Bjóz þá skolli í ból sitt fara;
beit hann helstingi hart til bana.
Þar mun hann verða þjófr afgamall
líf að láta; lokið er kvæði.
Þá bjóz skolli fara í ból sitt; helstingi beit hann hart til bana. Þar mun hann verða að láta líf, afgamall þjófr; lokið er kvæði.
Then the fox prepared to go into his den; mortal pain bit him hard to death. There he has to end his life, the ancient thief; the poem is finished.
[5] hann verða: þjófur Rask87ˣ
[5] hann verða ‘he has’: In Rask87ˣ this phrase is replaced by þjófur ‘thief’, resulting in double alliteration in this odd line, which is metrically fine but has consequences for the structure of the next two lines (see Notes to ll. 6 and 7).