Sigvaldi hefr setta
sjalfa oss und kylfu,
en fárhugaðr fnauði
fór heim til Danmarkar.
Hyggr í faðm at falla
fljótt vinkonu sinni,
en fyr borð it breiða
Búi gekk með hugrekki.
Sigvaldi hefr setta oss sjalfa und kylfu, en fárhugaðr fnauði fór heim til Danmarkar. Hyggr at falla fljótt í faðm vinkonu sinni, en Búi gekk fyr it breiða borð með hugrekki.
Sigvaldi has put us ourselves under the cosh, but the little-hearted coward has gone home to Denmark. He thinks to fall swiftly into the embrace of his lady-friend, but Búi has gone over the broad gunwale with courage.
[2] und kylfu ‘under the cosh’: LP: kylfa assumes an idiom setja e-n und kylfu ‘to place sby under a club’, hence ‘to put in danger’, cf. ModE under the cosh ‘under pressure or threat’, and this would fit the situation here, where Sigvaldi and Vagn are comrades.