> Konungr spyrr nú, hvárt hann kann nokkut fleiri slagi, en
> hann segir eftir vera nokkura smáleika ok bað fólkit
> hvílast fyrst.
> The king now asks, whether he somewhat more tacked, but he
> says after (to) be somewhat a trifling game and asked the
> people to take a rest first.
> The king asks now whether he knows some more tunes, and he
> says after to be some trifling game and bade the people to
> rest first.
> The King now asked whether he knew any more tunes, and he
> said there were some smaller ones and bade the folk to
> rest first.
> (The) king asks now, whether he knows any more tunes
> (slagr), but (and) he says after (there) to be some
> trifling-plays (inconsequential tunes) left (ie remaining,
> vera epir under eptir, Z.iii.2) and bade the-folk to rest
> first.
[The] king now asks whether he knows any more tunes, and he
says that some trifles remain and asked the people to rest
first.
> Settust menn nú til drykkju.
> Men now seated themselves for drink.
> People sit down now to drink.
> The men now settled down to drink.
> Folk now set-themselves (down) to drinking.
Folks now seated themselves for drinking.
> Sló hann þar Gýgjarslag ok Drömbuð ok Hjarrandahljóð.
> He played there Gygjarslag and Drombud and Hjarrandahljog
> (musical instruments).
> He played there the giantess’ song and Drombud ? and
> Hjarranda? tune.
> He played then the Giantess' Tune, and Dream Booth and
> Hjarrandi Sounds.
> He struck there Gýgjarslag (Gýgr + slagr, Ogress’s-Tune)
> and Drömbuð (‘The-Dreamer’) and Hjarrandahljóð
> (Hjarrandi’s-tune/lay, ‘The Warrior’).
He played there Gýgjarslag and Drömbuð and Hjarrandahljóð.
<Gýgjarslag> is pretty clearly ‘Hag’s Tune’.
<Drömbuð> looks at first like the fem. nom. sing. or neut.
nom./acc. plur. of a past part. <drambaðr> of <dramba> ‘to
boast, to be overbearing’, except that it’s not clear what
such a past part. would mean. However, just as <fǫgnuðr>
‘joy’ is derived from the verb <fagna> ‘to rejoice’ by
addition of the suffix <-uðr>, so <drǫmbuðr> could be
derived from <dramba>, perhaps with some such sense as
‘haughtiness, pompousness’. In that case the accusative,
needed here, would be <drǫmbuð>, which is exactly what we
have. But we should also take into account the manuscript
variants, which include <ddraumbaud>, <draumbud>, and
<draumbut>. These suggest that the might be related somehow
to <draumr> ‘a dream’, and various respectable sources do
indeed gloss it ‘Dreamer’. In this case, however, I have no
idea how to explain <-buð>. (Note that it is definitely not
a compound whose second element is ‘booth’: that would
require <búð>, with a long vowel.)
<Hjarrandahljóð> would appear to be ‘Hjarrandi’s Tune’. De
Vries notes that this name has an Old English cognate
<Heorrenda> and an Old High German cognate <Herrant> ~
<Hôrant>; both appear as the names of notable singers. The
name was quite common in medieval Iceland and was also one
of Óðin’s poetic names. It seems not to have a convincing
etymology, however.
> Því næst kom inn Óðins minni.
> Next came inside Odin's toast.
> Next Odin’s toast came in.
> There next came in Odin's memorial (toast).
> Thereupon Óðinn’s toast came in.
Next, Óðin’s toast came in.
> Þá lauk Sigurðr upp hörpunni.
> Then Sigurdr took up the harp.
> Then Sigurdr opened the harp.
> Then Sigurd opened up the harp.
> Then Sigurðr opened the-harp.
Then Sigurð opened the harp.
> Hún var svá stór, at maðr mátti standa réttr í maganum á
> henni; hún var öll sem á gull sæi.
> It was so large, that a man could stand upright in its
> stomach (i.e., middle); it was as gold would be seen.
> It was so large that a man could stand right in the middle
> of it; it was all as gold to see?
> It was so large, that a man might stand up right in it's
> belly, it was all set with gold.
> It was so large, that a person could stand upright in
> the-belly (maw) of it; it was all as-if (one) were-looking
> on gold (?).
It was so large that a man could stand upright in its belly;
it [i.e., the harp] was all as if [one] looked on gold.
Possibly the harp had a great deal of gold inlay.
> Þar tók hann upp hvíta glófa gullsaumaða.
> There he picked up a white glove, embroideded with gold.
> He took up there white gloves stitched in gold.
> He then took up a white glove, gold-embroidered.
> There he took up white gloves gold-embroidered (gold-sewn)
> (all masc acc plural)
At that point he took up white gloves embroidered with gold.
> Hann sló nú þann slag, sem Faldafeykir heitir, ok stukku
> þá faldarnir af konunum, ok léku þeir fyrir ofan
> þvertréin.
