Þora munk þann arm verja,
— þats ekkju munr nekkvat —
— rjóðum vér af reiði
rǫnd — es í hlýtk standa.
Gengra greppr inn ungi
gunnblíðr, þars slǫg ríða,
— herða menn at morði
mót — á hæl fyr spjótum.
Munk þora verja þann arm, es hlýtk standa í; þats nekkvat munr ekkju; rjóðum vér rǫnd af reiði. Inn ungi greppr gengra gunnblíðr á hæl fyr spjótum, þars slǫg ríða; menn herða mót at morði.
I shall dare to defend that rank in which I am placed; that seems to be the wish of the widow; let us redden the shield-rim with rage. The young poet shall not take to his heels, battle-cheered, before spears where weapons swing; men will intensify hostile encounters in the battle.
[7] herða menn at morði: ‘mitt rað er þat mæitit’ DG8
[7] at morði ‘in the battle’: Unlike in prose, where morð denotes ‘murder’ (see Fritzner: morð), the word is used in poetry for ‘battle, fighting, killing’ (LP: morð). Skj B connects the prepositional phrase with the previous cl. (‘where weapons swing in the battle’). That construction creates an awkward w. o. (see NN §806, and, following Kock, so also ÍF 28; ÍF 29).