Hvat er þat dýra, er Dönum hlífir,
berr blóðugt bak, en bergr firum,
geirum mætir, gefr líf sumum,
leggr við lófa lík sitt guma?
Heiðrekr konungr, hyggðu at gátu.
Hvat er þat dýra, er hlífir Dönum, berr blóðugt bak, en bergr firum, mætir geirum, gefr sumum líf, leggr lík sitt við lófa guma? Heiðrekr konungr, hyggðu at gátu.
What is that creature, that protects Danes, bears a bloody back, but saves men, meets spears, gives life to some, lays its body against the palm of a man? King Heiðrekr, think about the riddle.
[2] hlífir: skemma R715ˣ
[2] hlífir Dönum ‘protects Danes’: Ms. R715ˣ has Danir skemma ‘the Danes damage’, although in the prose solution (Heiðr 1924, 138), hann skeina Danir opt ‘the Danes scratch him often’. Either (skemma or skeina) provides an acceptable alternative. ‘Danes’ should perhaps be understood as men in general (Heiðr 1956, 81 n. to p. 45, l. 4).