> He now played a tune, which is called Faldafeykir, and
> then the hoods flew off the women, and they waved back and
> forth below the cross-tree. (Z. falda-feykir, m. a magical
> dance in which the hoods (faldar) flew off the ladies’
> heads)
> He struck now that tune which is called Hood-flying-off
> dance and the hoods flew off the king and they danced
> above the cross-tree.
> He now played the tune, called Faldafeykir, and the
> woman's hoods now flew off and they swayed to and fro from
> the cross beams.
> He struck now that tune, which is-called Faldafeykir
> (Faldr’s-Rush (Dance), Rush (Dance)-of-(the)-coifs/hoods),
> and the-coifs/hoods (faldr, Z4) took-flight from
> the-women, and they danced (shimmied) above
> the-cross-trees (cross-beams, plural).
He now played the tune that is called Faldafeykir
[‘Hood-tosser’], and the hoods then sprang from the women,
and they swung to and fro above the cross-trees.
The second element, <feykir>, appears to be an agent noun
from <feykja> ‘to blow, to toss’.
> Stukku þá upp konurnar ok allir menninir, ok engi hlutr
> var þá sá, at kyrr þoldi.
> Then the women and all the men leapt up, and no matter was
> then that, that quiet was endured.
> Then the kings sprang up and all the people and no part
> was then which remained quiet.
> Then the women and all the men jumped up and nothing was
> there seen, that stayed at rest.
> The women and all the-people (men) then sprang up (to
> their feet), and no thing was then that (thing)(?) that
> remained still.
The women sprang up then, and all of the men, and nothing
was then that which lay quiet [i.e., nothing remained still;
everything moved about].
> En er þetta minni var af gengit, kom inn þat minni, er
> signat var Freyju, ok átti þat síðast at drekka.
> ANd when this toast had departed, then the toast entered,
> whose dedication was to Freya, and (one) had to drink to
> the last one.
> And when that toast left, in came that toast which was
> dedicated to Freyja and it was the last to drink.
> When that toast had gone off, that toast came in that was
> assigned to Freyja, and to be the last to drink.
> But (And) when this toast was concluded (ganga aft, Z14),
> that toast came in which was dedicated to Freyja, and
> (one) had (ie was required) to drink that last.
And when this toast had left, that toast came in that was
dedicated to Freyja, and that had to be drunk last.
> Tók Sigurðr þá þann streng, er lá um þvera strengina, ok
> bað konung búast við Rammaslag.
> Sigurdr then took that string, which lay across the
> transverse strings, and asked the king to get ready by
> Rammaslag.
> Sigurdr took then that string which lay across the strings
> and the king readied for the Rammaslag.
> Sigurd then took that string, which lay across the
> strings, and bade the King prepare for the Ramma tune.
> Sigurðr then took that string, which lay across
> the-strings, and bade the-king to-ready-himself for
> Rammaslag (Tune of the Mighty-one, ram(m)i from ram(m)r? +
> slagr)
Sigurð then took the string that lay across the [other]
strings and told [the] king to get ready for Rammaslag.
<Rammaslag> could be simply ‘powerful tune’. The only
evidence for <rammi> that I’ve found is for a modern
Icelandic word meaning ‘a frame’.
> En konungi brá svá við, at hann stökk upp ok svá
> brúðguminn ok brúðrin, ok léku nú engir vakrara en þau, ok
> gekk þessu langa stund.
> And/but the king so moved quickly, that he leapt up, and
> so (did) the bridegroom and bride, and they now played no
> one more nimbly than they, and this went on a long while.
> And the king started off at once that he leaped up and
> also the bridegroom and the bride and none now danced more
> nimbly than they and this went on for a long time.
> But the King was so affected by this that he jumped up and
> the bridegroom and the bride, and no one then danced more
> nimbly then they, and this went on for a long time.
> But (And) (it) startled (the) king (e-m bregða við, Z9)
> such that he sprang up and also the-bridegroom and
> the-bride, and none danced (shimmied) more-nimbly,
> (more-livelily) than they, and (it) went in this (way) for
> a long time.
And [the] king was so taken aback that he sprang up, and
likewise the bridegreem and the bride, and none danced more
agilely than they, and this went on for a long time.
> Smiðr tók nú í hönd brúðinni ok lék allra vakrast.
> Smidr now took the bride in hand and danced all the most
> nimbly.
> Smidr took now the bride in hand and danced all the most
> nimbly.
> Smith now took the bride in hand and all danced nimbly.
> Smiðr now took the-bride in hand and played (danced,
> shimmied) most-nimbly of all.
Smið now offered the bride [his] hand and danced most
agilely of all.
Baetke: <taka í hönd e-m> ‘to extend someone one’s hand’
> Hann tók borðbúnað af stólnum ok kastaði upp í sængina,
> þegar hann sá sér færi á.
> He took the dishes and utensils from the tables and threw
> (them) up into the bed, he immediately saw himself moved
> there. (?)
> He took the tablecloth and table service from the table
> and cast it up in the bed immediately he saw himself
> mocked???
> He took the tableware off the table and threw it up in the
> bed, when he was able to do so.
> He took the-table-service (cloth and dishes) off the table
> and cast (it, them) up into the-bed, as-soon-as he saw an
> opportunity (foeri) for himself.
