Leið um langar tíðir;
lundr fór burt frá sprundi
auðs, því að arfrinn fríði,
alsæmdr, honum tæmdiz.
Burgeis var hann í borgum
brátt og nógligt átti
gull, en guðvefs þellu
gleymdi hann nú með eymdum.
Leið um langar tíðir; alsæmdr lundr auðs fór burt frá sprundi, því að arfrinn fríði tæmdiz honum. Hann var brátt burgeis í borgum og átti nógligt gull, en þellu guðvefs gleymdi hann nú með eymdum.
Long times passed; the very honourable tree of wealth [MAN] went away from the woman because a [lit. the] fair inheritance was allotted him. He was soon a citizen in the cities and owned plenty of gold, but the fir of precious cloth [WOMAN] he now forgot miserably [lit. with miseries].
[4] alsæmdr (m. nom. sg.) ‘the very honourable’: This adj. could technically also modify arfrinn fríði ‘a fair inheritance’, but it is better applied to the man (lundr auðs ‘the tree of wealth’, ll. 2, 3) as an honorific attributive used in an ironic manner (cf. his less than honourable behaviour described in the second helmingr).