I appreciate the trouble you have gone to for me Alan, it rather looks as if the blue lines in general agree with you , and I am glad for that, they are meant to be a better approximation in reasonably up-to-date English, I have used "he who would speak to me" preferably because it appears to express the subjunctive better as I see it, what do you reckon ??

I see that Auðun would speak if he was allowed to but that it is by no means a foregone conclusion, I hesitate to bother you further but your comments are welcomed

My own English is a trifle Archaic at times it goes back via my Gran and her great-gran in two easy stages

Bless

Patricia

----- Original Message -----

From: AThompson

To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, April 01, 2005 10:29 AM

Subject: RE: [norse_course] Auðun section 14/Feedback Patricia

Ok nú of aptaninn, er konungr gekk til kveldsöngs,

And now because it was [during] [the, def art attached] Evening the King went to Evensong

And now as it was Evening the King went to Vespers (prefer - Vespers)

ætlaði Auðun at hitta hann, 

Thought Auðun to meet him

Auðun wished to meet him     ( at Vespers)

 ok svá mikit sem honum þótti fyrr fyrir, jók nú miklu á,

[and] so much [difficult] as he [it, understood] seemed [to him] before, he was more hesitant [increased (it) now greatly (on)]

as much as he hung back before, he was even more reluctant

 er þeir váru drukknir hirðmenninir. 

Since [when] they were drunken [only merry], King's (courtiers)

Since the Kings House-Carles were all drunk  (prefer house-carles - they're a rough lot)

Ok er þeir gengu inn aptr, þá þekði konungr mann

and then [when] they went back (inside) then saw [recognised] King [the] man

when they went back in, the King noticed a man

ok þóttisk finna at eigi hafði frama til at ganga fram at hitta hann. 

and seemed to find that [he] not possessed courage to go forward to meet (?) him

who seemed to lack the courage to step forward to approach him

Ok nú er hirðin gekk inn, þá veik konungr út ok mælti: 

[And now] when the retainers [court, sg] went inside the King  ( veik) [turned out] and said

and when the King's men went in the King (spoke up ? ) and said

 "Gangi sá nú fram, er mik vill finna.  Mik grunar at sá muni vera maðrinn

Step that [one] now forward (he) who would [wants to] meet me, I suspect that thou [that one] art [will be] the man

"come forward now , he who would meet me - I suspect that you are the man"

I am beginning to like this King Sweinn, because he knows what rascals his house-carles are, moreover they are drunk as Aldermen, and he fears that Auðun will be made game of, by the men, I believe the name house-carles to be Amglo-Saxon, but it seems to fit  - retainers does sound a trifle George the Third

I am unsure of this, several words eluded me, but it is so enjoyable.

Patricia