Einarr svarar: "Of síð hefir þú sagt mér til þessa,
Einar answers: "Too late have you said to me
regarding this,
Einar replied, "You've told me this
rather too late,
því at nú hafa allir ráðit sér vistir,
because now have all arranged themselves food and
lodging
þær er beztar eru, en mér þykkir þó illt at hafa órval af."
they who best are, but to me it seems though bad to
have remains of."
because the best ones have now got
employment sorted out for themselves and I don't think much of taking what's
left over."
Einn dag tók Einarr hest sinn ok reið á Aðalból.
One day took Einar horse his and rode to the
Manor.
One day Einar got on his horse and
rode over to the Manor.
Hrafnkell sat í stofu.
Hrafnkel sat in room.
Hrafnkel sat in the living
room.
Hann heilsar honum vel ok glaðliga.
He greeted him well and gladly.
He was pleased to see him and shook
his hand.
Einarr leitar til vistar við Hrafnkel.
Einar searches for food and lodging with
Hrafnkel.
Einar asks
Hrafnkel for work.
Hann svaraði: "Hví leitaðir þú þessa svá síð,
He answers: "Why look you for this so
late,
He answers, "Why are you inquiring so
late,
því at ek munda við þér fyrstum tekit hafa?
because I would with you first taken
have?
when I would have taken you on first
of all?
En nú hefi ek ráðit õllum hjónum nema til þeirar einnar iðju,
But now have I arranged all the household except
for that one task,
But now I have sorted out the whole
household, except for one task,
er þú munt ekki hafa vilja."
which you will not to have want."
which you won't want."
Einarr spurði, hver sú væri.
Einar asked, which one it might be.
Einar asked which job it
was.
Hrafnkell kvazk eigi mann hafa ráðit til smalaferðar,
Hrafnkell announced no man have arranged to the
shepherding,
Hrafnkell explained that the
shepherding hadn't been allocated anyone,
en lézk mikils við þurfa.
but ??? much with to need. {what's the
infinitive of lézk?}
but it definitely needed to be
done.
Einarr kvazk eigi hirða, hvat hann ynni,
Einar announced not to mind, what he
did,
Einar said he didn't mind what he
did,
hvárt sem þat væri þetta eða annat,
whether that would be this or other,
be it this, that or the
other,
en lézk tveggja missera bjõrg hafa
vilja.
but ??? two seasons service have to
want.
but he wanted to be employed for one
year.
"Ek geri þér skjótan kost", sagði Hrafnkell.
"I give to you a quick choice", said
Hrafnkel.
"I'll make you a speedy offer," said
Hrafnkel.
"Þú skalt reka heim fimm tigu ásauðar í seli ok viða heim õllum sumarviði.
"You shall drive in fifty ewes in the shieling and
bring home all the summer driftwood.
"You can round up fifty ewes
from the shieling and collect all the wood for charcoal.
{according to Gordon, this is what it was!!}
Þetta skaltu vinna til tveggja missera vistar.
This shall you work for two seasons' food and
lodging.
This will give you work for one
year.
En þó vil ek skilja á við þik einn hlut sem aðra smalamenn mína.
But though want I to stipulate with you one thing
as other shepherds mine.
But I want to make one condition
clear to you, as I have with my other shepherds.
Freyfaxi gengr í dalnum fram með liði sínu.
Freyfaxi walks in the valley around with his
herd.
Freyfaxi roams around the valley with
the other horses.
Honum skaltu umsjá veita vetr ok sumar.
Him shall you attention grant winter and
summer.
You must keep an eye on him all
year round.
En varnað býð ek þér á einum hlut:
But a warning offer I to you on one
thing:
But I must warn you about one thing
-
Ek vil, at þú komir aldri á bak honum,
I want that you come never on back
him,
It is my wish that you should never
mount him,
hversu mikil nauðsyn sem þér er á, því ek hefi hér allmikit um mælt,
however great necessity which to you is on, why I
have here almightily declared,
no matter how vital it seems to be,
because I have taken a mighty oath,
at þeim manni skylda ek at bana verða, sem honum riði.
to them man should I to death become, who him
rides.
that I will put to
death any man who rides him.
Honum fylgja tólf hross.
Him follow twelve horses.
He has twelve other horses with
him.
Hvert, sem þú vilt af þeim hafa á nótt eða degi, skulu þér til reiðu.
Whichever, that you want of them to have at night
or by day, shall to you for riding.
You can ride whichever of them
you want, day or night.
Ger nú sem ek mæli, því at þat er forn orðskviðr,
Do now as I declare, because it is old
proverb,
Do as I say because as the old saying
goes,
at eigi veldr sá, er varar annan.
to not ??? him, who warns
another.
{hmm, since I can't get the meaning of this
proverb, I can't find an English approximation. Any
ideas?}
Nú veiztu, hvat ek hefi um mælt."
Now know you, what I have declared."
Now, I've laid my cards on the
table."
Kveðja,
Sarah.