Oflǫskvan hǫfum œsku
aldr várn spanit sjaldan
— barkat blóm á verkum
bráðgǫrt — frá ódôðum,
ítr, þás opt á móti
ófríð risu blíðum,
mærðvinnandi manna,
mín verk boðum þínum.
Hǫfum sjaldan spanit várn oflǫskvan aldr œsku frá ódôðum — barkat bráðgǫrt blóm á verkum —, þás ófríð verk mín risu opt á móti þínum blíðum boðum, ítr mærðvinnandi manna.
We [I] have rarely enticed our [my] lazy age of youth away from misdeeds — I did not bear easily ripened fruit on account of my deeds —, when my ugly deeds often rose against your friendly commands, glorious praise-winner of men [= God].
[1] hǫfum: ‘ho᷎f’ B
[1] hǫfum ‘we [I] have’: B reads ‘ho᷎f’, Rydberg (1907, 21 n. 11) noting the possible presence of a nasal stroke over ‘f’, and Skj A presuming its existence. 399a-bˣ, followed by Sveinbjörn Egilsson and Kempff, interprets the sign as an accent. Skj A suggests reconstruction to hǫfum, which is adopted by Skald, Black and here.