Heil.

For the record I agree with "Pelle" that Larrington's translation
is deeply horrible. Reading her translation I can come to no other
conclusion than that whatever her merits may be in other fields she
it not able to read and understand the Old Norse language.

A sorry state of affairs since her work is the one most widely available
for the English speaking world. A further problem is that her translation
*looks* so accurate. It has been washed clean of poetic effort which leads
the unwary reader to assume that Larrington has "sacrificed poetry for
accuracy". Unfortunately her translation has neither.

I have never seen any attempt from her to defend herself against the scathing
criticism published in Saga Book. If I were you I'd try to find a "second opinion"
somewhere, perhaps from Larrington herself - she seems to have a home page.

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sjoh1193/

- - -

As for other translations I am only familiar with Hollander's. I'm rather partial
to it as I don't think poetic translations are a lost cause and in my opinion LMH
does it rather well. But if accuracy is all you're searching for you here, too, you
will find it lacking - but for other reasons. Hollander stretches his poetic licence
(even if you are, as I am, inclined to grant him one) too far in some places.

But surely:

"I call to mind the kin of etins
Which long ago did give me life."

is better than:

"I, born of giants,
remember very early
those who nurtured
me then."

Kveðja,
Haukur