Hjǫrvarðr hét konungr.
Hann átti fjórar konur.
Ein hét Álfhildr, son þeira hét Heðinn;
ǫnnur hét Særeiðr, þeira sonr hét Humlungr;
in þriðja hét Sinrjóð, þeira sonr hét Hymlingr.
Hjǫrvarðr konungr hafði þess heit strengt at eiga þá konu er hann vissi vænsta.
Hann spurði at Sváfnir konungr átti dóttur allra fegrsta;
sú hét Sigrlinn.
Iðmundr hét jarl hans.
Atli var hans sonr er fór at biðja Sigrlinnar til handa konungi.
Hann dvalðist vetrlangt með Sváfni konungi.
Fránmarr hét þar jarl, fóstri Sigrlinnar;
dóttir hans hét Álǫf.
Jarlinn réð at meyjar var synjat, ok fór Atli heim.
Atli jarls sonr stóð einn dag við lund nǫkkurn, en fugl sat í limunum uppi yfir honum ok hafði heyrt til at hans menn kǫlluðu vænstar konur þær er Hjǫrvarðr konungr átti.
Fuglinn kvakaði, en Atli hlýddi, hvat hann sagði.
Hann kvað:
Der var en konge, som hed Hjorvard.
Han havde fire hustruer:
en hed Alvhild, med hende havde han sønnen Heden;
en anden hed Særeid, med hende havde han sønnen Humlung;
den tredje hed Sinrjód, med hende havde han sønnen Hymling.
Kong Hjorvard havde gjort det løfte, at han skulde have den kvinde til hustru, som han vidste vænest.
Han fik høre, at kong Svaavne havde en allerfagreste datter,
hun hed Sigrlinn.
Idmund hed hans jarl.
Søn af ham var Atle, som drog at beile til Sigrlinn paa kongens vegne.
Han opholdt sig vinteren over hos kong Svaavne.
Fraanmar hed jarlen der, Sigrlinns fosterfader;
hans datter hed Aalov.
Jarlen voldte, at Sigrlinn blev ham negtet, og Atle drog da hjem.
Atle, søn af Idmund jarl, stod en dag ved et træ, og en fugl sad oppe i grenene over ham og havde hørt paa, at hans mænd kaldte de kvinder de væneste, som kong Hjorvard havde til ægte.
Fuglen kaklede, og Atle lyttede efter, hvad den sagde.
Den kvad:
Hjorvarth was the name of a king,
who had four wives:
one was called Alfhild, and their son was named Hethin;
the second was called Særeith, and their son was named Humlung;
the third was called Sinrjoth, and their son was named Hymling.
King Hjorvarth had made a great vow to have as wife whatsoever woman he knew was fairest.
He learned that King Svafnir had a daughter fairer than all others,
whose name was Sigrlin.
Ithmund was the name of one of his jarls;
he had a son called Atli, who went to woo Sigrlin on behalf of the king.
He dwelt the winter long with King Svafnir.
There was a jarl called Franmar, Sigrlin's foster-father;
his daughter was named Alof.
The jarl told him that the maiden's hand was denied, and Atli went home.
Atli, the jarl's son, stood one day in a certain wood; a bird sat in the branches up over him, and it had heard that his men called Hjorvarth's wives the fairest of women.
The bird twittered, and Atli hearkened to what it spoke.
It said:
