The following stanzas represent some of Kormákr's love poetry. He tells of the first time he met Steingerðr, the love of his life. Read aloud.
| Brunnu beggja kinna |
The bright lights of both |
Brightly beamed the lights-of- |
| bjǫrt ljós á mik drósar, |
her cheeks burned onto me |
both-her-cheeks upon me— |
| oss hlœgir þat eigi, |
from the fire-hall's felled wood; |
e'er will I recall it— |
| eldhúss of við felldan; |
no cause of mirth for me in that. |
o'er the heaped-up wood-pile; |
| enn til ǫkkla svanna |
By the threshold I gained a glance |
and the instep saw I |
| ítrvaxins gatk líta, |
at the ankles of this girl |
of the shapely woman— |
| þrǫ́ muna oss of ævi |
of glorious shape; yet while I live |
no laughing matter, lo! my |
| eldask, hjá þreskeldi. |
that longing will never leave me. |
longing—by the threshold. |
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| Brámáni skein brúna |
The moon of her eyelash—that valkyrie |
Brightly shone the beaming |
| brims und ljósum himni |
adorned with linen, server of herb-surf— |
brow-moons of the goodly |
| Hristar hǫrvi glæstrar |
shone hawk-sharp upon me |
lady linen-dight, how |
| haukfránn á mik lauka; |
beneath her brows' bright sky; |
like a hawk's, upon me; |
| en sá geisli sýslir |
but that beam from the eyelid-moon |
but that beam from forehead's- |
| síðan gullmens Fríðar |
of the goddess of the golden torque |
bright-hued-orbs, I fear me, |
| hvarmatungls ok hringa |
will later bring trouble to me |
of the Eir-of-gold doth |
| Hlínar óþurft mína. |
and to the ring goddess herself. |
ill spell for us later. |
| — Einar Ól. Sveinsson's edition |
— Rory McTurk's translation |
— Lee M. Hollander's adaptation |