Here’s my translation and grammar notes. I apologise for the abrupt ending to this section. I meant to include another two lines which would have rounded of this section far better but my cutting and pasting let me down. You´ll see what I mean when you get the next section. There were a few sentences that left me a little puzzled and not convinced that I had full come to grips with. Again these are underlined and any comments would be appreciated.
sem þá koma þeir, koma við þat út (ll. 734-735) – Any sense that I might make of this comes more from the context than from the words themselves.
Lætr griðkonan ganga af kappi: (l. 738) – Is this a common expression?
þér gangi gott til: (l, 740) – Have I got this right?
To take up Uoden´s point, with respect to ‘þvá’, to wash’, it was my understanding that ‘þó, þógu’ were the ‘strong’ old forms of the past tense, but in Modern Icelandic, the infinitive has become ‘þvo’ and the verb now behaves as ‘weak’ verb in the past tense ‘þvoði’ but still retains the strong past participle ‘þvegið’
Kveðja
Alan
Kona ein var við vatnit ok þó lérept sín. Hon sér ferð
A certain woman was by the lake and washed her clothes. She sees the journey
manna. Griðkona sjá sópar saman léreptunum ok hleypr
of men (ie men on a journey). This servant-womant sweeps together the clothes and runs
heim. Hon kastar þeim niðr úti hjá
viðarkesti, en hleypr inn.
home. She casts them down outside beside a woodheap, but (and) runs inside.
Hrafnkell var þá eigi upp staðinn, ok nökkurir vilðarmenn
Hrafnkel was then not stood up (ie out of bed), and some (of his) favoured servants
lágu í
skálanum, en verkmenn váru til iðnar farnir. Þetta var 725
lay (were) in the hall, but (the) workmen were (had) gone to work. This was
um heyjaannir.
during haymaking season.
Konan
tók til orða, er hon kom inn: 'Satt er flest þat, er
The woman took to speech, when she came inside: ’That is most true, which is
fornkveðit
er, at svá ergisk hverr sem eldisk. Verðr
sú lítil
spoken from olden days, that thus each (man) becomes faint-heated as (he) grows old. That becomes (is) a small
virðing, sem snimma leggsk á, ef maðr lætr síðan
sjálfr af með
distinction, which is acquired early (in life), if a man (one) yields (it) up himself afterwards with
ósóma
ok hefir eigi traust til at reka þess réttar nökkurt sinni, 730
dishonour, and has not (the) trust (in himself) to press for that (legal) right at some (point in) time,
ok eru slík mikil undr um þann mann, sem hraustr hefir
verit.
And (there) are such great wonders about that man, who has (previously) been stout-hearted.
Nú er
annan veg þeira lífi, er upp vaxa með föður sínum, ok
Now, (it) is another way (otherwise) (in the) life of those, who grow up with their father, and
þykkja yðr einskis háttar hjá yðr, en þá er þeir eru
frumvaxta,
seem to you of no matter (importance) compared with you, but then when they are grown up,
fara
land af landi ok þykkja þar mestháttar, sem þá koma þeir,
journey (from) country to country and seem there (ie in those places) of (the) greatest importance, when then they arrive,
koma við þat út ok þykkjask þá
höfðingjum meiri. Eyvindr 735
(they) come with that out and think themselves then greater than chieftains. Eyvind
Bjarnason reið hér yfir á á Skálavaði með svá fagran skjöld, at
Bjarni´s son rode here over (the) river to Skálavað with such a beautiful shield, that
ljómaði
af. Er hann svá menntr, at hefnd væri í honum.'
(the light) shone from (it). He is so accomplished, that vengeance were in him (ie suitable vengeance would be obtained by slaying him).
Lætr
griðkonan ganga af kappi.
The servant-woman allows (it, ie her chatter) to go from zeal. (ie she goes on and on and on…)
Hrafnkell
ríss upp ok svarar henni, 'Kann vera, at þú hjalir
Hrafnkel rises up and answers her, ’It is possible, that you chatter
helzti
margt satt -- eigi fyrir því, at þér gangi gott til. Er nú 740
exceedingly very truly – not because good(ness) goes to you (ie you intentions are good). (It) is now
vel,
at þér aukisk erfiði. Far
þú hart suðr á Víðivöllu eptir
well, that trouble be increased for you. Go you swiftly south to Viðivöll after
Hallsteinssonum,
Sighvati ok Snorra. Bið þá skjótt til mín
Hallstein´s sons, Sighvat and Snorri. Bid those quickly
koma með þá menn, sem þar eru vápnfœrir.'
to come to me with those men, who there are capable of bearing arms.
Grammar Notes:
Kona kona: (n) nom sg Woman
ein einn: (pron) nom sg certain
var vera: (v) 3s past ind was
við by
vatnit vatn: (n) acc sg the lake
ok and
þó þvá: (v) 3s past ind washed
lérept lérept: (n) acc pl clothes
sín. sinn: (pron) acc pl her.
Hon hon: (pron) nom sg She
sér sjá: (v) 3s pres ind sees
ferð ferð: (n) acc sg journey
manna. maðr: (n) gen pl (of) men.
Griðkona griðkona: (n) nom sg Serving-woman
sjá sjá, þessi: (pron) nom sg this
sópar sópa: (v) 3s pres ind sweeps
saman together
léreptunum lérept: (n) dat pl the clothes
ok and
hleypr hlaupa: (v) 3s pres ind runs
heim. home.
Hon hom: (pron) nom sg She
kastar kasta: (v) 3s pres ind throws
þeim þeir: (pron) dat pl them
niðr down
úti outside
hjá beside
viðarkesti, viðarköstr: (n) dat sg wood-heap,
en but
hleypr hlaupa: (v) 3s pres ind runs
inn. inside.
Hrafnkell Hrafnkell: (n) nom sg Hrafnkel
var vera: (v) 3s past ind was
þá then
eigi not
upp up
staðinn, standa: (v) pp stood
ok and
nökkurir nökkurr: (pron) nom pl some
vilðarmenn vilðarmaðr: (n) nom pl favoured retainers
lágu liggja: (v) 3p past ind lay
í in
skálanum, skáli: (n) dat sg the hall
en but
verkmenn verkmaðr: (n) nom pl workmen
váru vera: (v) 3p past ind were
til to
iðnar iðn: (n) gen sg work
farnir. fara: (v) pp nom pl gone.
Þetta þetta: (pron) nom sg This
var vera: (v) 3s past ind was
725
um during
heyjaannir. heyjaanir: (n pl) acc pl haymaking season.
Konan kona: (n) nom sg The woman
tók taka: (v) 3s past ind took
til
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