Ǫrt rauð Óláfr snyrtis
egg; gall hjǫrr við leggi;
dunði bitr á brynjur
brandr; skôru spjǫr randir.
Bitu rammslegin rimmu
reyr; knôttu ben dreyra;
ferð, þars fylkir barðisk,
fell; hné drótt at velli.
Óláfr rauð ǫrt egg snyrtis; hjǫrr gall við leggi; bitr brandr dunði á brynjur; spjǫr skôru randir. Rammslegin reyr rimmu bitu; ben knôttu dreyra; ferð fell, þars fylkir barðisk; drótt hné at velli.
Óláfr swiftly reddened the sword’s edge; the sword rang against legs; the sharp blade resounded against byrnies; spears cut shields. Hard-hammered reeds of battle [SWORDS] bit; wounds bled; the company fell where the ruler fought; the retinue sank to the ground.
[1] snyrtis (m. gen. sg.) ‘the sword’s’: Skj B emends to snyrti (m. acc. sg.) ‘sword’ as the object of rauð ‘reddened’. That reading is in violation of the metrical peculiarity illustrated by álagsháttr (see NN §2084). For snyrtir ‘sword’ see Note to st. 67/5.