Sæll Simon!
 
I didn´t see your translation posted up, if that's what you mean.  Could you maybe post it again?
 
As for "ek hefi nú vel um buizk áðr",
 
"um buizk" - verb phrase modified by "vel"
"um" - preposition meaning around.  Here it is used absolutely, meaning that 'around something' is implied but not stated. 
 
So, how do we know what that 'something' is?  Well, the clue is in the -sk of the verb form "buizk".  From the context we can see (or at least clever people like Barnes can) that this -sk form is used reflexively here.
 
Yes Simon, you're right "buizk" does come from búa - bjó - bjoggu - búit.  So when you put all that together, a literal translation would be
    when I have now well around me built up before
 
Now to put that into real English...
'built up around me' means 'protected myself'
>
I have just protected myself so well.
 
But I think what Barnes is getting at is that although on the surface it looks like a closer translation to say
"Don't do this when I have just built [it] up around me so well", in fact the meaning of "um buizk" is closer to the English "protected myself".
 
Is this as clear as mud?!!!
 
Bye for now,
Sarah.
 
ps.  Laurel, if you happen to have read this far without falling asleep, I'll come back to you on your queries along with Simon's!!
----- Original Message -----
From: simonfittonbrown@...
To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2003 9:20 AM
Subject: [norse_course] um búizk áðr

Hi Sarah,

Hope you got my postings.

Re this fascinating sentence
Gör eigi þetta, svá sem ek hefi nú vel um búizk áðr
Don't do this when I have just protected myself so well
what is the exact force of the UM and the BUIZK, pls? I take it that it's connected with the modern búa.

Cheers,

Simon


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