Stef skal hátt — né hætta
hykk enn tǫlu dyggva —
fljótt, ef finna mættak
fríð orð, goði smíðat.
Lúta englar ítrum
óttlaust ok lið dróttni;
einn es siklingr sunnu
setrs hvívetna betri.
Hátt stef skal smíðat goði fljótt, ef mættak finna fríð orð; né hykk enn hætta dyggva tǫlu. Englar ok lið lúta óttlaust ítrum dróttni; siklingr setrs sunnu es einn betri hvívetna.
A loud refrain shall be made quickly for God, if I am able to find beautiful words; nor do I yet intend to desist from good speech. Angels and people bow down fearlessly before the glorious Lord; the king of the seat of the sun [SKY/HEAVEN > = God] is alone better than everything else.
[7-8] siklingr setrs sunnu ‘prince of the seat of the sun [SKY/HEAVEN > = God]’: Cf. the God-kennings Has 13/6-8: vísi setrs sunnu ‘king of the seat of the sun’, and 49/5-8: harri setrs sunnu ‘ruler of the seat of the sun’. Cf. the heaven-kenning Geisl 3/2-4: setrs rǫðuls ‘of the seat of the sun’. In each case, setrs provides the hǫfuðstafr. Konungr élsetrs ‘king of the storm-seat’ (Has 20/8) is also on the same model, and the same concept informs dǫglingr stóls sólar ‘king of the seat of the sun’ (Leið 1/5-6).
case: nom.