Fǫður Magnúss létk fregna
folgin jǫfurs dolga
orð, þaus eyru heyrðu
ór, á svik hvé fóru.
Mál bark hvert af heilum
hug, þvít eigi brugðumk
(ek vissa þó) ossum
(ótta) lánardróttni.
Létk fǫður Magnúss fregna folgin orð dolga jǫfurs, þaus eyru ór heyrðu, hvé fóru á svik. Bark hvert mál af heilum hug, þvít eigi brugðumk lánardróttni ossum; ek vissa þó ótta.
I let Magnús’s father [= Óláfr Haraldsson] hear the hidden words of the prince’s enemies, which our [my] ears heard, how they plotted deceit. I carried each message with a candid heart, because I did not betray our liege-lord; I nonetheless knew there was danger.
[8] ótta: ótt á Hr
[7, 8] ek vissa þó ótta ‘I nonetheless knew there was danger’: Kock (NN §1114) takes this cl. to mean ‘yet I showed respect’ and connects it with lánardróttni ossum ‘for our liege-lord’ (ll. 7, 8). The verb vita is not attested in that meaning (see Fritzner: vita), however, and it is more likely that Sigvatr refers to the occasion when he put himself in danger of falling out of the king’s favour by waking him and informing him of impending treason (see ÍF 27, 121-3).