Sagt var, at sunnan heldu
snyrtimenn of hrannir
— kaldr dreif marr á meiða
morðbáls — skipastóli.
Lǫmðu héldir húfar
— hríð kannaði lýði —
— gnúði svalr á sýju
sær — ísugar bárur.
Sagt var, at snyrtimenn heldu skipastóli sunnan of hrannir; kaldr marr dreif á meiða morðbáls; héldir húfar lǫmðu ísugar bárur; hríð kannaði lýði; svalr sær gnúði á sýju.
It was said that the fine men sailed their fleet of ships from the south across the waves; the cold sea drove against the poles of the battle-fire [SWORD > WARRIORS]; the rime-covered hulls beat the icy waves; the storm tested the men; the chill sea roared against the planking.
[7] sýju ‘the planking’: Originally ‘seam, joining’; cf. sýja ‘to sew’, probably referring to a row of rivets joining the strakes together, and hence the planking and perhaps, by pars pro toto, the whole ship (see AEW: sýja 1, 2; Þul Skipa 5/3III and Note).