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.
[5, 6] haukligar heitstrengingar ‘hawk-like vows’: On ‘hawk’ imagery see Note to st. 8/8. The 61 variant is the sup. ‘most hawk-like’, while haukliga in 54, Bb could be adverbial, ‘in a hawk-like way’.