Litlu síðar kvaddi Njáll menn til ferðar með sér.
A little later Njal called for men to journey with
him.
Fóru þeir Sigfússynir og
synir Njáls allir og Kári Sölmundarson.
They went, the Sigfussons and Njal's Sons and Kari
Solmundarson
Þeir ríða austur til Svínafells. Fá þeir þar góðar viðtökur.
They ride eastwards to Svinafels.Where they were well
taken
(Well received / welcomed)
Um daginn eftir ganga þeir Njáll of Flosi á tal.
On the next day they - Njal and Flosi went to talk
(privately)
Þar koma niður ræður Njáls að hann segir svo: "Það er erindi mitt hingað
að
vér förum bónorðsför og mælum til mægða við þig Flosi en til eiginorðs við
Hildigunni bróðurdóttur þína."
Then it came down to Njal (?eventually) and he said
thus :- "The reason for my visit hither is that we make a proposal of
marriage
(bon-orðsför - a wooing journey) and speak of an
affinity of marriage (Z) and to get the hand (eiginorðs - possession) of
Hildigunn your Brother's daughter"
[another one of Njal's complicated
sentences]
"Fyrir hvers hönd?" segir Flosi.
"For whose hand?" says Flosi
"Fyrir hönd Höskulds Þráinssonar fóstra míns," segir Njáll.
"For the hand of Hoskuld Thrainsson my fosterson" says
Njal
"Vel er slíkt stofnað," segir Flosi, "en þó hafið þér mikið í hættu
hvorir
við aðra eða hvað segir þú frá Höskuldi?"
"Such is well founded" says Flosi "but (on the other
hand) you have had dangerous relationships with others (?) What can you say of
Hoskuld.
"Gott má eg frá honum segja," segir Njáll, "og skal eg svo fé til leggja að
yður þyki sæmilega ef þér viljið þetta mál að álitum gera."
"Good may I say of him"says Njal "and I shall lay out
such money as you think seemly (?dowry) if you should take up the case into
(your) consideration"
"Kalla munum vér á hana," segir Flosi, "og vita hversu henni lítist
maðurinn."
"We will call her" says Flosi "and know (learn) how
this man looks to her"
Var þá sent eftir henni og kom hún þangað.
They sent after her and she came at once
Flosi segir henni bónorðið.
Flosi tells her of the proposal
Hún kvaðst vera kona skapstór "og veit eg eigi hversu mér er hent við það
erþar eru svo menn fyrir en það þó eigi síður að sjá maður hefir
ekkimannaforráð.
She declares for herself to be a proud woman "I do not
know how it is to be suitable to me that there are such men before (facing us?)
and this man has no Authority (G) [Hoskuld is not a Chieftain]
Og hefir þú það mælt að þú mundir eigi gifta mig goðorðslausum
manni."
And you have said that you were not minded to marry me
to a man
who lacked a Chieftain-Ship" (no status)
"Það er ærið eitt til," segir Flosi, "ef þú vilt eigi giftast Höskuldi að
þá
mun eg engan kost á gera."
"That it is alone enough" says Flosi "that if you want
not to be given (in marriage) to Hoskuld then I will not take that
choice"
"Það mæli eg eigi," segir hún, "að eg vilji eigi giftast Höskuldi ef þeir
fá honum mannaforráð.
"I am not saying that" says she "that I want not to be
given in marriage to Hoskuld if they (were to) give him (some)
authority.
[she would like a man of position and status
anyway]
En ellegar mun eg engan kost á gera."
But otherwise (G) I shall not make this
choice"
Njáll mælti: "Þá vil eg bíða láta mín um þetta mál þrjá vetur."
Njal spoke " Then I wish you to allow me three years
for (to settle) this matter"
Flosi svaraði að svo skyldi vera.
Flosi replied that it should be so. [long
engagement]
"Þann hlut vildi eg til skilja," segir Hildigunnur, "ef þessi ráð tækjust
að
við værum austur hér."
"Then something/one thing I wish to stipulate (G)" says
Hildigunn
"if this course is to be taken (by us) we live here in
the East"
Njáll kvaðst það vilja skilja undir Höskuld en Höskuldur kvaðst mörgum vel
trúa en engum betur en fóstra sínum.
Njal declared for himself (that to his mind) the
determination was under (belonged to) Hoskuld. And Hoskuld declared for his
part he
trusted many (folk) well but none more (better) than his
foster-father
Nú ríða þeir austan.
Now they ride back from the East
Seems OK but I always get entangled in Njal's long
sentences
Kveðja
Patricia
I have tried to check out the typos but having to wear eyedrops for a while makes it difficult
Any advice welcome