Hott pulls one over the king's men! [but not the king!]Bodvar lines 128 – 156 ... the
final instalment of our story!
Konungr
horfði á dýrit ok mælti síðan,
king - turns/looks - at - the beast - and -
says - afterwards
The king turned and looked at the beast and
said after a while,
“Enga sé ek
fơr á dýrinu, en hverr vill nú taka kaup einn ok
ganga í móti því?”
no - see - I - movement - in - the beast - but
- who - will - now - take/receive - reward - a (certain) - and - go - against -
that one
"I see no movement in the beast, so
who now wants to earn a reward and proceed against
him?"
Bơðvarr mælti, “Þat væri næsta hrausts manns
forvitnisbót.
BQðvarr - says
- that - would - very nearly - of stout-hearted/brave - man - satisfaction of
curiosity
Bodvar said, "That would certainly remove a
brave man's curiosity.
Hơttr félagi, rektu nú af þér illmælit þat at
menn láta, sem engi krellr né dugr muni í þér vera.
HQttr -
comrade - clear yourself - now - of - your - slander - that - by - men -
alleging - that - neither - hardihood - nor - doughtiness - will not - in - you
- be
Clear yourself now, comrade Hood, of that
ill-repute where men allege that neither courage nor valor are to be found in
you.
Far nú ok
drep þú dýrit.
go - now - and - slay - you - the
beast
Go on now and kill the
beast.
Máttu sjá at
engi er allfúss til annarra.”
you can - see - that - none - is - very eager
- for this - of the others
You can see that none of the others is very
eager to do it."
“Já” sagði
Hơttr, “ek mun til þessa
ráðask”.
yes - says - HQttr - I -
will - concerning - this - undertake
"Yes"
said Hood, "I will attempt to do this."
Konungr
mælti, “Ekki veit ek hvaðan þessi hreysti er at þér komin, Hơttr,
king - says - not - know - I - from whence -
courage - is - to - you - come - HQttr
The king
siad, "I don't know where this courage has come to you from,
Hood,
ok mikit
hefir um þik skipazk á skammri stundu”.
but - big/much - has - in - you - undergo
a change - in - a (comparatively) short - length of time
but there has been a big change in
you in a short time."
Hơttr mælti, “Gef mér til sverðit Gullinhjalta,
er þú heldr á,
HQttr - says - give - to me - for this purpose - the sword - Gullinhjalti -
which - you - indeed - own/have/possess
Hood
said, "Give me for this purpose the sword Goldenhilt which you are
holding,
ok skal ek
þá fella dýrit eða fá bana.”
and - shall - I - then - slay - the beast - or
- receive - killing
and I shall either slay the beast or die
trying."
Hrólfr
konungr mælti, “Þetta sverð er ekki beranda nema þeim manni sem bæði er góðr
drengr ok hraustr.”
Hrólfr - king - says - this - sword - is - not
- able to be carried - except - by that - man - who - both - is - a noble -
warrior - and - brave
King Hrolf said, "This sword cannot be carried
except by that man who is both a brave and gallant
fighter."
Hơttr sagði, “Svá skaltu til ætla at mér sé svá
háttat”.
HQttr - says - thus - must you - believe - upon - me - might be - such -
arranged
Hood
said, "Therefore you must believe that such qualities might be possessed by
me."
Konungr
mælti, “Hvat má vita, nema fleira hafi skipzk um hagi þína en sjá
þykkir?
king - says - what - can - ascertain -
except - more (comparative) - has - undergo a change - about - character - your
- than - thus - seems to one
The king said, "What can one know, except that
there has been more of a change in your character than has yet become
evident?
En fæstir
menn þykkjask þik kenna, at þú sér inn sami maðr.
but - smallest number - of men - think - you -
recognize - that - you - appear to be - the - same -
man
But only the fewest of men would
think that they recognize you to be the same man.
Nú tak við
sverðinu ok njót manna bezt, ef þetta er til unnit.”
now - accept/receive - the sword - and - have
the use of - men - best - if - this - is - accomplished
Now take the sword and have the best of men's
use of it, if this is accomplished."
Síðan gengr Hơttr at dýrinu alldjarfliga ok høggr til þess,
then - advances - HQttr -
against - the beast - very boldly - and - strikes - at -
it
Then
Hood advanced very boldly against the beast and struck at
it
þá er hann
kømr í hơggfoeri, ok dýrit fellr niðr
dautt.
when - he - comes - within - striking distance
- and - the beast - fell - down - dead
when he came close enough, and the beast fell
down dead.
Bơðvarr mælti, “Sjáið nú, herra, hvat hann hefir
til unit.”
BQðvarr - says
- see - now - lord - what - he - has - accomplished
Bodvar said, "See now, sire, what he has
accomplished."
Konungr
segir, “Víst hefir hann mikit skipazk,
king - says - certainly - has - he - greatly -
changed
The king said, "He has certainly changed
greatly,
en ekki
hefir Hơttr einn dýrit drepit; heldr hefir þú þat
gơrt.”
but - not - has - HQttr - alone
- the beast - killed - rather - have - you - it -
done
but Hood
alone has not killed the beast; rather you have done
it."
Bơðvarr segir, “Vera má at svá
sé.”
BQðvarr - says - to be - can - concerning - such -
might be
Bodvar
said, "That could be possible."
Konungr
segir, “Vissa ek, þá er þú komt hér, at fáir mundu þínir jafningjar
vera,
king - says - knew - I - when - you - came -
here - that - few - would - your - equal - be
The king said, "I knew when you came here that
few would be your equal,
en þat þykki
mér þó þitt verk frægiligast, at þú hefir gơrt hér annan kappa þar er Hơttr er,
but - this - seems - to me - yet - your - deed
- most magnificent - that - you - have - made - here - another - champion
- that - HQttr -
is
but this seems to me your most notable
achievement yet, that you have made here another champion of
Hood,
ok óvænligr
þótti til mikillar giptu.
who - unlikely - seemed - to obtain
- of great - fortune
who seemed unlikely to have any prospect of
great fortune.
Ok nú vil ek
at hann heiti eigi Hơttr lengr ok skal hann heita Hjalti upp frá
þessu;
and - now - will - I - that - he - be called -
not - HQttr - any longer - but - shall - he -
be called - Hjalti - from now on
And now I command that he be called Hood no
longer, but he shall be called Hilt from now on;
skaltu heita
eptir sverðinu Gullinhjalta.”
you shall - be named - after - the sword -
Gullinhjalti
you shall be named after the sword
Goldenhilt."