Rýkr um hauka í höll konungs;
ván er at drjúpi vax af söxum.
Mál er gulli ok gersimum,
hjálmum skipta með Hálfsrekkum.
Rýkr um hauka í höll konungs; ván er at vax drjúpi af söxum. Mál er skipta hjálmum, gulli ok gersimum, með Hálfsrekkum.
There is smoke around the hawks in the king’s hall; it is to be expected that wax will drip from the swords. It is time to share helmets, gold and treasures with Hálfr’s champions.
[1] rýkr um hauka ‘there is smoke around the hawks’: Here and in several other instances in the Hálf stanzas, the noun haukr (and the cpd haukmaðr) is used metaphorically to apply, not to birds of prey, but to keen, bold warriors; cf. Hálf 54/2 and 64/2. This sense is not uncommon in Old Norse poetry; cf. LP: haukr 2, Arn Hryn 3/5II and Note there.