Enn vildu þá einkum
ǫldurmenn, at skyldu
— slíkt eru yrkisefni —
ágæta sér leita.
Ok haukligar hefja
heitstrengingar gátu;
eigi segik, at ýta
ǫlteiti var lítil.
Enn vildu ǫldurmenn þá einkum, at skyldu leita sér ágæta; slíkt eru yrkisefni. Ok gátu hefja haukligar heitstrengingar; eigi segik, at ǫlteiti ýta var lítil.
Further, the leaders then wished especially that they should seek fame for themselves; such matters are material for a poem. And they made hawk-like vows; I do not say that the ale-cheer of men was meagre.
[2] ǫldurmenn ‘the leaders’: The three instances of this word in skaldic poetry are all C12th or later. The word is an adoption either from OE (so LP: ǫldurmaðr) or from MLG (so AEW: ǫldurmaðr).