Sæll Jed!
 
You've done a grand job again - must be that Cumbrian rain refreshing your brain!!!
 
'Enga sé ek fór á dýrinu
OK, the next bit is a little tricky because of the word order... "enga" is
an adjective, modifying the noun "fór" meaning movement.  This gives us something like,
  I don´t see any movement on the beast
or, more colloquially
  I don't see the beast moving at all
 
En fæstir menn þykkjask þik kenna,
fæstir is the superlative form of  fár meaning few(est)
kenna can also mean to recognise
so literally we get
but fewest men think (they) recognise you
 
Böðvarr mælti, ' Sjaið nú, herra, hvat hann hefir til  unnit.'
Bothvar said, ' See now, lord, what he has to (grammatical function?)done.
Bothvarr said, 'See now lord, what he has done.
Gordon glosses "vinna til" as to accomplish.  I think the problem lies in trying to equate the ON prep "til" with the English prep "to".  In some contexts it may equate to that very neatly, but often prepositions (especially when the collocate with verbs) have a convey a meaning which is far less clearly defined... almost a sense of something as opposed to a clear-cut meaning.  This often has to be translated quite differently in the target language to similarly convey that same sense.  Am I making any sense at all here?!!!!!!!!!
 
Höttr er, ok óvanligr þótti til mikillar giptu.
is Hott, and unlikely it-was-thought of great good-luck.
is Hott, and it seemed like unexpected good luck.(?)
Ok, this is not so easy either.  "óvænligr" is an adjective modifying
"Hottr" in the previous clause and it means unpromising.  So unpromising Hott is the subject of the verb þótti, which can mean to seem or to be thought.  "mikillar giptu" (much good luck) is in the genitive form because of the preposition "til".  So put altogether, you get (literally)
and unpromising Hott was not thought much good luck
or
and he did not seem to promise much good luck.
 
Congratulations!  You've just translated another saga!  I hope you enjoyed the exercise as much as I have.
 
Kveðja,
Sarah.


----- Original Message -----
From: Gerald Mcharg
To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 11:14 PM
Subject: [norse_course] Jed Bothvarr lines 129-156

Hello Sarah,
Nice to be back in action again. I too, suffer from the heat but after living for 37 years in the East Midlands, I've moved back home to Cumberland. The sea breezes don't half make a difference in keeping the temperature down. Lovely. When I first left home, I thought I'd miss the hills and the sea, but it was the rain I pined for.
Anyhow, on with the translation. Rather a free one in places.
 
Konungr horfði á dýrit ok mælti síðan, 'Enga sé ek fór á dýrinu, en hverr vill nú taka kaup einn
King turned to beast-the and said later, 'No-one see I go to beast-the, but who wants now to-take wage a
The king looked at the beast and then said, 'I see no one going near the beast, but who now wants to earn his wages
 
ok ganga í móti því? Böðvarr mælti. 'Ðat væri næsta hrausts manns forvitnisbót.
and to-go in meeting with-that?' Bothvar said, 'That would-be very of brave man's curiosity-cure.
and encounter it?' Bothvar said, 'That would certainly satisfy a brave man's curiosity.
 
Höttr félagi, rektu nú af þér illmælit þat at menn láta, sem engi krellr né dugr muni  í þér vera
Hott comrade. drive you now from yourself slander that upon (you) men put, that no spirit nor doughtiness will in you to-be. 
Hott my friend, this is the time to rid yourself of the slander that men have laid on you, that there is no spirit or hardihood in you.
 
Far nú ok drep þú dýrit. Máttu sjá at engi er allfúss til annarra.'
Go now and kill you beast-the. Can you to-see that none is all-eager for (this) of others.'
Go now and kill the beast. You can see that none of the others are over-eager for this.'
 
