> Gríðr svarar: "Engan eld fær þú af mér, nema þú mælir þrjú
> sannyrði, ok ef þú gerir þetta skjótt, þá skaltu liggja
> hjá dóttur minni, en ef þú vilt eigi þenna kost, þá hirði
> ek eigi, þó at Björn kali til dauðs."

> Gridr answers: "You would not get any fire from me, except
> you speak 3 true-words, and if you do this quickly, you
> shall lie next to my daughter, but if you didn't want this
> choice, then I would not mind, although Bjorn would freeze
> to death.

> Gríðr answers: “You [will] get no fire from me, unless you
> speak three true-words, and if you do this quickly, then
> you-shall lie with my daughter, but if you want not this
> choice, then I care not, even though Björn should-freeze
> to death.

Gríð replies: ‘No fire will you get from me unless you speak
three truths [‘true words’], and if you do this quickly, you
shall lie with my daughter, but if you do not want these
terms [singular in ON], then I don’t care even if Björn does
freeze to death.’

> Illugi segist þetta vilja.

> Illugi said for himself to want this.

> Illugi says-of-himself to want this.

Illugi says that he wants this.

> Eptir þetta gengr fram ein kona.

> After this a woman steps forward.

> After this a certain woman steps forward.

After this a certain woman steps forward.

> Hún er svá fríð, at Illugi þóttist enga fríðari sét hafa.

> She was so beautiful that Illugi thought to himself to
> have seen no one more beautiful.

> She is so beautiful, that Illugi bethought-himself to have
> seen no-one more-beautiful.

She is so beautiful that Illugi thought that he had seen
none more beautiful.

> Ok þegar er hann sá hana, felldi hann mikla ást til
> hennar.

> And immediately when he saw her, he fell greatly in love
> toward her.

> And as-soon-as he saw her, he took a great-fancy to her.

And as soon as he saw her, he took a great fancy to her.

> Hún var hljóð ok fáræðin.

> She was silent and chary of words.

> She was taciturn and chary-of-words (of few words).

She was quiet and taciturn.

> Illugi tók þá til máls: "Mér mun mál," segir hann, "at fá
> sannyrðin: Hellir þínn er hár ok breiðr, at ek hefi eigi
> sét hús meira né sterkara.

> Illugi then began to speak: "To me the matter will," he
> says "to get the true-words: Your cave is high and broad,
> that I haven't seen a larger or stronger house.

> Illugi took then to speech: “[It] will [be] high-time
> (<mál>, Z.ii.2) for me,” says he, “to deliver (<fá>, Z6)
> the-true-words: Your cave is tall and broad, [such] that I
> have not seen a house larger nor stronger.

Illugi then began to speak: ‘It must be time for me,’ he
says, ‘to give the truths: your cave is [so] high and broad
that I have not seen a house bigger or stronger.

> Svá er ok nefit á þér mikit, at ek hefi eigi sét meira
> skrípi en þú ert, ok svá svört, at fagrt er gólfit hjá
> þér, ok enga hefi ek ámátligri sét en þik, ok víst er
> dóttir þín fegri, ok ykkar hefi ek sét mestan mun, ok svá
> munu allir segja, er ykkr sjá."

> So it is also to you a big nose (i.e., you have a big
> nose), that I have not seen a more grotesque monster than
> you are, and so black that the floor is beautiful beside
> you, and I have seen no one more loathsome than you, and
> certainly your daughter is more beautiful, and of you two
> I have seen the greatest difference, and so all will say
> who see you two."

> Also the nose on you (ie your nose) is so prominent, that
> I have not seen a greater grotesque-monster than you are,
> and so black that the-floor is fair in-comparison to you,
> and I have seen no-one more-loathsome than you, and
> certainly your daughter is fairer, and I have seen [the]
> greatest difference between you-two (ie mother and
> daughter – chalk and cheese). And so will all say, who see
> you-two.”

Your nose is also so big that I have not seen a more
grotesque monster than you are, and so black that the floor
is fair next to you, none more loathsome than you have I
seen, and your daughter is certainly more beautiful, and
between you two I have seen the greatest difference, and so
will all say who see you two.’

