Fleygði á folkstígu
forðum aurborða
mætum margnýtum
malmi gollhjalmi.
Sungu svanvengis
snótir raustljótar
hátt of hafbeittum
hjalmi Serksalma.
Forðum fleygði mætum, margnýtum malmi, gollhjalmi, á folkstígu aurborða. Raustljótar snótir svanvengis sungu Serksalma hátt of hafbeittum hjalmi.
Of old, he flung the precious, highly beneficial metal, the gold helmet, onto the main paths of ship-boards [SEA]. The ugly-voiced women of the swan-meadow [SEA > WAVES] sang Saracen-psalms above the sea-bitten helmet.
[1] á folk‑: ‘as ole’ papp25ˣ, ‘as Ole’ R683ˣ
[1] folkstígu (m. acc. pl.) ‘the main paths’: Taken here as main roads where people (fólk) travel (synonymous with þjóðvegr ‘main road’, see Fritzner: þjóðvegr), but it could also mean ‘war-paths’ if folk is taken in the meaning ‘army’ or ‘battle’ (so Holtsmark, Hl 1941, 78).