----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2004 7:19
PM
Subject: Re: [norse_course] Þáttr Auðunar
part I + II
hi there,
finally i had some time for a translation myself.
i must admit i have not read through all of the discussion so far, so i don't
know what special conclusions you have come to already.
i've tried to translate more literal than
literary ;-) to show what the single words mean, and i have put in some
footnotes to explain certain constructions.
a man is called (1) auðun, from the west
fjords and poor. he went out to the west there in the fjords under guidance of
the good farmer Þorstein, and the steersman Þóri, who there had accepted
provision (lodging) over the winter with torstein. auðun was as well there and
worked for that (2) Þóri, and accepted this reward (3) from him, the travel
out and the provision. this (2) auðun laid the most part of wealth, which
he owned (4), for his mother, before he stepped on the ship, and it was there
declared on three winters provision.
and now the go out from here, and it goes well
with them (5), and auðun was over the the nex winter with tóri the steersmann,
he had a farm on moeri. and in the next summer they go out to greenland, and
are there over the winter. this is reported (6), that auðun buys there one
polar bear, a great treasure, and gave for (it) all his possession. and now
over the next summer they go again to norway and have a good
travel.
1. the verb heita is difficult to translate
directly to english, because english uses passive constructions like "is
named", "is called". in german we have "heißen", which is an active verb much
like in icelandic and old norse.
2. pronouns used in this way in front of personal
names are simply a means of stress.
3. actually a genitive construction "accepted of
this reward", but better to translate as accusative in english.
4. i think this genitive is similarly to latin,
an expression of ownership
5. fersk is a mediopassive from fara, a reflexive
or impersonal use of the verb, so "they went themselves well" or "it happened
to them well"
6. this is a common idiom, literally "of this is
spoken", this is reported, this is told
mona
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