Well, it's been about two weeks; here's mine & Jamie's translations.
Comments, please.
Þorbjörn mælti þá mörg herfilig orð til bróður síns
Þorbjörn spoke then many bitter word to brother his
Þorbjörn then said many bitter words to his brother,
ok segir því síðr dáð í honum sem meira lægi við.
and said that-dat less courage in him as more lowers against
and said there was the less courage in him the more lowered against him.
Hann ríðr nú í brott, ok skiljask þeir með lítilli blíðu.
He rode now into road, and separated they with little friendliness
THe he rode into the road, and they separated with little friendship.
Hann léttir eigi, fyrr en hann kemr ofan til Leikskála,
He stopped not before than he went over to Leikskálar
He didn't stop until he got to Leikskálar,
drepr þar á dyrr.
striking there at door
striking at the door there.
Var þar til dura gengit.
was there to door gone
There someone came to the door.
Þorbjörn biðr Sám út ganga.
Þorbjörn bade Sam out to come
Þorbjörn bade Sam to come out.
Sámr heilsaði vel frænda sínum ok bauð honum þar at vera.
Sam greeted well kinsman his and bade him there to be
Sam greeted his kinsman well and bade him to come in.
Þorbjörn tók því öllu seint.
Þorbjörn took this-dat all coldly
Þorbjörn took all this coldly.
Sámr sér ógleði á Þorbirni ok spyrr tíðenda,
Sam saw sadness in Þorbjörn and asked tidings-dat
Sam saw sadness in Þorbjörn and asked for tidings,
en hann sagði víg Einars, sonar síns.
but he told murder of Einarr, son his
and he told of the murder of Einarr, his son.
'Þat eru eigi mikil tíðendi', segir Sámr, 'þótt Hrafnkell drepi menn.'
that is not much tiding said Sam as Hrafnkel strikes men
'Thas it not great tidings' said Sam, 'seeing as Hrafnkel kills men.'
Þorbjörn spyrr, ef Sámr vildi nökkura liðveizlu veita sér.
Þorbjörn asked if Sam would any support grant him
Þorbjörn asked if Sam would hive him any support.
'Er þetta mál þann veg, þótt mér sé nánastr maðrinn,
is this suit that way though me-dat were related the man
'This matter is such, though the man was related to me,
at þó er yðr eigi fjarri höggvit.'
to yet is you not far from struck
yet the blow is struck not far from you and yours.'
'Hefir þú nökkut eptir soemðum leitat við Hrafnkel?'
have you any way after redress sought with Hrafnkel
'Have you in anyway sought redress from Hrafnkel?'
Þorbjörn sagði allt it sanna, hversu farit hafði með þeim Hrafnkeli.
Þorbjörn said all DEF to affirm how gone had with them Hrafnkel
Þorbjörn told the whole to affirm, how it had gone with him and Hrafnkel.
'Eigi hefi ek varr orðit fyrr', segir Sámr,
Not have I aware happened before said Sam
'I am not aware that it ever happened before,' said Sam,
'at Hrafnkell hafi svá boðit nökkurum sem þér.
that Hrafnkel had such offer any DAT as you
that Hrafnkel had made such an offer to anyone as to you.
Nú vil ek ríða með þér upp á Aðalból,
now will I ride with you up to Aðalból
Now I will ride with you up to Aðalból,
ok förum vit lítillátliga at við Hrafnkel, ok vita,
and go we two humbly to with Hrafnkel, and learn
and we two will go humbly to talk with Hrafnkel, and learn
ef hann vill halda in sömu boð.
if he will hold DEF same offer
if he will hold to the same offer.
Mun honum nökkurn veg vel fara.'
must him DAT some way well do.
It must go well from him in some way.
'Þat er bæði', segir Þorbjörn, 'at Hrafnkell mun nú eigi vilja,
it is both said Þorbjörn that Hrafnkel must now now will
'It is both,' said Þorbjörn, 'that Hrafnkel will not now want it,
enda er mér þat nú eigi heldr í hug en þá, er ek reið þaðan.'
and is me DAT it now not hold in thought than then, when I rode thence
and it is not now any more held in my thought, than when I rode from there.'
Sámr segir: 'Þungt get ek at deila kappi við Hrafnkel um málaferli.'
Sam said dificult get I to contend contest with Hrafnkel in lawsuits
Sam said, 'I will find it difficult to fight a contest with Hrafnkel at law.'
---
We had a couple of problem spots:
ok segir því síðr dáð í honum sem meira lægi við.
and said that-dat less courage in him as more lowers against
This is an idiom, yes? meaning, I guess 'he has less courage in him the
harder things get'
Var þar til dura gengit.
was there to door gone
I make this literally, "There was going to the door"; except 'gengit' is
passive, yes? Is the subject of this Þorbjörn, or (as I guessed, an unnamed
someone?)
Is this sort of passive construct supposed to be conveying something? In
English, a sentence like 'there was an arrival at the door', would convey a
sort of tension - something was happening, we don't know who or what. But
that doesn't seem to fit with the story so far.
'Er þetta mál þann veg, þótt mér sé nánastr maðrinn,
is this suit that way though me-dat were related the man
at þó er yðr eigi fjarri höggvit.'
to yet is you not far from struck
This one boggled us most. Why is 'þann veg' in the accusative? Isn't it
(eventually) the subject of 'struck'? Basically, we only got this far by
cheating and looking at a published translation; if someone could help us
through this is smaller steps, we'd appreciate it.