Erat sem ekkja
á þik vili drekka,
björt baugvara
biði nær fara.
Sölt eru augu,
sitkak í laugu;
bálskorð arma,
bítr mér í hvarma.
Erat sem ekkja vili drekka á þik, björt baugvara biði fara nær. Augu eru sölt, sitkak í laugu; arma bálskorð, bítr mér í hvarma.
It it not as if a woman would want to drink to you, [or that] a bright ring-bearer [WOMAN] would ask [you] to come close. [My] eyes are salty, I am not sitting in a bath; prop of the fire of arms [(lit. ‘fire-prop of arms’) GOLD > WOMAN], my eye-lids are stinging.
[4] fara nær ‘to come close’: Or possibly ‘to come closer’, as nær could be either positive or comparative degree of the adv. nær. Skj B emends the line to biði vel fara ‘and wishes you a good journey’. Frið 1901, 21 n. suggests the phrase might mean ‘wish you success’.