Branda hlynr má eingi undra,
— Ögustínus rieð slíkt að tína
lýða sveit — að mær og móðir
mildum lausnara fylgja vildi.
Treysti eg því, og trúir það presta*
tíginn valdr, að skildiz aldri
ágætt sprund, er Júðar píndu
eingason, við himna þeingil.
Eingi hlynr branda má undra, að mær og móðir vildi fylgja mildum lausnara; Ögustínus rieð að tína sveit lýða slíkt. Eg treysti því, og tíginn valdr presta* trúir það, að ágætt sprund skildiz aldri við þeingil himna, er Júðar píndu eingason.
No maple of swords [WARRIOR] can marvel that the Virgin and mother wanted to accompany the merciful redeemer; Augustine told such to a host of people. I trust in that, and the esteemed ruler of priests [BISHOP = Augustine] believes it, that the splendid woman never parted from the lord of the heavens [= God (= Christ)] when the Jews tortured her only son.
[5] presta*: prestar 713
[5] presta* (m. gen. pl.) ‘of priests’: In the present edn, this is the determinant in the kenning tíginn valdr presta ‘esteemed ruler of priests’ (so Skj B; Skald). For a similar kenning for ‘Augustine’, see 5/1-2. Wrightson retains the ms. reading prestar (m. nom. pl.) ‘priests’ which is treated as a form of address. According to that interpretation, tíginn valdr ‘esteemed ruler’ refers to Augustine, translated as ‘I, a noble ruler’ as the subject of trúi ‘believe’. It is unlikely that Augustine would refer to himself as an ‘esteemed ruler’, and, furthermore, he is said to have addressed a host of people (sveit lýða, l. 3), not priests. Wrightson alternatively interprets the phrase as a form of address.