Vakit frák víg á Stikla-
(víðlendr) -stǫðum síðan
(Innþrœndum lét undir
almreyrs lituðr dreyra).
Heims þessa frák hvassan
— hvatir felldu gram skatnar —
— þeir drýgðu bǫl — brigðu
branddríf numinn lífi.
Síðan frák vakit víg á Stiklastǫðum; víðlendr lituðr almreyrs lét undir Innþrœndum dreyra. Frák hvassan branddríf numinn brigðu lífi þessa heims; hvatir skatnar felldu gram; þeir drýgðu bǫl.
Then I heard that a battle broke out at Stiklestad; the widely-landed reddener of the elm-reed [ARROW > WARRIOR] caused the wounds of the Innþrœndir to bleed. I heard that the brave sword-driver [WARRIOR] was taken from the transitory life of this world; rash men killed the king; they committed evil.
[1, 2] Stiklastǫðum ‘Stiklestad’: The battle of Stiklestad, in Verdalen, Trøndelag, at which Óláfr lost his life, took place on 29 July 1030. The p. n. occurs with tmesis every time it appears in poetry, doubtless because of the double alliteration on ‘st’, which would require resolution of the two short syllables (-staðir), impossible in position 3 in skaldic poetry before C14th.