Hæ

 

Here is my translation of Lines 152-176. My guiding principles in these translations are: to keep the translation as literal as possible, including retaining the verb tense and voice of verbs and case and number of nouns throughout as a means of demonstrating whether or not I have understood the grammar. I have changed the word order wherever necessary to make it read more smoothly in modern English.

 

Kveðja

Alysseann

 

'Hvat mun garprinn vilja, er hann er heim kominn?'

‘What will the brave fellow be wanting, when he is come home?’

 

segir Hrafnkell.  'Eigi mun þat góðu gegna.'

says Hrafnkel.‘That will not mean good (bode well).’

 

Síðan gekk hann út ok sér Freyfaxa ok mælti við hann:

Then he went (past) out and sees (pres) Freyfaxi and spoke with him:

 

'Illa þykkir mér, at þú ert þann veg til gõrr, fóstri minn,

‘(It) seems to me, that you are thus treated badly, my fosterling,

 

en heima hafðir þú vit þitt, er þú sagðir mér til,

but you had your wits at home (about you?), when you informed me,

 

ok skal þessa hefnt verða.  Far þú til liðs þíns.'

and this shall be avenged. Go you to your herd.’

 

En hann gekk þegar upp eptir dalnum til stóðs síns.

But (And) he (Freyfaxi) went at once up along the dale to his stud.

 

Hrafnkell ferr í rekkju sína um kveldit

Hrafnkel goes (pres) to his bed in the evening

 

ok svaf af um nóttina.

and slept (past) through the night.

 

En um morguninn lét hann taka sér hest

But in the morning, he caused to take himself a horse

 

ok leggja á sõðul ok ríðr upp til sels.

and to place a saddle on (it) and rides (pres) up to (the) shieling.

 

Hann ríðr í blám klæðum.

He rides in blue clothes.

 

Øxi hafði hann í hendi, en ekki fleira vápna.

He had an axe in (his) hand, but not more weapons.

 

Þá hafði Einarr nýrekit fé í kvíar.

Then Einar had newly (just) driven (the) sheep into (the) pens (acc pl).

 

Hann lá á kvíagarðinum ok talði fé,

He lay/sat on the fence of the enclosure and counted sheep,

 

en konur váru at mjólka.

but (the) women were milking.

 

Þau heilsuðu honum.

They greeted him (dat sg) (Hrafnkel).

 

Hann spurði, hversu þeim fœri (foeri) at.

He asked how (it) went (subj.) with them.

 

Einarr svarar:  'Illa hefir mér at farit,

Einar answers: ‘It has fared badly with me,

 

því at vant varð þriggja tiga ásauðar nær viku,

because thirty ewes were missing for nearly a week,

 

en nú er fundinn.'

but now (the flock) is (3 pers sg pres) found.”

 

Hann kvazk ekki at slíku telja.

He (Hrafnkel) declared himself (that he was) not to count (object to) such.

 

'Eða hefir ekki verr at farit?

‘or has (it) not fared worse?

 

Hefir þat ok ekki svá opt til borit sem ván hefir at verit,

Also, hasn’t that occurred so often as has been an expectation (to be expected). (ie Doesn´t losing sheep occur so often as to make the event unremarkable?)

 

at fjárins hafi vant verit.

that (there) has been a lack of sheep (gen sg).

 

En hefir þú ekki nõkkut riðit Freyfaxa mínum hinn fyrra dag?'

But have you not ridden my Freyfaxi in any way, the day before?”

 

Hann kvezk eigi þræta þess mega.

He (Einar) declared himself (that he was) not able to deny this.

 

Hrafnkell svarar: 'Fyrir hví reiztu þessu hrossi,

Hrafnkel answers: ‘Why did you ride this horse,

 

er þér var bannat, þar er hin váru nóg til,

which was forbidden to you, when others were available there,

 

er þér var lofat?

which were permitted to you?

 

Þar munda ek hafa gefit þér upp eina sõk,

There I would have conceded to (forgiven) you one offence,

 

ef ek hefða eigi svá mikit um mælt,

if I had not spoken about (it) so much,

 

en þó hefir þú vel við gengit.'

but still you have meant well.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Laurel Bradshaw [mailto:llawryf@...]
Sent: Friday, 16 January 2004 10:37 AM
To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [norse_course] Hrafnkel 152-176

 

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