Upp skaltu rísa ok ganga haugi af
ok sækja mína sali.
Málsefnis ann ek þér margan dag,
ef þú vilt þiggja þar.
Skaltu rísa upp ok ganga af haugi ok sækja sali mína. Ek ann þér málsefnis margan dag, ef þú vilt þiggja þar.
You must rise up and leave the mound and visit my halls. I will grant you hospitality for many a day, if you will accept it there.
[1-2]: In several mss Bǫðmóðr’s invitation consists only of a long-line comprising ll. 1-2. The only words which can alliterate are the adv. upp and the prep. af, which follows its object. Since the prep. af is the last syllable of the line but the main alliterating word (head-stave), some eds introduce or suggest emendation to ganga af Árhaugi (‘leave Árhaugr’, Edd. Min. 83 n.), eigra haugi af ‘saunter off the grave-mound’ (Skj B) or ok af ganga haugi ‘and leave the mound’ (Skald and FF §43). The same emendations are suggested or made by these eds for Ket 31/2. The only objection to the line as it appears in the mss is that the position of the head-stave does not accord with the rule that it should appear in the first stressed syllable in the second half-line (cf. von See 1967, 2; NN §2402).