Here’s my translation and grammar notes. Any comments on the following in particular would be appreciated:
‘vánt at húsum’ (line 620). Does this mean that the buildings were poor in quality or poor in number, ie there weren´t many of them?
‘kálf ok kið’ (line 627) while grammatically calf and kid are singular, does this mean that Hrafnkel literally reared a single calf and a single kid or is this a more general expression for the raising of animals?
‘náliga væri tvau höfuð á hverju kvikindi’. (line 629) I interpreted this to mean that the survival of both man and beast depended on the survival of the beast. Is that how others see it?
’lagðisk veiðr mikil’ (line 630) Does this mean fish were plentiful or that a lot of fishing was done?
‘gerðisk mönnum búshœgindi’ (line 631) Does this mean ‘(means of) supporting (the) household occurred for men’, ie they became self-sufficient?
Kveðja
Alan
Hrafnkell fœrði nú bú sitt austr yfir Fljótsdalsheiði ok um
Hrafnkel moved now his farm east over Fljótsdalsheið and
þveran Fljótsdal fyrir austan Lagarfljót. Við vatnsbotninn
across Fljótsdal to (the) east (side) of Lagarfljót. By the head of the lake
stóð einn lítill bœr, sem hét at Lokhillu. Þetta land keyptí 615
stood a certain little farmstead, which was called Lokhilla. Hrafnkell bought this land
Hrafnkell í skuld, því at eigi var kostrinn meiri en þurfti til
on credit, because the money available was not more than (he) needed
búshluta
at hafa. Á þetta lögðu menn mikla umrœðu, hversu
to have for farm implements. Men held great discussions about this, how
hans
ofsi hafði niðr fallit, ok minnisk nú margr á fornan
his pride had fallen down, and many now remind themselves of an old
orðskvið,
at skömm er óhófs ævi. Þetta var skógland mikit ok
proverb, that short is (the) time of lack of humility. This was a great woodland and
mikit
merkjum, vánt at húsum, ok fyrir þat efni keypti hann 620
great in boundaries (circumference, ie a wide area), poor in buildings, and for that reason he bought
landit
litlu verði. En Hrafnkell sá ekki mjök í kostnað ok
the land for a small price. But Hrafnkel saw not much in (the) price (ie he took little notice of it) and
felldi mörkina, því at hon var stór, ok reisti þar
reisiligan bœ,
felled the forest, because it was large, and raised there a magnificent farmstead,
þann er síðan hét á Hrafnkelsstöðum. Hefir þat síðan
verit
that which afterwards was called Hrafnkelsstaðir. (It) has since then been
kallaðr jafnan góðr bœr. Bjó Hrafnkell þar við mikil
óhœgindi
called always a good farmstead. Hrafnkel dwelt there with much hardships
in
fyrstu misseri. Hann hafði mikinn atdrátt af fiskinum. 625
(in) the first seasons. He had great supplies from the fish (of fish).
Hrafnkell gekk mjök at verknaði, meðan bœr var í smíði.
Hrafnkel went much to work, while the farmstead was in building (under construction).
Hrafnkell dró á vetr kálf ok kið in fyrstu misseri, ok hann helt
Hrafnkel fed through winter, calf and kid (in) the first seasons, and he kept (ie did not lose)
vel,
svá at nær lifði hvatvetna þat, er til ábyrgðar var. Mátti
well, so that nearly everything lived, that which was under (his) responsibility (care). (One) might
svá at kveða, at náliga væri tvau höfuð á hverju
kvikindi. Á
so declare, that (there) were nearly two heads (dependant?) on each living creature. In
630 því sama
sumri lagðisk veiðr mikil í Lagarfljót. Af
slíku
that same summer, much fishing arose (was available) in Lagarfljót. From such
gerðisk mönnum búshœgindi í heraðinu, ok
þat helzk vel
support for the farmstead (ie means of supporting the farmstead) occurred for men in the district, and that lasted (continued)
hvert
sumar.
each summer.
Grammar notes:
Hrafnkell Hrafnkel: (n) nom sg Hrafnkel
fœrði fœra: (v) 3s past ind moved
nú now
bú bú: (n) acc sg farm
sitt sinn: (pron) acc sg his
austr east
yfir over
Fljótsdalsheiði Fljótsdalsheiðr: (n) dat sg Fljótsdalsheið
ok and
um þveran across
Fljótsdal Fljótsdalr: (n) acc sg Fljótsdal
fyrir austan to (the) east (side of)
Lagarfljót. Lagarfljót: (n) acc sg Lagarfljót.
Við By
vatnsbotninn vatnsbotn: (n) acc sg the head of the lake
stóð standa: (v) 3s past ind stood
einn einn: (pron) nom sg a certain
lítill lítill: (adj) nom sg little
bœr, bœr: (n) nom sg farmstead,
sem which
hét heita: (v) 3s past ind was named
at at
Lokhillu. Lokhilla: (n) dat sg Lokhilla.
Þetta þetta: (pron) acc sg This
land land: (n) acc sg land
keyptí kaupa: (v) 3s past ind bought
615
Hrafnkell Hrafnkell: (n) nom sg Hrafnkell
í on
skuld, skuld: (n) acc sg credit,
því at because
eigi not
var 3s past ind was
kostrinn kostr: (n) nom sg the money available
meiri more
en than
þurfti þurfa: (v) 3s past ind (he) needed
til for
búshluta búshlutir: (n pl) gen pl farm implements
at to
hafa. hafa: (v) inf have.
Á On
þetta þetta: (pron) acc sg this
lögðu leggja: (v) 3p past ind placed
menn maðr: (n) nom pl men
mikla mikill: (adj) acc sg much
umrœðu, umrœða: (n) acc sg discussion,
hversu how
hans hann: (pron) gen sg his
ofsi ofsi: (n) nom sg pride
hafði hafa: (v) 3s past ind had
niðr down
fallit, falla: (v) pp fallen,
ok and
minnisk minnask: (v refl) 3s pres ind reminded themselves
nú now
margr margr: (pron) nom sg many
á of
fornan forn: (adj) acc sg ancient
orðskvið, orðskviðr: (n) acc sg proverb,
at that
skömm skammr:
(adj) nom sg
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