Bjǫrt kveða brenna kerti
Breiðskeggs yfir leiði;
ljóss veitk at mun missa
meir hǫfðingi þeira.
Vitumat vánir betri
— vér hugðumk því brugðit —
— þollr fekk illt með ǫllu
ǫrþings — af gǫrningum.
Kveða bjǫrt kerti brenna yfir leiði Breiðskeggs; veitk, at hǫfðingi þeira mun meir missa ljóss. Vitumat betri vánir af gǫrningum; vér hugðumk brugðit því; þollr ǫrþings fekk illt með ǫllu.
They say bright candles are burning above Breiðskeggr’s grave; I know that their chieftain may rather be lacking in light. We [I] do not know that he has better expectations from his undertakings; we [I] thought an end had been put to that; the tree of the arrow-assembly [BATTLE > WARRIOR] was wretched in all respects.
[4] meir hǫfðingi þeira: meiri þǫrf ok þeira 81a
[4] meir (adv.) ‘rather’: This adv. can mean ‘rather, later, still’ (see Fritzner: meirr). Skj B translates it as senere ‘later’ and takes it to mean that Breiðskeggr will be deprived of heavenly light in the after-life. That interpretation is possible (referring to the impending Judgement day when Breiðskeggr will miss out on eternal life and go to the place of darkness). Alternatively, since he is already dead, the cl. can also refer to the fact that there is no light at the place he is currently (namely, in hell), and that is the interpretation adopted in the present edn.