Skeið, frák, valt at verði
Vagn með sína þegna;
ǫll váru þá þeira
þunn skip hroðin ǫnnur.
Upp náðu þar eigi
ǫðlings menn at ganga;
ofan réðu þeir ǫfga
Eireks vini keyra.
Frák, at Vagn verði skeið valt með þegna sína; ǫll ǫnnur þunn skip þeira váru þá hroðin. Menn ǫðlings náðu eigi at ganga upp þar; þeir réðu keyra ǫfga vini Eireks ofan.
I have heard that Vagn defended the warship continuously with his men; all their other narrow ships were then cleared. The prince’s [Eiríkr jarl’s] men could not board there; they [the Jómsvíkingar] managed to drive back the friends of Eiríkr from above.
[8] vini: menn at all others
[8] vini ‘the friends’: The ÓT variant menn at is also possible, since menn ‘men’ is equivalent to vini ‘friends’ and at is optional when ráða ‘determine, manage’ is used as an auxiliary with an inf., here keyra ‘drive’ (see LP: ráða 12).