Before translating- I read ahead and have the impression that a coma was often mistaken for actual death, and that you could be said to be DEAD - before actually flat-lining and then a brief recovery if you said anything - they would write it down as Dead Man Talking.
Þorsteinn bað gera kistur að líkum þeirra er önduðust og færa til skips og búa þar um "því að eg vil láta flytja til Eiríksfjarðar að sumri öll líkin."
Thorstein bade coffins be made for their bodies and that they be taken to the ship and lodged there "because I shall have them conveyed (Flytja) to Eirik'sFjorð - all of the bodies - in the summer
Nú er þess skammt að bíða að sótt kemur í híbýli Þorsteins og tók kona hans sótt fyrst er hét Grímhildur.
Now it is a short time until the sickness came to Thorstein;s Homestead (Z) and his wife named Grimhild took sick first
Hún var ákaflega mikil og sterk sem karlar en þó kom sóttin henni undir.
She was a very spirited woman (Z-vehement - do not like) as strong as a man and yet the sickness came and brought her down.
Og brátt eftir það tók sóttina Þorsteinn Eiríksson og lágu þau bæði senn og andaðist Grímhildur kona Þorsteins svarta.
And soon after that the sickness took Thorstein Eiriksson and both lay ill until Grimhild died the wife of Thorstein black.
En er hún var dauð þá gekk Þorsteinn fram úr stofunni eftir fjöl að leggja á líkið.
When she was dead Thorstein went out of the livingroom to seek a board (fjöl pl Fjalar) on which to place her body
Guðríður mælti þá: "Vertu litla hríð í brott Þorsteinn minn," segir
hún. Hann kvað svo vera skyldu.
Guðrið then spoke "Be thou away only a little while my (friend) Thorstein" says she.
He declared - thus it would be.
[ she must have been scared of being alone with the dead]
Þá mælti Þorsteinn Eiríksson: "Með undarlegum hætti er nú um húsfreyju vora því að nú örglast hún upp við ölnboga og þokar fótum sínum frá stokki og þreifar til skúa sinna."
Then spoke Thorstein Eiriksson, "It is a wonderful risk our Mistress of the house (hostess) is trying -to rise up on her elbow and stretch out her feet from the bedboards to reach for her shoes.
Og í því kom Þorsteinn bóndi inn og lagðist Grímhildur niður í því og
brakaði þá í hverju tré í stofunni.
And with that Thorstein the Farmer came in and Grimhild collapsed down (?to the floor?) with a creaking of the wood/planks of the room
Nú gerir Þorsteinn kistu að líki Grímhildar og færði í brott og bjó um.
Now Thorstein makes a coffin for Grimhild's corpse and took it away outside and stored it
Hann var bæði mikill maður og sterkur
og þurfti hann þess alls áður hann kom henni burt af bænum.
He was both a big and strong man and he had need of all of his strength to fetch her out of the farm
Nú elnaði sóttin Þorsteini Eiríkssyni og andaðist hann. Guðríður kona hans kunni því lítt.
Now Thorstein Eiriksson's illness grew worse and he died, Guðrið his wife knew/understood - little of it (distracted by grief)
Þá voru þau öll í stofunni. Guðríður hafði setið á stóli
frammi fyrir bekknum er hann hafði legið Þorsteinn bóndi hennar.
They were all in the Sitting room. Guðrið had been seated on a stool before a bench where Thorstein her husband had been lying
[not sure of this bit]
Þá tók Þorsteinn bóndi Guðríði af stólinum í fang sér og settist í bekkinn annan með hana gegnt líki Þorsteins og taldi um fyrir henni marga vega
Then Thorstein the Farmer took Guðrið from the stool in his arms (carrying her) and seated himself with her on another bench (?further) from facing Thorstein's corpse and talked to her of many ways (to distract her from her grief)
og huggaðihana og hét henni því að hann mundi fara með henni til Eiríksfjarðar með líki Þorsteins bónda hennar og förunauta hans.
and comforted her and promised her he wiould go with her to Eirik'sFjord with the bodies of Thorstein her husband and his Fellow Travellers.
"Og svo skal eg taka hingað hjón fleiri," segir hann, "þér til huggunar og
skemmtanar."
"And even so Shall I take hither one of the household (Z) says he to comfort and amuse you" [skemta - Z - entertain]
[sounds like he will give her a serving woman to care for her]
Hún þakkaði honum
She thanked him
I was unable to stop from being much affected by the narrative of this part of the Saga., and the account of the Kindness shown through out Ch5 of Thorstein the Black.
Any Critique welcome
Kveðja
Patricia
Patricia