Heiðinn vildi herr of síðir
hǫmlu vígs ór porti gǫmlu;
urðu þeir, es virki vǫrðu
vangi næst, á hǫnd at ganga.
Heiðinn herr hǫmlu vígs vildi of síðir ór gǫmlu porti; þeir, es vǫrðu virki næst vangi, urðu at ganga á hǫnd.
The heathen host of the staff of battle [SPEAR] wished [to escape] at last from the old stronghold; those who defended the fort nearest the plain had to submit.
[4] vangi: vængi 180b
[4] vangi ‘the plain’: In Skj B this is taken as the base-word in a kenning for ‘shield’, vangi hǫmlu vígs ‘plain of the stake of battle [SPEAR > SHIELD]’ (ll. 2, 4) which functions instrumentally with the verb phrase vǫrðu virki ‘defended the fort (with the shield)’ (l. 3). Given Markús’s apparent preference for syntactic units corresponding to single ll. or couplets, and his sparing use of tvíkennt kennings, the reading offered above (as in ÍF 35 and Skald; see NN §917) is preferable.