Hæ

 

I´ve just noticed that my previous post appears on Yahoo Group with all the weird characters whereas my replies to Patricia and Grace came through OK. I´m sure I did nothing different with each of these posts so I´m sending this again as a test.

 

Here is my translation. I have included comments on others’ translations in separate posts.

 

The clause: ‘Nema þú þykkisk eiga svá mikit gott at launa nökkurum göfgum manni’ was a bit difficult. I found in my moden Icelandic dictionary that launa is a verb with two objects in the pattern (dat + acc) launa e-m e-t (reward somebody [dat] for something [acc]). On the other hand Gordon suggests that it has potentially three objects in the pattern (dat + acc + dat) launa e-m e-t e-u (reward somebody [dat] with something [acc] for something [dat]) but Gordon’s gloss seems to indicate that the accusative object is the thing being given as a reward rather than the reason for the reward. This has a significant impact on the meaning of the clause in Auðun, because the accusative object in this case ‘gott’ (an adjective used as a noun) would be the reason for the reward (ie a nobleman´s earlier good deed) iaw the first gloss but the thing being rewarded (ie a good object such as the ring is) if we follow Gordon. I have adopted the former meaning in my translation as it makes more sense. Does this sentence make sense to anyone?: ‘Launar góðr goði annan góðan goða gott góðu’

 

I will post the next section on Friday evening (Australian time)

 

Kveðja

Alan

 

 

Síðan dró konungr hring af hendi sér ok gaf Auðuni ok mælti:

Then (the) king drew a ring from his hand and gave (it) to Auðun and spoke:

 

'Þó at svá illa verði at þú brjótir skipit ok týnir fénu,

’Though (it should) become (happen) so badly that you wreck the ship and lose the money, [concessive þó at clause entirely in the subjunctive]

 

eigi ertu félauss, ef þú kømsk á land; [if-then ’real conditional’ statement entirely in the indicative]

you are (will be) not penniless, if you make your way on to land;

 

því at margir menn hafa gull á sér í skipsbrotum,

because many men have gold on them in shipwrecks,

 

ok sér þá at þú hefir fundit Svein konung, [hefir in the subjunctive, as it was in the same situation in the last section]

and (one) sees then (ie it will be seen then) that you have met King Sveinn,

 

ef þú heldr hringinum.

if you hold (on to)(wear) the ring.

 

En þat vil ek ráða þér', segir hann, 'at þú gefir eigi hringinn,

But I want to advise that to you,’ he says, ‘ that you do not give (away) the ring,

 

Nema þú þykkisk eiga svá mikit gott [nema ’unless’ clause in the subjunctive]

Unless you think (that you) have (a duty) (for) so great a good (deed)

 

at launa nökkurum göfgum manni –

to reward some distinguished man –

 

þá gef þeim hringinn, því at tignum mönnum sómir at þiggja.

Then give that one the ring, because (it) becomes high-ranking men to receive (it).

 

Ok far nú heill!'

And go now in health!’

 

Then the king drew a ring from his hand and gave it to Auðun and spoke: ’Even if it should turn out so badly that you wreck the ship and lose the money, you will not be penniless, if you happen to make your way on to land; because many men have gold on them in shipwrecks, and it will still then be clear that you have met King Sveinn, if you wear the ring. But I wish to advise you,’ he says, ‘ that you do not give away the ring, unless you think you have a duty to reward some distinguished man for so great a great good – Then give that man the ring, because it becomes high-ranking men to receive it. And go now in health!’