'Ja', sagði Höttr, ' ek mun til þessa ráðask'. Konungr mælti, ' Ekki veit ek hvaðan þessi hreysti er
'Yes', said Hot, 'I will to this to-undertake.' King said,' not know I from-where this courage is
'Yes', said Hott, 'I will do this'. The king said, 'I do not know from where you get this courage
 
at þér komin, Höttr, ok mikit hefir um þik skipask á skammri stundu.' Höttr mælti, 'Gef mér
that to-you come, Hott, and much has about you changed in short time.' Hott said, 'Give to-me
Hott, and you have changes a lot in a short time.'  Hott said, 'Give me
 
til sverðit Gullinhjalta, er þú heldr á, ok skal ek þá fella dýrit eða fá bana'.
for (this purpose) sword-the Gullinhjalt, which you hold at (your side) and shall I then to-kill beast-the or to-take death.'
the sword Gullinhjalt which you hold by your side and then I shall kill the beast or die myself.'
 
Hrólf konungr mælti, 'Ðetta sverð er ekki beranda nema þeim manni sem bæði er góðr drengr ok hraustr'.
Hrolf king said, ' this sword is not bearing except by-those men who both is good warrior and brave.'
King Hrolf said, This sword is not to be wielded except by those men who are both good warriors and brave.'
 
Hóttr sagði, 'Svá skaltu til ætla at mér sé svá háttat.'
Hott said,' So shall you to (with regard to this?) consider that to-me it-be so disposed
Hott said, ' And so regarding this, you shall consider me to be thus inclined.'
 
Konungr mælti, 'Hvat má vita, nema fleira hafi skipzk um hagi þína en sjá þykkir?'
King said, 'What can (one) to-know, except more has changed about condition your than to-see one-seems?'
The king said, 'What can be understood other than more has changed in your character than one would have thought to see?'
 
En fæstir menn þykkjask þik kenna, at þú sér inn sami maðr.
But firm men think you to-know, that you are the same man.'
But steadfast men consider that they know you, that you are the same man.'
 
Nú tak við sverðinu ok njót manna bezt, ef þetta er til unnit.'
Now take with sword-the and use of men best, if this is to (you?) granted.'
Now take up the sword and use it as a champion if the opportunity comes'
 
Síðan gengr Höttr at dyrínu alldjarfliga ok høggr til þess, þá er hann kømr í höggfœri, ok dýrit fellr niðr dautt.
After-that goes Hott at beast-the all-bold-like and strikes to that, when he comes in striking-distance, and beast-the falls down dead.
Then Hott went very boldly against the beast and struck at it when he came within striking distance.
and the beast fell down dead.
 
Böðvarr mælti, ' Sjaið nú, herra, hvat hann hefir til  unnit.'
Bothvar said, ' See now, lord, what he has to (grammatical function?)done.
Bothvarr said, 'See now lord, what he has done.
 
Konungr segir, 'Vist hefir hann mikit skipazk, en ekki hefir Höttr einn dýrit drepit; heldr hefir þú þat gört.'
King says, ' Certainly has he much changed, but not has Hott alone beast-the killed; rather have you that done.'
The king said, ' Indeed he has changed but Hott has not killed the beast alone; rather, you have done that.'
 
Böðvarr segir, 'Vera má at svá sé.' Konungr segir, 'Vissa ek, þá er þú komt hér, at fáir mundu
Bothvarr says, 'To-be can that so may-be'  King says, 'Knew I, when you came here, that few would
Bothvarr said, 'It may be so that this can be.' The king said, 'I knew when you came here, that few would
 
þínir jafningjar vera, en þat þykki mér þó þitt verk frægiligast, at þú hefir gört hér annan kappa þar er
your equals to-be, but that it-seems to-me your deed most-credit-worthy, that you have made here another champion who
be equal to you, but it seems to me that this is your most notable achievement, that you have created a second champion here and that
 
Höttr er, ok óvanligr þótti til mikillar giptu. Ok nú vil ek at hann heiti eigi Höttr lengr
is Hott, and unlikely it-was-thought of great good-luck. And now wish I that he is-called not Hott longer
is Hott, and it seemed like unexpected good luck.(?) And now I wish that he is no longer called Hott
 
ok skal hann heita Hjalti upp frá þessu; skaltu heita eptir sverðinu Gullinhjalta.'
and shall he be-called Hilt up from this; shall-you be-call after sword-the Goldenhilt.'
and he shall be called Hilt from now on; you shall be named after the sword Goldenhilt.'


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