I believe that 'brynja' translates as "byrnie", a chain-mail sleeveless shirt.

Larry

Patricia wrote:

> Oddr gekk þar til, er Hjálmarr var, ok kvað:
> Odd goes there - where Hjalmar was and recites
>
> "Hvat er þér, Hjálmarr?
> What is to you Hjalmar
> Hefir þú lit brugðit.
> Have you moved/changed (looks pale)
> Þik kveð ek moeða
> You I declare are weary (like German Müde- tired)
> margar undir;
> Many wounds (the cause of his tiredness)
> hjálmr er þinn höggvinn,
> Your helmet is carved (with a blow)
> en á hlið brynja,
> and your (_______) armour (possibly chain-mail)
> nú kveð ek fjörvi
> now I say of your life
> of farit þínu."
> is going from you (he is dying but it's poetically so
>
> Hjálmar kvað:
> Hjalmar declares
>
> "Sár hefi ek sextán,
> Wounds have I sixteen
> slitna brynju,
> slit/sliced body armour
> svart er mér fyr sjónum,
> dark is before my eyes (?) Zoega - my eyes are dim
> séka ek ganga;
> I am going - leaving (?)
> hneit mér við hjarta
> It sank (hniga) into my heart
> hjörr Angantýs,
> The Sword of Agantys
> hvass blóðrefill,
> the keen/dreadfull blood-spear
> herðr í eitri."
> tempered (Zoega) with poison
>
> Ok enn kvað hann:
> and again he recited
>
> "Áttak at fullu
> I had of all
> fimm tún saman,
> five dwellings/farms together
> en ek því aldri
> but I was never
> unða ráði;
> (?) satisfied - was it not enough - five farms
> nú verð ek liggja
> Now it happens I lie
> lífs andvani,
> wanting life (poetically - of life forsaken)
> sverði undaðr,
> Wounded of swords - or tracked with swords
> í Sámseyju.
> on Samsey (for this I prefer - here on this bloody Island)
>
> Drekka í höllu
> Drinking in the hall
> húskarlar mjöð
> Many Housekarls
> menjum göfgir
> Fine jewellery
> at míns föður;
> at/there - my Father's (i.e. - at Dad's place)
> moeðir marga
> great weariness
> mungát fira,
> all of ale (or small beer - they are drunk but happy)
> en mik eggja spor
> but to me (these) tormented tracks
> í eyju þjá.
> on this Island
>
> Thanks LN I have enjoyed this interlude -
> had my "Translation Fix" I wish I might have
> done better with it
> Patricia
>
> *
>
> Clues: there are a couple of examples here of the personal pronoun
> 'ek' being suffixed to a verb. When this happens, it loses the 'e'.
> The suffixed pronoun can be used on its own after the verb, or in
> combination with the free standing form 'ek'. There is also an
> example of the negative verbal suffix -a. These are both archaic
> grammatical features mainly found in poetry.
>
>