> Gríðr mælti þá: "Víst er þat," segir hún, "at hvárki viltu
> lofa mik né hæla mér, ok ekki lízt þér svá illa á mik sem
> þú lætr, en þat þykki mér nú ráð, at þú farir í hvílu með
> dóttur minni, ok leik allt þat, er þik lystir, því at þér
> lízt betr á dóttur mína en á mik.

> Gridr then spoke: "It is certain," she says, "that you
> will neither praise me nor flatter me, and it doesn't
> appear for you so bad to me if you would lose, but it
> seemed to me now advisable that you go to bed with my
> daughter, and perform all that which you desire, because
> my daughter seems better to you than me.

> Gríðr spoke then: “That is certain,” says she, “that
> you-want neither to laud me nor praise me, and [it] seems
> not to you so badly about me as you express (ie, you don´t
> think so badly of me as you let on, <láta>, Z10) , but
> (and) that seems to me now [the] advisable-thing, that you
> go to bed with my daughter, and perform-[you, imperative]
> all that, which pleases you, because [it] seems to you
> better regarding my daughter than regarding me (ie you
> seem to prefer my daughter to me).

Gríð said then: ‘It is certain,’ she says, ‘that you want
neither to praise me nor to flatter me, but you do not think
so ill of me as you say, and it seems to me advisable now
that you go to bed with my daughter and do everything that
you like, for you think better of my daughter than of me.

> Nú mun skjótt at öllu farit," segir Gríðr, "ok þarf ekki
> lengi lýsingar."

> Soon all will (be) gone," says Gridr, "and bans of
> marriage are needed no longer."

> Now [it] will [be] passed speedily in all respects (<at
> öllu>, allr, Z5) ,’ (ie events will come to a head
> quickly) says Gríðr, “and [it] wants not long till
> daybreak.” (ie daybreak is not far off – with the
> implication: so do not dally -, but maybe with the
> double-meaning: ‘the marriage-banns have not long to
> wait.’)

Now everything will be done quickly,’ says Gríð, ‘and
marriage banns for a long time are not needed.’

In other words, there’s no need to bother with the long — at
least overnight — wait for a public announcement.

> Illugi segir svá vera skyldu.

> Illugi says it should be so.

> Illugi says so [it] should be.

Illugi says that it would be so.

> Gengr hann at hvílunni ok kastar klæðum, en kerling þjónar
> dóttur sinni, ok kómu þau í eina hvílu bæði.

> He goes to bed and casts off his clothes, and the woman
> serves her daughter, and they both come to bed.

> He goes now to the-bed and casts-off [his] clothes, but
> (and) [the] old-woman (ie Gríðr) waits-on (attends on) her
> daughter, and they both (ie Illugi and the daughter) come
> into [the] one bed.

He goes to the bed and throws off his clothes, and the old
woman attends on her daughter, and they both come into one
bed.

> Illugi snýst at henni ok gerir sik blíðan, en hún gerir
> enga gleði af sér.

> It seemed to Illugi that she herself acts friendly, but
> she doesn't act glad about him.

> Illugi turns-himself (<snúast>, Z8) towards her and
> becomes (lit: makes himself) agreeable, but she gives no
> joy from herself (ie she doesn´t reciprocate).

Illugi turns to her and makes himself affectionate, but for
herself she shows no gladness [i.e., she gives no indication
that she appreciates his display of affection].

> Þrífr Gríðr þá í hár Illuga ok kippir honun fram á
> stokkinn, en annarri hendi brá hún björtu saxi ok mjök
> bitrligu ok reiddi at höfði honum, en Illugi lá kyrr ok
> hrærði hvergi á sér.

> Gridr then suddenly takes hold of Illigi's hair and pulls
> him forward to the board along the front of the bed, but
> the other hand she drew a bright, short, and very sharp
> one-edged sword and attacked his head, but Illugi lay
> quiet and stirred himself not at all.

> Gríðr then lays-hold of [the] hair of Illugi and pulls him
> forward onto the-board-at-the-front-of-the-bed, but (and)
> with [the]-other hand she draws a shining
> short-single-edged-sword and very sharp and brandished
> [it] at [the] head of him (typo, ie Illugi), but Illugi
> lay still and bestirred himself not-at-all.

Gríð then grabs Illugi’s hair and pulls him forward onto the
headboard of the bed, and with her other hand she drew a
shiny and very sharp seax and brandished it at his head, but
Illugi lay quiet and did not stir at all.

Brian