Meistarliga vann mentir leystar
mærin glödd af himna röddu
allar þær, er öflgir þollar
öglis stiettar hána friettu.
Spektarlauss bað spekinga þessa
spennir málms í eldi brenna,
riettvís mærin — ræsir þótti
reiðuligr — þann hvern, er sigrar.
Mærin, glödd af röddu himna, vann meistarliga allar þær mentir leystar, er öflgir þollar öglis stiettar friettu hána. Spektarlauss spennir málms bað þann hvern spekinga þessa, er riettvís mærin sigrar, brenna í eldi; ræsir þótti reiðuligr.
The maiden, gladdened by the voice from the heavens, masterfully gave answers to all of the learned questions, which the strong fir-trees of the snake’s path [GOLD > MEN] asked her. The unwise clasper of metal [MAN = Maxentius] requested that each of these sages, over whom the righteous maiden wins victory, should be burned in a fire; the king seemed angry.
[3-4] öflgir þollar öglis stiettar ‘the strong fir-trees of the snake’s path [GOLD > MEN]’: In skaldic poetry the base-word öglir invariably means ‘hawk’, but it took on the changed meaning ‘snake’ in the compositions of rímur-poets (cf. Finnur Jónsson 1926-8, 418), and must be understood in that sense here and in 15/8 öglis tún, 33/2 öglis ness and 45/7 öglis túna.
case: nom.
number: pl.