Hjuggu vér með hjörvi.
Hitt tel ek jafnt, at gangi
at samtogi sverða
sveinn í móti einum.
Hrøkkvi ei þegn fyrir þegni;
þat var drengs aðal lengi;
æ skal ástvinr meyja
einarðr í dyn sverða.
Hjuggu vér með hjörvi. Hitt tel ek jafnt, at sveinn gangi í móti einum at samtogi sverða. Hrøkkvi ei þegn fyrir þegni; þat var lengi aðal drengs; ástvinr meyja skal æ einarðr í dyn sverða.
We hewed with the sword. This I consider fair, that one lad should go against another at the drawing together of swords [BATTLE]. One warrior should not give way to another; that was always the nature of a hero; the dear friend of maidens [LOVER] should always be resolute in the din of swords [BATTLE].
[4] sveinn í móti einum: ‘sueinn at moti einum’ 147(103r), ‘Sveirn j mote sveine’ 6ˣ, ‘Sueinum i móte einum’ R693ˣ
[4] einum ‘another’: This is the m. dat. sg. of einn ‘one’, here used substantivally in the sense of ‘another one’. This reading has been adopted in previous eds from Finnur Jónsson (1893b) onwards, while 6ˣ’s sveini, which produces two alliterating staves in an even line, was adopted by earlier eds up to and including Wisén (1886-9).