> Þá urðu í Vestfjörðum mörg kyn bæði í sýnum ok draumum.
> Then it happened in Westfiord many kinds both in sight and
> dreams.
> Then came-to-pass in Vestfirðir ([The] West Fjords) many
> wonders (<kyn>, Z.ii) both in visions (<syn>, Z2) and
> dreams.
Many wonders occurred then in the West Fjords, in both
visions and dreams.
> Einu sinni, þá er Hrafn hafði verit at heimboði í
> Selárdal, fór hann í brott snemma um morgin ok tveir menn
> með honum.
> One time, when Hranf had been at at a feast in Selardale,
> he went away early during the morning and 2 men (went)
> with him.
> One time, when Hrafn had been at a feast in Selárdalr, he
> journeyed away early during [the] morning and two persons
> (men) [were] with him.
Once when Hrafn had been at a feast in Selárdal, he
travelled away early in the morning, and two men with him.
> Ok er þeir váru komnir skammt frá garði, sá
> þeir ljós mikit ór austri frá bænum á Eyri.
> And when they had come scarcely from the yard, they saw a
> great light out of the east beyond the farms at Eyri.
> And when they were (had) come a short distance from [the]
> yard, they saw a great light out-of [the] east away-from
> the-farm (pretty sure this is singular, plural would be
> <bæunum>) at Eyrr. (in the morning – in the east – it’s
> the sun, you fools! – it must have been some feast)
And when they had got a short distance from [the] house,
they saw a great light out of the east from the farmstead at
Eyrr.
> Hrafn sá í ljósinu þrjá menn.
> Hrafn saw in the light three men.
> Hrafn saw in the-light three men.
Hrafn saw three people in the light.
> Þar þóttist hann kenna sik sjálfan ok tvá menn aðra.
> It seemed there he recognized himself and two other men.
> There he bethought-himself to recognise him-self and two
> other (persons) men.
He thought that he recognized himself and two other people
there.
> Þá sýn sagði hann fám mönnum, ok þótti honum mikils um
> vert.
> He told few men about that vision, and he took it much to
> heart. (Z. verðr 1: svá þótti honum mikils um vert, he
> took it so much to heart)
> He said (told) that vision to few people (men), and he was
> much affected by it (ie he thought it highly important,
> lit: [it] seemed to him worthy of much concerning [it]).
He told few people that vision, and he took [it] much to
heart.
> Þórðr hét maðr.
> A man was named Thordr.
> [There] was a person (man) called Þórðr.
There was a man called Þórð.
> Hann var heimamaðr í Selárdal.
> He was a servant in Selardale.
> He was a servant in Selárdalr.
He was a member of the household at Selárdal.
> Hann sofnaði eitt kveld ok dreymdi, at maðr kom at honum
> svartr ok illiligr.
> He was sleeping one evening and dreamed that a black and
> hideous man came to him.
> He slept one evening and [it] appeared-in-a-dream, that a
> person (man) came to him, baneful (fig.., lit: black) and
> ill-looking.
He fell asleep one evening and dreamed that a man came upon
him, black and hideous.
There’s a distinction between <sofa> ‘to sleep, to be
sleeping’ and <sofna> ‘to fall asleep, to go to sleep’.
> Þórðr þóttist spyrja, hverr hann væri.
> Thordr thought to ask who he would be.
> Þórðr bethought-himself to ask, who he was.
Þórð thought that he asked who he was.
> Hann segir:
> He says:
> He says:
He says:
> [Option A]
> Faraldr ek heiti,
> ferk of aldar kyn,
> emka ek sættir svika.
> Döprum dauða
> ek mun drengi vega
> ok nýta mér nái.
> I am called Faraldr,
> I went over old kin,
> I am a fraud(ulent) peacemaker.
> To a sad death
> I will slay a valiant man
> and to me makes use of a corpse.
> Faraldr (Pestilence) I am called,
> I-go through [the] kin of men (öld, Z3) (<of> = <yfir>,
> Z1, prep., see <fara yfir e-t>, Z)
> I am-not (= <em ekki>) a prince (or king (lit: settler,
> <sættir>, Lex Poet) of frauds.
> with sad deaths (plural)
> I will fellows (noble-men, masc acc. plural) smite
> and eat for myself [the] corpses (masc acc pl).
<Döprum dauði> is dative singular of <dapr dauði>.
> (Note the similarity between <faraldr> which commences
> this vísa and <far aldar> which concludes the next vísa.
> Deliberate?)
