Nisti ferð í frosti
fárlunduð við tré sáran
— vasa hann verðugr písla —
várn græðara járnum.
Glymr varð hár af hömrum
heyrðr, þá er nagla keyrðu
hjálms gnýviðir hilmi
hófs í ristr ok lófa.
Fárlunduð ferð nisti várn sáran græðara járnum við tré í frosti; hann vasa verðugr písla. Hár glymr varð heyrðr af hömrum, þá er hjálms gnýviðir keyrðu nagla í ristr ok lófa hilmi hófs.
A harm-minded host nailed our wounded Saviour with irons to the tree in the frost; he was not deserving of torment. High clanging was heard from hammers, when the trees of the din of the helmet [(lit. ‘din-trees of the helmet’) BATTLE > WARRIORS] drove nails into the insteps and palms of the prince of moderation [VIRTUOUS RULER = Christ].
[7] hjálms gnýviðir ‘trees of the din of the helmet [lit. din-trees of the helmet] [BATTLE > WARRIORS]’: The kenning draws together each dominant image of the st.: the glymr ‘clanging’ of the hammers, the tree (tré) of the Cross, and the hilmir ‘prince [lit. helmet-granter]’ who is Christ. The relationship of hjálms ‘helmet’s’ and hilmi ‘prince, helmeter’ at either end of the l. is underscored not only by alliteration but also through polyptoton, the close repetition of a word or stem but in different form. Cf. Glúmr Gráf 4/1I.