He took [the] table service from the table and threw [it] up
into the bed as soon as he saw an opportunity to do so [‘saw
for himself an opportunity thereto’].
> En frá Herrauði er þat at segja, at hann lætr menn sína
> meiða öll þau skip, sem með sjónum váru, svá at ekki var
> sjófært.
> And concerning Herraudr it is said that he let his men
> destroy all the ships, which were by the sea, so that it
> was not seaworthy.
> And of Herraudr is that to say that he had his men damage
> all those ships which were in the water so that none were
> seaworthy.
> But about Herraud it is said that he made his men loose
> all the ships, that were on the seacoast, so that they
> were not seaworthy.
> But (And) about Herrauðr (one) is to say that, that he
> causes his people (men) to destroy all those ships, which
> were by the-sea, so that nought was sea-worthy.
And it is to be said of Herrauð that he has his men damage
all those ships that were along the coast so that none was
seaworthy.
> Suma hafði hann heima í borginni, ok báru þeir til sjóvar
> gull ok gersemar, er Smiðr hafði lagit þeim til
> handargagns.
> He had some at home in the fort, and they took to the sea
> gold and treasures, which Smidr had contributed to them
> for submission.
> Some he had at home in the castle and they carried gold
> and treasure to the sea where Smidr had laid them as
> luggage??
> He had sone go hone to the town, and they bore away to the
> sea goals and treasure that Smith had laid there ready at
> hand.
> He brought (hafa, Z6) some (men) ‘home’ to the-stronghold
> (‘castle’) and they carried to the-sea gold and treasures,
> which Smiðr had placed ready-at-hand for them.
He brought some [men] home to the stronghold, and they
carried gold and treasures to sea that Smið had laid ready
to hand for them.
> Var nú mjök húmat.
> It had now grown very dusk.
> It was now growing much towards dusk.
> Now it grew dusk.
> (It) was now much grown-dusk. (ie dusk was very advanced)
[It] was now well into dusk.
> Sumir váru uppi á höllunni ok skynjuðu, hvat inni var, ok
> drógu út um gluggann þat, sem upp var kastat í sængina, en
> sumir færðu til skipa ok sneru stöfnum frá landi.
> Some were up in the halls and perceived what was inside,
> and pulled out around that window, where it was thrown in
> the bed, and some went to the ship and prow turned from
> land.
> Some were up in the hall and inquired what was inside and
> drew out of the windows that which had been cast up into
> the bed and some carried to the ships and turned the prows
> (away) from land.
> Some were up on top of the hall and watching, what was
> happening inside, and they dragged out from the opening
> what was bundled up in the bedding, and some carried it to
> the ships and turned the prows fro the land.
> Some were up on the-hall and perceived, what was inside,
> and drew out through the-window, that which was cast up
> into the-bed, but (and) some conveyed (it) to (the) ships
> and turned the prows from (the) land (away from the shore,
> ie ready for a quick getaway)
Some were up atop the hall and perceived what was inside and
drew out through the window that which was cast up into the
bed, and some conveyed [it] to [the] ships and turned the
prows away from land.
> 13. Brúðarrán.
> The Robbery of the Bride
> Bridal abduction.
> The Bride's Seizure
Hún er með flogaveiki? :-)
> Abduction of (the) bride.
[The] Bride’s Abduction
> Þat berr nú til nýlundu, at þá þeir léku sem glaðast í
> höllunni, at maðr gekk inn í höllina.
> That brings (?) (us) now to a new strange thing, that then
> they played as most glad in the halls, that a man went
> inside to the halls.
> It happened now as a novelty that then they danced most
> cheerfully in the hall that a man went into the hall.
> That carries on now until an unexpected thing, that then
> they played as cheerfully in the hall, that a man came ito
> the hall.
> That happens now as a new-thing (ie the next novelty to
> occur was), that at-that time (ie when, þá) they
> were-playing (dancing) as-cheerfully-as-possible (ie when
> the was fun at its height) in the-hall (sg), that a person
> (man) went inside into the-hall (sg).
Now that new thing happens [‘happens as a new thing’], that
when they were dancing as gaily as possible in the hall, a
man walked into the hall.
> Sá var mikill vexti ok fríðr sýnum.
> That one was large in stature and looked peaceful.
> That one was very tall and handsome.
> The man was large-sized and peaceful
> That-one was large in stature and handsome in appearance
> (fair of face).
He was big and handsome [‘fair of face’].
> Hann var í rauðum skarlatskyrtli ok silfrbelti um sik ok
> gullhlað um enni.
> He was in a red scarlet-tunic and a silver belt around him
> and goldlace around (his) forehead.
> He was in a red scarlet kyrtle and silver belt about him
> and gold lace about his forehead.
> He was in a red scarlet kirtle and with a silver belt and
> gold ornament on his forehead.
> He was in red kyrtle (cloak-) of scarlet and a silver-belt
> around him and gold-lace about (the) forehead.
He was in a red kirtle of scarlet and [had] a silver belt
around him and gold lace around [his] forehead.
Brian