Vasa sunnudag, svanni,
— seggr hné margr und eggjar —
morgin þann, sem manni
mær lauk eða ǫl bæri,
þás Sveinn konungr sína
saman tengja bað drengi
— hrátt gafsk hold at slíta
hrafni — skeiðar stafna.
Svanni, vasa þann morgin, sunnudag, sem mær bæri manni lauk eða ǫl — margr seggr hné und eggjar —, þás Sveinn konungr bað drengi sína tengja saman stafna skeiðar; hrátt hold gafsk hrafni at slíta.
Lady, on that morning, a Sunday, it was not as if a maiden was bringing a man leek or ale — many a man sank down beneath blades — when King Sveinn ordered his warriors to join together the stems of the longship; raw flesh was given to the raven to tear.
[1] sunnudag ‘a Sunday’: That the battle was fought on a Sunday, i.e. that sunnudag modifies the main clause, is the most natural interpretation and is the understanding of Snorri Sturluson (see Context). Alternatively, the word could conceivably be taken with the sem-clause in ll. 3-4, so that the battle is not fought on a Sunday, but is contrasted with pleasant relaxation on a Sunday.