Subject: Hrafnkell 177-200
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En við þann átrúnað, at ekki verði at þeim mõnnum,
But in that belief, that(in order) not to happen to these men,

er heitstrengingar fella á sik,
that (of)drawing down a curse for breaking a vow,

þá hljóp hann af baki til hans ok hjó hann banahõgg.
he leapt from his horse and gave him the death blow.

Eptir þat ríðr hann heim við svá búit á Aðalból ok segir þessi tíðendi.
After that he rode home with such circumstances (?) to A. and gave the
tidings of this.

Síðan lét hann fara annan mann til smala í selit.
Then he had a man go to the sheep in the sheiling.

En hann lét fora Einar vestr á hallinn frá selinu
But he had Einar brought to the hill west of the shieling

ok reisti võrðu hjá dysinni. Þetta er kõlluð Einarsvarða,
and had a cairn raised beside the grave. That was called Einar’s Cairn,

ok er þaðan haldinn miðr aptann frá selinu.
and is thence ? middle of the evening from the sheiling.

Þorbjõrn spyrr yfir á Hól víg Einars, sonar síns.
Þ. over at Hól learned of the killing of Einar, his son.

Hann kunni illa tíðendum þessum.
He was greatly distressed at the news.

Nú tekr hann hest sinn ok ríðr yfir á Aðalból
He took his horse and rode over to A.

ok beiðir Hrafnkel bóta fyrir víg sonar síns.
and asked Hrafnkel for compensation for the killing of his son.

Hann kvazk fleiri menn hafa drepit en þenna einn.
He (H.) said (he had) killed more men than just one.

'Er þér þat eigi ókunnigt, at ek vil engan mann fé bota,
“But it is not unknown to you, that I will not (give) valuables
(as)compensation,

ok verða menn þat þó svá gõrt at hafa.
(I found translations for the words, but the sense won’t come together
for me)

En þó læt ek svá sem mér þykki
But though I confess as it seems to me

þetta verk mitt í verra lagi víga þeira, er ek hefi unnit.
this deed (I) estimate among the worst of those killings that I have
allowed (myself?).

Hefir þú verit nábúi minn langa stund,
You have been my neighbor a long time,

ok hefir mér líkat vel til þín ok hvárum okkar til annars.
and it has been pleasing to me concerning you and each of us to the other.

Mundi okkr Einari ekki hafa annat smátt til orðit,
Einar and I would not have had a (even)a small grudge ???

ef hann hefði eigi riðit hestinum.
if he had not ridden the horse.

En vit munum opt þess iðrask, er vit erum of málgir,
But we must often repent of it, that we are too talkative,

ok sjaldnar mundum vit þessa iðrask,
and seldom must we repent of it,

þó at vit mæltim færa en fleira.
though we speak less (rather)than more.

Mun ek þat nú sýna, at mér þykkir
I must now show, that it seems to me

þetta verk mitt verra en õnnur þau, er ek hefi unnit.
this deed (I ) estimate worse than (any)other, that I have allowed.

Ek vil birgja bú þitt með málnytu í sumar, en slátrum í haust.
I will supply your home with milk cows in summer, and meat in autumn.

Svá vil ek gera við þik hvert misseri, meðan þú vilt búa.
I will do so towards you (?) season of six months (?), in the meantime
you will have a home.

Grace
--

Fred & Grace Hatton
Hawley, Pa.