The mss. disagree on the name; <Farvalldr>, probably
representing <Fárvaldr>, seems to be the most common form,
though <Faralldr> also occurs. GPH says that <fárvaldr>
‘mischief-causer’ is not otherwise known, though it clearly
would fit nicely here. There is a neuter <farald> with a
basic sense of ‘journey, that which travels’, and there is a
modern <faraldur> ‘pestilence’, and for this reason some,
not including her, have preferred to accept the reading
<Faraldr>. She notes that it that is correct, the next line
‘plays heavily on the name’s sense and form’. The <far
aldar> in the next vísa seems unrelated, however.
Farald am I called;
I travel over mankind;
I am not a reconciler of betrayals.
With a dismal death
I will strike men
and eat for myself [their] corpses.
> [Option B]
> Ek heiti Faraldr, ferk of aldar kyn, emka ek sættir svika.
> My name is Faraldr, I went over old kin, I am a fraudulent
> peacemaker.
> I am called Faraldr (Pestilence), I-go through [the] kin
> of men (öld, Z3), I am-not (= <em ekki>) a prince/king
> (lit: settler, Lex Poet) of frauds.
I am called Farald; I travel over mankind; I am not a
reconciler of betrayals.
> Ek mun vega drengi döprum dauða ok nýta mér nái.
> I will slay sad bold men dead and consume for me corpses.
> I will smite fellows with sad deaths and eat (nýta, Z2)
> [the] corpses for myself.
I will strike men with a dismal death and eat for myself
[i.e., for my own benefit] corpses.
> [Option C]
> Eg heiti Faraldur, eg fer yfir mannkynið, eg er ekki
> sættir manna í sviksamlegum málum.
> My name is Faraldur, I went over mankind, I am not man's
> peacemaker in treacherous cases.
> I am-called Faraldr (Pestilence, lit: that which goes
> around?), I go through mankind, I am not a reconciler of
> people (men) in treacherous time (or cases).
I am called Farald; I travel over mankind; I am not a
reconciler of people in treacherous matters.
> Eg mun veita mönnum dapran dauða og eta hræ þeirra.
> I will give downcast death to men and eat their dead
> bodies.
> I will grant people (men) a sad death and eat their
> dead-bodies.
I will give people a dreary death and eat their corpses.
> Hann vaknaði ok sagði drauminn.
> He woke up and related his dream. (Who would want to keep
> a dream like that to themselves?)
> He awoke and said (told) the-dream.
He awoke and told the dream.
> Guðbrandr hét maðr, er fyrr var getit.
> A man was named Gudbrandr, as was previously related.
> [There) was a person (man) called Guðbrandr, who was
> mentioned before.
There was a man called Guðbrand, who was mentioned before.
> Hann dreymdi, at maðr kom at honum mikill ok illiligr.
> He dreamed that a large and hideous man came to him.
> To him [It] appeared-in-a-dream, that a person (man) came
> upon him large and ill-looking.
He dreamed that a man came upon him, large and hideous.
> Hann þóttist spyrja, hvat manna hann væri.
> He thought to ask what (kind of) man he would be.
> He bethought-himself to ask, what among (lit: of, by way
> of) persons (men, gen. pl.) he was.
He thought that he asked what sort of man he was.
> Sá svaraði: "Hér er nú Ingólfr, sá inn sami, er þér
> vitraðist fyrir vígi Markúss."
> He answered thus: "Here now is Ingolfr, the same, who was
> revealed to you for the slaying of Markuss."
> That-one (ie he) answered: “Here now is Ingólfr, that the
> same [one], who revealed-himself-in-a-dream before [the]
> slaying of Markús.
That one replied: ‘Here now is Ingólf, the same one who
appeared to you before [the] slaying of Markús.’
> Guðbrandr spurði: "Hvárt ferr þú með jafnillum tíðendum
> sem þá?"
> Gudbrandr answered: "Did you go with equally-ill news as
> those?"
> Guðbrandr asked: “whether [do]-you journey (present tense)
> with equally-ill tidings as then (ie at that time)?”
Guðbrand asked: ‘Do you travel with tidings as bad as then?’
<Hvárt> here has no counterpart in English syntax and adds
nothing to the question.
> Hann svarar: "Hygg at vísu þessi:
> He answers: "Attend to this verse:
> He answers: “Attend to this verse:
He replies: ‘Attend to this verse:
> [Option A]
> Fagnak því, es ógnir,
> ymr þjóðar böl, glymja.
> Allr tekr svarmr at svella.
> Svellr þats mannkyn hrellir.
> Fara munk suðr it syðra,
> snákranns, of lið manna,
> verit hefk norðr it nyrðra,
> návaldr, of far aldar."
> I rejoice in that, which threatens
> whines people's misfortune, clatters.
> All take a tumult to swell.
