… vér sitja
(seima Guðr) at Jómi
(fǫgr rænir mik flaumi)
fimm hǫfðingja snemma.
Vel samir víst at telja
vinnur hreystimanna;
þar er of málmþings meiða
merkiliga at yrkja.
… vér … fimm hǫfðingja sitja snemma at Jómi; fǫgr Guðr seima rænir mik flaumi. Víst samir vel at telja vinnur hreystimanna; þar er at yrkja of merkiliga meiða málmþings.
We [I] … five chieftains once sat at Jómsborg; the beautiful Guðr <valkyrie> of gold [WOMAN] robs me of happiness. Certainly it is very fitting to recount the deeds of courageous men; in this case it is a matter of composing about notable poles of the weapon-assembly [BATTLE > WARRIORS].
[2] Guðr seima ‘Guðr <valkyrie> of gold [WOMAN]’: Guðr/Gunnr is fairly common in woman-kennings (Meissner 406), but in the use of this valkyrie-name, the two thematic elements of the stanza and the poem as a whole, battle and women, are appropriately conjoined. Seima (gen. pl.) is perhaps strictly ‘of gold threads’ (cf. LP: seimr).