21. Messengers sent | the mighty one then,
By land and by sea, | a host to seek,
Store of wealth | of the water's gleam,
And men to summon, | and sons of men.

22. "Bid them straightway | seek the ships,
And off Brandey | ready to be!"
There the chief waited | till thither were come
Men by hundreds | from Hethinsey.

23. Soon off Stafnsnes | stood the ships,
Fair they glided | and gay with gold;
Then Helgi spake | to Hjorleif asking:
"Hast thou counted | the gallant host?"

24. The young king answered | the other then:
"Long were it to tell | from Tronueyr
The long-stemmed ships | with warriors laden
That come from without | into Orvasund.

25. . . . . . . . . . .
"There are hundreds twelve | of trusty men,
But in Hotun lies | the host of the king,
Greater by half; | I have hope of battle."

[21. Water's gleam: gold.

22. Brandey ("Brand-Isle"): not mentioned elsewhere. Hethinsey ("Hethin's Isle"): possibly the island of Hiddensee, east of Rügen.

23. Stafnsnes ("Steersman's Cape"): an unidentifiable promontory. Fair: a guess, as the adjective in the manuscript is obscure. Hjorleif does not appear elsewhere, and seems to be simply one of Helgi's lieutenants.

24. Tronueyr: "Crane-Strand." Long-stemmed: literally "long-headed," as the high, curving stem of a Norse ship was often carved to represent a head and neck. Orvasund: almost certainly the Danish Öresund, off Seeland. Such bits of geography as this followed Helgi persistently.

25. No gap indicated in the manuscript. Hotun: cf. stanza 8 and note.]

21. Sendi áru allvaldr þaðan
of land ok um lög leiðar at biðja,
iðgnógan Ógnar ljóma
brögnum bjóða ok burum þeira.

22. "Biðið skjótliga til skipa ganga
ok ór Brandeyju búna verða."
Þaðan beið þengill, unz þingat kómu
halir hundmargir ór Heðinseyju.

23. Ok þar af ströndum ór Stafnsnesi
beit her út skriðu ok búin gulli;
spurði Helgi Hjörleif at því:
"hefir þú kannaða koni óneisa?"

24. En ungr konungr öðrum sagði,
seint kvað at telja af Trönueyri
langhöfðuð skip und líðöndum,
þau er í Örvasund útan fóru.

25. "Tolf hundruð tryggra manna;
þó er í Hátúnum halfu fleira
víglið konungs; ván erum rómu."