Hermart hví kveðum ortu
hugdyggs of son Tryggva
handbáls hnykkilunda
hreins ok flokka eina?
Hallfreðr Hǫrða stilli
hríðǫflgum vann smíðat
hjǫrgráps hugða drôpu
hróðrargjarn ok Bjarni.
Hví kveðum hnykkilunda hreins handbáls ortu hermart of son hugdyggs Tryggva ok eina flokka? Hróðrargjarn Hallfreðr vann smíðat hríðǫflgum hjǫrgráps stilli Hǫrða hugða drôpu, ok Bjarni.
Why do we say that moving trees of the pure hand-fire [GOLD > MEN] composed a great deal about the son of the mind-brave Tryggvi [= Óláfr] and only flokkar? Praise-eager Hallfreðr forged an agreeable drápa for the ruler of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Óláfr], powerful in the onslaught of the sword-hail [BATTLE], and [so did] Bjarni.
[6, 7] hríðǫflgum hjǫrgráps ‘powerful in the onslaught of the sword-hail [BATTLE]’: Lit. ‘onslaught-powerful of the sword-hail’. Hríð ‘storm, onslaught’ apparently contributes to the description of Óláfr’s fierceness in battle, yet although it is very often used in battle-kennings, it is not an element in the kenning hjǫrgráps ‘sword-hail [BATTLE]’, as gráp ‘hail, hail-shower’ is already a sufficient base-word. Since hríð can refer to a particular phase or onslaught in a battle it may have that sense here; see Note to st. 17/7 and LP: hríð 2.