Víkverjum galt
— varð þannig hallt —
gǫrræði gramr
gjafmildr ok framr.
Flest folk varð hrætt,
áðr fengi sætt,
en gjǫldin jók,
sás gísla tók.
Gramr, gjafmildr ok framr, galt Víkverjum gǫrræði; þannig varð hallt. Flest folk varð hrætt, áðr fengi sætt, en, sás tók gísla, jók gjǫldin.
The ruler, generous and outstanding, repaid the Víkverjar for their unlawful ways; things accordingly went awry. Most people were afraid before they reached a settlement, but he who took hostages increased the payments.
[7] en gjǫldin jók: en gísla tók Kˣ, F, Hr, en gíslar tók E, J2ˣ, 42ˣ, H
[7] en ‘but’: Kock (NN §3107; Skald) emends to gǫrt ‘completely’ to achieve double alliteration. That emendation is not supported by the ms. witnesses, and it violates the w. o. in an independent cl. (the finite verb then occurs in syntactic position 3).