> Swells that mankind (hrellir?).
> I will go south by the south road,
> The snake's, of man's family,
> I have been north the more northerly,
> near-ruler, over old conduct."
> (I expected that "it nyrðra" would mean "by the north
> road," similar to "it syðra," but I don't see that in Z.
> or C.V.)
Given that they’re the same construction and are used in
parallel in the vísa, it’s safe to infer that it does.
> I rejoice at that, that threats (terrors, <ógn>, noun)
> wails [the] misfortune of people, reverberate.
> All tumult starts to (<taka at + inf>) swell (ie increase)
> [The] swelling of that distresses mankind
> Go I will south, by the south road
> of [the] snake-house (<snák-rann>, poet for <gold>),
> through [the] host of people (men)
> I-have-been north, by the-north-road,
> Corpse-wielder (causer), through [the]
> state/condition/behaviour of men (öld, Z3),
<Þats> = <þat es> = <þat er> ‘that which’.
The comma after <snákranns> is editorial, added by an editor
who thought that it modifies <návaldr>. GPH takes
<snákranns> to modify <manna lið> and omits the comma,
though she agrees that the other interpretation is possible.
I’ve chosen to translate using her interpretation, if only
because that allows me to keep the individual lines intact.
Options B and C follow this editor’s interpretation, and
I’ll translate them as they are.
I rejoice in it when terrors
roar, people’s misfortune cries.
All tumult begins to swell.
That swells which distresses mankind.
I will travel south by the southern route,
among the host of people of the snake-hall;
I have been north by the northern route,
corpse-ruler, among the lives of men.
GPH says that <snákrann> ‘snake-hall’ is probably to be
understood as hell; the <návaldr> ‘corpse-ruler’, who is
speaking, would then likely be Satan. Note that this
interpretation is still possible if <snákranns> modifies
<návaldr.)
<Far aldar> in the last line gave me more than a little
trouble, and GPH even says that it’s vague. After noting
that <ǫld> is ‘age, generation, men’ and that <aldarfar> is
‘conditions of the age, way of the world’ (Z: ‘spirit or
manners of the age’), she says that here it probably means
little more than ‘men’ (i.e., people), like <lið manna> in
line 6. I have followed her in translating <of> as ‘among’.
> [Option B]
> Fagnak því, es ógnir glymja.
> I rejoice in that, which rattles terror.
> I rejoice in that, that threats (terrors) reverberate.
I rejoice in it when terrors roar.
> Þjóðar böl ymr.
> People's misfortune whines.
> [The] misfortune of people wails.
People’s misfortune cries.
> Allr svarmr tekr at svella.
> All tumult begins to swell.
> All tumult starts to swell.
All tumult begins to swell.
> Svellr þats hrellir mannkyn.
> That swelling distresses mankind.
> [The] swelling of that distresses mankind.
That swells which distresses mankind.
> Snákranns návaldr, munk fara suðr it syðra of lið manna.
> The snake's ruler-of-the-dead, (niunk?) goes south by the
> south road over man's host.
> I will go south by the south road through a host of people
> (men).
I, snake-hall’s corpse-ruler, will travel south by the
southern route among the host of people.
I’ve corrected <niunk> to <munk>, i.e., <mun ek>; this
appears to be an OCR error.
> Hefk verit norðr it nyrðra of far aldar.
> I have been north more the more northerly over old
> conduct.
> Corpse-wielder (causer) of [the] snake-house (gold)
> (presumably all that simply mean a man), I-have been north
> by the north-road through [the] state/condition/behaviour
> of men (öld, Z3).
I have been north by the northern route among the lives of
men.
> [Option C]
> Eg fagna því, er ógnir glymja.
> I rejoice in that, which rattles terror.
> I rejoice in that, that threats (terrors, nominative)
> reverberate.
I rejoice in it when terrors roar.
> Þjóðar böl kveður við.
> People's misfortune replies great unrest begins to grow.
> The misfortune of people utters a cry (<kveða við>, Z3).
> (ю = Russian interference!).
People’s misfortune resounds.
The Cyrillic <ю> is presumably an error for a full stop.
> Mikil ókyrrð tekur að magnast.
> Great disquiet starts to grow-strong,
Great unrest begins to be intensified.
> Það magnast, sem hrellir mannkynið.
> It begins to grow, which distresses mankind.
> That grows-strong which distresses the-mankind.
That is intensified which distresses mankind.
> Maður, eg mun fara suður um land yfir fólkið.
> Man, I will go south across land about the people.
> A person (man), I will go south across land through
> the-people.
Man, I will travel south throughout [the] land among the
people.
> Eg hefi verið nyrðra og mótað aldarfarið.
