Senn jósum vér, svanni,
sextán, þás brim vexti,
— dreif á hlaðna húfa
húm — í fjórum rúmum.
Vættik miðr, at motti
myni enn þinig nenna;
þó lætr Gerðr í Gǫrðum
gollhrings við mér skolla.
Vér jósum, svanni, sextán senn í fjórum rúmum, þás brim vexti; húm dreif á hlaðna húfa. Vættik miðr, at motti myni enn nenna þinig; þó lætr Gerðr gollhrings í Gǫrðum skolla við mér.
We bailed, woman, sixteen at a time in four rowing-stations, when the surf increased; sea-spray battered the loaded hull. I hardly think a sluggard will ever head there; yet the Gerðr <goddess> of the gold ring [WOMAN] in Russia ridicules me.
[2] vexti ‘increased’: This is 3rd pers. sg. pret. indic. of the weak verb vexa lit. ‘cause to increase’ used impersonally with brim ‘surf’ as the object. Fexti ‘crested’ (so Tˣ, A) is possible (and adopted in Skj B, Skald), but the ms. witnesses show that it hardly represents the original reading.