Setti jarl, sás atti,
ógnfróðr, á lǫg stóði
hrefnis, hôva stafna
hót Sigvalda at móti.
Margr skalf hlumr, en hvergi
huggendr bana uggðu,
þeirs gôtu sæ slíta,
sárgamms, blǫðum ára.
Ógnfróðr jarl, sás atti stóði hrefnis á lǫg, setti hôva stafna hót at móti Sigvalda. Margr hlumr skalf, en huggendr sárgamms, þeirs gôtu slíta sæ blǫðum ára, uggðu hvergi bana.
The battle-wise jarl, who urged the stud-horses of the strake [SHIPS] onto the sea, directed high stems somewhat against Sigvaldi. Many an oar-handle trembled, but the comforters of the wound-vulture [RAVEN/EAGLE > WARRIORS], who tore the sea with the blades of oars, feared death not at all.
[3] hôva: hára J1ˣ, ‘harra’ 61, 54, Bb
[3] hôva ‘high’: J1ˣ has ‘hara’ and 61ˣ, 54ˣ and Bb have ‘harra’, which could point to the gen. pl. form hára as a variant of háva (see ANG §430 Anm. 3). The resulting phrase hót háva/hára stafna ‘the threat of high stems’ can be construed as the direct object of setti, as tentatively suggested in ÍF 26 (see Note to l. 4 hót below).