Bragi concludes his instruction of Ægir and warns that kennings must be used with understanding. One who used them without knowing their origin risked distorting the poem and losing the audience's trust. Skaldic art demands learning, not only ingenuity.
Nú hefir Bragi kynnt Ægi þær kenningar er skaldar nota. Hann mælti: Þat er skylda skaldsins at kunna uppruna kenninganna, þvíat sá er notar kenningar án þess er veit hvers þær vísa, hann spillir kvæðinu ok gerir það óskiljanlegt.
Now Bragi has presented to Ægir the kennings that skalds use. He said: It is the skald's duty to know the origin of kennings, for one who uses kennings without knowing to what they refer corrupts the poem and renders it incomprehensible.
Þat er vel ort er hlustendur þekkja þær sögur er kenningarnar vísa til. En þat er illa ort er þær eru duldar eða röngar. Þvíat skáldskapr á að leiða hlustendur til forna fróðleiks, en eigi að þola þá.
It is well composed when the listeners recognize the tales to which the kennings point. It is ill composed when they are obscure or wrong. For skaldic art should lead listeners toward ancient learning, not confound them.
Skaldic quotations
Skylt er skaldum at vita uppruna kenninga sinna.
It is the skald's obligation to know the origin of his kennings.