Hjoggu øxar eggjum
ugglaust hvatir glugga
— því vas nennt — á nýju
Norðmenn í kaf borði.
Eyðendr sôu yðrar
arnar hungrs á jǫrnum
vágfýl*ingi vélar;
vígskǫrð ofan bǫrðuð.
Hvatir Norðmenn hjoggu ugglaust glugga á nýju borði í kaf eggjum øxar; því vas nennt. Eyðendr hungrs arnar sôu vélar yðrar á jǫrnum vágfýl*ingi; bǫrðuð vígskǫrð ofan.
The brave Norwegians fearlessly struck openings in the new ship-side under the water with the edges of the axe; that was accomplished with vigour. The destroyers of the eagle’s hunger [WARRIORS] saw your cunning [standing] on the irons of the sea-fulmar [SHIP]; you struck embrasures in the upper part.
[8] vígskǫrð ‘embrasures’: Lit. ‘battle-openings’. The word is attested in poetry only here. A vígskarð was an opening in the palisades or walls of a fortress through which the defenders could shoot at the enemy (see LP: vígskarð; Fritzner: vígskarð). Finnur’s translation skanser ‘earthworks, fortifications’ (see Note to l. 6 above) is not quite clear.