Bjarni hét maðr, er bjó at þeim boe, er at Laugarhúsum heitir.
Bjarni was called man who lived at that farmstead which at Laugarhus called
Bjarni was a man who lived at that farmstead, called Laugarhus.
Þat er í Hrafnkelsdal.
That is in Hrafnkelsdal.
Hann var kvángaðr ok átti tvá sonu við konu sinni,
He was married and had two sons with wife his
He was married, and had two sons by his wife,
ok hét annarr Sámr, en annarr Eyvindr, vænir menn ok efniligir.
and named other Sam but other Eyvind handsome men and promising.
and one was named Sam, and the other Eyvind, handsome men and promising.
Eyvindr var heima með feðr sínum,
Eyvind was at home with father his
Eyvind lived at home with his father,
en Sámr var kvángaðr ok bjó í norðanverðum dalnum á þeim boe,
but Sam was married and lived in northward dale to that farmstead
but Sam was married and lived in a valley to the north, at a farmstead
er heitir á Leikskálum, ok átti hann margt fé.
which called to Leiskalar, and had he many cattle
called Leiskalar, and he had many cattle (much wealth?)
Sámr var uppivözlumaðr mikill ok lögkoenn,
Sam was overbearing man very and law-knowing
Sam was and overbearing and litigatious man,
en Eyvindr gerðisk farmaðr ok fór útan til Nóregs
but Eyvind became faring-man and went abroad to Norway
but Eyvind became a trader and went abroad to Norway,
ok var þar um vetrinn.
and was there through the winter
and was there through the winter.
Þaðan fór hann ok út í lönd ok nam staðar í Miklagarði
thence went he also out in land and took stop in Miklgarð
From there he also went out to the mainland and stopped in Constantinople,
ok fekk þar góðar virðingar af Grikkjakonungi ok var þar um hrið.
and made there god respect of Greeks-king and was there through while
and there won the respect of the Emperor, and was there some time.
Hrafnkell átti þann grip í eigu sinni,
Hrafnkel had that animal in possesion his
Hrafnkl had an animal in his possesion
er honum þótti betri en annarr.
which to him seemed better than another
which seemed better to him than any other.
Þat var hestr brúnmóálóttr at lit, er hann kallaði Freyfaxa sinn.
it was horse chipmunk-colored[1] in color, which he called Freyfax his.
It was a horse, chipmunk-brown in color, which he called his Freyfax
Hann gaf Frey, vin sínum, þann hest hálfan.
He gave Frey, friend his, that horse half.
He gave his patron Frey half that horse.
Á þessum hesti hafði hann svá mikla elsku, at hann strengði þess heit,
to this horse had he so much love that he fastened of it vow
He had such love for this horse, that he swore a vow about it,
at hann skyldi þeim manni at bana verða,
that he should to that man to death become,
that he would be the death of that man
sem honum riði án hans vilja.
that him ride without his will
who rode him without his permission.
Þorbjörn hét maðr. Hann var bróðir Bjarna
Þorbjorn is called man He was brother of Bjarni
There was a man called Þorbjorn, the brother of Bjarni.
ok bjó á þeim boe í Hrafnkelsdal, er á Hóli hét,
and lived at that farmstead in Hrafnkelsdal which to Holl is called
and he lived at that farmestead in Hrafnkelsdal called Holl.
gegnt Aðalbóli fyrir austan.
going Aðalbóli before east
going east from Aðalboli.
Þorbjörn átti fé lítit, en ómegð mikla.
Þorbjorn had wealth little, but dependants many.
Þorbjorn had little wealth, but many dependants.
Sonr hans hét Einarr, inn elzti.
Son his was called Einarr, the eldest.
His eldest son was called Einarr.
Hann var mikill ok vel mannaðr.
He was large and well accomplished.
Þat var á einu vári, at Þorbjörn mælti til Einars,
It was to one spring when Þorbjorn spoke to Einarr
One spring, Þorbjorn told Einarr
at hann mundi leita sér vistar nökkurar, --
that he must seek himself employment some
that he must find himself some employment --
"því at ek þarf eigi meira forvirki en þetta lið orkar,
because I need no more hired help in this band of strength.
"Because I don't need any more hired hands in this strong troop,
er hér er, en þér mun verða gott til vista,
which here is but you shall become good to employment
here, but you shall become well-employed,
því at þú ert mannaðr vel.
because you are accomplished well.
because you are well-accomplished.
Eigi veldr ástleysi þessari brottkvaðning við þik,
Not causes love-lack this break-declaring with you
Lack of love is not the cause of this dismissal of you,
því at þú ert mér þarfastr barna minna.
because you are to me most neccesary of children mine
because you are the most needful of my children to me,
Meira veldr því efnaleysi mitt ok fátoekð.
more causes to that means-lack my and poverty
More my lack of means and poverty causes it.
En önnur börn mín gerask verkmenn.
But to another child my becomes work-men
But other of my childrenn became laborers.
Mun þér þó verða betra til vista en þeim."
shall you yet become better to employment than to them
Yet you should find better work than them.
[1] Jamie wasn't sure if chipmunks were found in Europe or whether
they're an American invention. They're a sort of ground-squirrel,
bigger than a mouse but smaller than a rat, brown, with a pair of
black-and-grey stripes down the back. Where I live, it's now the
season when they're in a panic about the onset of winter and they're
zooming about chasing acorns and chestnuts and leping in front of
cars and so forth. This wasn't really a digression, it's just that
I didn't know any appropriate horsy term for this color.