> I have been in the north and have shaped the spirit of the
> age.
> I have been more-in-the-north and shaped
> “the-spirit-of-the-age” (the ‘times’).
I have been further north and shaped the manners of the age.
> Guðbrandr vaknaði ok mundi vísuna.
> Gudmundr woke up and called to mind the verse.
> Guðbrandr awoke and remembered the-verse.
Guðbrand awoke and remembered the verse.
> Eyjólfr hét maðr ok var Snorrason.
> Eyolfr Snorrason was the name of a man.
> [There] was a man called Eyjólfr and [he] was
> Snorri’s-son.
There was a man called Eyjólf who [‘and’] was Snorri’s son.
> Hann bjó at Haukabergi á Barðaströnd.
> He lived at Haukaberg at Bardastrand.
> He dwelt at Haukaberg at Barðaströnd.
He dwelt at Haukaberg at Barðaströnd.
> Hann dreymdi um nótt, at hann þóttist sjá tungl svá mörg
> sem stjörnur væri, sum full, en sum hálf, sum meir en sum
> minnr vaxandi ok þverrandi.
> He dreamed during the night, that the moon seemed to him
> so many as the stars would be, some full, but some half,
> some more and some less waxing and waning.
> To him [it] appeared-in-a-dream during [the] night, that
> he bethought-himself to see moons (plural), as many as
> [there] were stars, some full, but (and) some half, some
> more and some less waxing and waning. (I would love to see
> that!)
In the night he dreamed that he seemed to see as many moons
as there were stars, some full, and some half, some more and
some less waxing and waning.
> Ok er hann undraðist þessa sýn, þá sá hann mann hjá sér,
> ok kvað vísu:
> And when we wondered at this vision, then he saw a man
> beside himself, and recited a verse:
> And when he wondered at this vision, then he saw a person
> (man) beside him, and [the person] recited a verse:
And when he wondered at this vision, he saw a man near him,
and he [= the man] recited a verse:
> [Option A]
> Sé þú, hvé hvarfla
> heima í milli
> syndauðigra
> sálir manna.
> Kveljask andir
> í orms gini.
> Skelfr rammr röðull.
> Ræðk þér at vakna.
> See how wanders
> home among
> sinful
> souls of men.
> Sould are tormented
> In the mouth of the viper.
> Frightens strong glory.
> I advise you to wake.
> See you, how wavers
> [the] worlds (gen. plural) between
> sinful
> souls of person (men)
> Are-tormented souls
> in {the] serpent’s mouth.
> Causes-to-tremble-with-fear [the] mighty sun (<röðull, Z2,
> poet)
> I-advise you to wake-up.
See you how wander
between worlds
sinful
men’s souls.
Souls are tormented
in serpent’s mouth.
The mighty sun frightens.
I advise you to wake up.
<Syndauðigra> is genitive plural, so it must modify <manna>,
not <sálir>: ‘souls of sinful men’, not ‘sinful souls of
men’. ‘Wander’, which is supported by Baetke, seems a
better fit for the context than ‘waver’.
> [Option B]
> Sé þú, hvé sálir syndauðigra manna hvarfla milli heima.
> See how sinful man's souls wander between home.
> See you how [the] souls of sinful people (men) waver
> (<hvarfla>, CV) between [the] worlds (gen pl).
See you how [the] souls of sinful men wander between [the]
worlds.
> Andir kveljask í orms gini.
> Souls are tormented in the viper's maw.
> Souls are-tormented in [the] mouth of [the] serpent.
Souls are tormented in [the] serpent’s mouth.
> Rammr röðull skelfr.
> Strong glory frightens.
> [The] mighty sun causes-to-tremble-with-fear.
[The] mighty sun frightens.
> Ræðk þér at vakna.
> I advise you to wake.
> I-advise you to wake-up.
I advise you to wake up.
> [Option C]
> Sjá þú, hvernig sálir syndugra manna sveima milli heima.
> See how souls of sinful men roam between home.
> See you, how[the] souls of sinful persons (men) roam
> between [the] worlds.
See you how [the] souls of sinful men wander between [the]
worlds.
> Sálirnar kveljast í gini höggormsins (djöfulsins).
> The souls are tormented in the viper's (the devil's) maw.
> The-souls are-tormented in [the] mouth of the viper (the
> devil).
The souls are tormented in the viper’s [the devil’s] mouth.
> Hin máttuga sól skelfur.
> The mighty sun frightens.
> The mighty sun causes-to-tremble-with-fear.
The mighty sun frightens.
> Eg ræð þér að vakna.
> I advise you to wake.
> I advise you to wake-up.
I advise you to wake up.
Brian