Hvé launa þér þínir
þingmæltir dýrlingar
— vestr bifask rengr í rǫstum —
— reyn oss jǫfurr! — hnossir?
Hvé launa þingmæltir dýrlingar þínir þér hnossir? Vestr bifask rengr í rǫstum; reyn oss, jǫfurr!
How do your assembly-eloquent darlings repay you for your treasures? In the west, ship-frames tremble in the currents; test us, prince!
[2] þingmæltir dýrlingar: þingríkir hǫfðingjar H, Hr, Flat, 325III α, R702ˣ, þingdjarfir hǫfðingjar Bb
[2] þingmæltir dýrlingar ‘assembly-eloquent darlings’: Þingríkir hǫfðingjar ‘law-mighty chieftains’ (lit. ‘assembly-mighty chieftains’; so Orkn and H-Hr) is metrically and syntactically possible and preferred by Skj B and Skald. Also possible is þingdjarfir hǫfðingjar ‘assembly-daring chieftains’ (so Bb). Þingmæltr ‘assembly-eloquent’ is a hap. leg., and dýrlingr ‘darling’ is cognate with OE dēorling ‘favourite, minion, darling’.