Veitti dýrðar dróttinn
dáðvandr gjafar anda;
(môl kynnask þau) mǫnnum
máttigs (framir vátta).
Þá reis upp, sús einum,
alþýð, guði hlýðir,
— hæstr skjǫldungr býðr hauldum
himinvistar til — kristni.
Dáðvandr dróttinn dýrðar veitti mǫnnum gjafar máttigs anda; framir kynnask þau môl vátta. Þá reis alþýð kristni upp, sús hlýðir einum guði; hæstr skjǫldungr býðr hauldum til himinvistar.
The carefully-acting lord of glory [= God] gave to men the gifts of the mighty spirit; excellent men study those sayings of witnesses [SCRIPTURES]. Then universal Christendom rose up, that obeys one God; the highest prince invites men to heavenly hospitality.
[1] dýrðar ‘of glory’: Dýrðar can be construed with either dróttinn ‘Lord’ (l. 1) or váttr ‘witness’ (l. 4). Dróttinn dýrðar ‘Lord of glory’ would be analogous to the Scriptural ‘Lord of glory’ (1 Cor. II.8) and ‘king of glory’ (Ps. XXIII.7-10). The syntax of the helmingr supports this interpretation, and is adopted here, but dýrðar váttr as a kenning for martyr is attested later in Geisl (62/3) and in Anon Pl 26/3.