Then Kari sang these verses:
"Warrior wight that weapon wieldest
Spare thy speering why we fled,
Oft for less falls hail of battle,
Forth we fled to wreak revenge;
Who was he, fainthearted foeman,
Who, when tongues of steel sung high,
Stole beneath the booth for shelter,
While his beard blushed red for shame?
"Many fetters Skapti fettered
When the men, the Gods of fight,
From the fray fared all unwilling
Where the skald scarce held his shield;
Then the suttlers dragged the lawyer
Stout in scolding to their booth,
Laid him low amongst the riffraff,
How his heart then quaked for fear.
"Men who skim the main on sea stag
Well in this ye showed your sense
Making game about the Burning,
Mocking Helgi, Grim, and Njal;
Now the moor round rocky Swinestye (1),
As men run and shake their shields,
With another grunt shall rattle
When this Thing is past and gone."
Then there was great laughter. Snorri the Priest smiled and sang this between his teeth, but so that many heard:
"Skill hath Skapti us to tell
Whether Asgrim's shaft flew well;
Holmstein hurried swift to flight,
Thorstein turned him soon to fight."
Now men burst out in great fits of laughter.
Then Hall of the Side said, "All men know what a grief I have suffered in the loss of my son Ljot; many will think that he would be valued dearest of all those men who have fallen here; but I will do this for the sake of an atonement — I will put no price on my son, and yet will come forward and grant both pledges and peace to those who are my adversaries. I beg thee, Snorri the Priest, and other of the best men, to bring this about, that there may be an atonement between us."
Now he sits him down, and a great hum in his favour followed, and all praised his gentleness and goodwill.
Then Snorri the Priest stood up and made a long and clever speech, and begged Asgrim and the others who took the lead in the quarrel to look towards an atonement.