Meyjar bað men-Týr
mætrar; sá er fágiætr;
hljótr fekk við hryggbrot
hásætrs votar nætr.
Krafti var ok konu sviftr
kauði; var hann þess trauðr;
slík gjöraz mál mjó
mærðar í skaup færð.
Men-Týr – sá er fágiætr – bað mætrar meyjar; hljótr hásætrs fekk votar nætr við hryggbrot. Kauði var sviftr krafti ok konu; hann var trauðr þess; slík mjó mál gjöraz færð í skaup mærðar.
The Týr <god> of the neck-ring [MAN] – he’s a rare one – asked for [the hand of] a splendid girl; the receiver of the rowing-bench [SEAFARER] had wet nights on account of the refusal. The wretch was deprived of strength and the woman; he was averse to this; such slight affairs get mocked in verse.
[7] mjó ‘slight’: Lit. ‘thin’. Kock (Skald; Metr. §29) suggests emending mjó to mjúk ‘soft, gentle’, in order to restore skothending, although this is less appropriate semantically (cf. Finnur Jónsson 1934a, 60). Emendation of slík ‘such’ (n. nom. pl. adj.) to svá ‘thus’ (adv.) would be a preferable alternative.