‘Vilja hǫlðar hylja brunna,
þás flestum hal fjǫrspell gera.
En, þats lýðir á lǫg bera,
alt verðr at ǫðru, en áðr séi:
grund at grjóti, grjót at vatni,
viðr at ǫsku, en af ǫsku vatn.
‘Hǫlðar vilja hylja brunna, þás gera flestum hal fjǫrspell. En, þats lýðir bera á lǫg, verðr alt at ǫðru, en áðr séi: grund at grjóti, grjót at vatni, viðr at ǫsku, en vatn af ǫsku.
‘Men will want to cover up the springs that cause death for most people. But all that men carry to the water will turn to something other than it was previously: earth to stone, stone to water, wood to ash, and water from ash.
[5] þats: þat Hb
[5] þats ‘that’: Lit. ‘that which’. Emended in Skj B (followed by Skald and Merl 2012, the latter reading er) from ms. þat (refreshed).