫrru;
hætt hafið ér í ótta
opt, skjǫldunga þopti.
Næði straumr, ef stœði,
strangr kaupskipum angra,
innanborðs, á unnum,
erringar lið verra.
Valfasta veðrǫrr, bjótt tváa knǫrru vestan; þopti skjǫldunga, ér hafið opt hætt í ótta. Strangr straumr næði angra kaupskipum á unnum, ef verra lið erringar stœði innanborðs.
Brisk in the weather of the fire of the slain [(lit. ‘weather-brisk of the slain-fire’) SWORD > BATTLE], you prepared two cargo-ships from the west; benchmate of kings [RULER], you have often ventured into danger. The strong current would have been able to trouble the merchant-ships on the waves if a crew poorer in vigour had stood on board.
[2] knǫrru ‘cargo-ships’: On the meaning of knǫrr see Jesch (2001a, 128-32). As Jesch notes, the tradition that Óláfr returned to Norway with two merchant ships is also found in most of the prose sources, Latin as well as vernacular (ibid., 130 n. 15; McDougall and McDougall 1998, 76 n. 122).