--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "Patricia" <originalpatricia@...> wrote:

> Honum var allt illa gefit, er honum var sjálfrátt. Hann var lyginn ok lymskr at öllu,
> A man (there was) called Bjorn. He was the Kings Counsellor and was independent (self-willed) he was false and cunning alltogether (öllu)

This is a bit of a tough one because it has two rather idiomatic expressions.  Judging by the translations I've seen of this phrase in Hrólfs saga kraka and Göngu-Hrólfs saga, I would interpret the first part as something along the lines of: honum var allt illa gefit "he was a bad lot", or "he was inclined to evil, disposed towards doing bad things".  And see Zoega sjálfráðr (3) e-m er sjálfrátt "it is within one´s power, easy for one".  Thus, honum var allt illa gefit, er honum var sjálfrátt "he was a bad lot, he was a rum one", etc. "when he had his way, whenever he got the chance, had the opportunity, as far as he was able, as far as he could help it."

"He was always inclined to do wrong if he possibly could."

> en þó eigi at síðr var hann inn mesti kappi ok varði land konungs fyrir víkingum, ok því mat konungr hann mikils.
> But never the less he was a man of greatest (bravery/ valour ?) and guards the Kings land from the Vikings
> and for this the King valued him greatly

Yes, "he was the greatest champion".  As an abstract quality, kapp can be "enterprise, agression, competitiveness", but often in a positive sense.  I would translate fyrir víkingum "from vikings" (little "v") or "from raiders/pirates" because in English "the Vikings" might suggest specifically Scandinavian raiders, or even Scandinavian people generally, whereas in these sagas I don't think it has that ethnic connotation.  They could be Irish, or Wends or Norse or any nationality in theory.

> Björn öfundaði þat mjök,
> Bjorn envies that greatly (was very envious?)

Yup.

> at hann rægði hann við þá feðga
> that he slandered him with his Father

With the Zoega-friendly spelling we're using, this should really be roegði, so well done for getting it anyway.  feðga is actually "father and son", masculine accusative plural, note the masc. acc. pl. pronoun þá.  I think that hann is Illugi, and that Björn has said bad things about him to both Sigurðr and the king.

> Ferr nú svá fram um nokkura tíma, at Sigurðr konungsson er heima hjá föður sínum í mikilli sæmd ok virðingu.
> (use of indef.Pronoun) ? It befell that way some time while Sigurd the Prince (preferred to King's son) remained at home by his father in great joy and honour.

"It goes on like this for a while", "things procede thus for a time, with Prince Sigurðr / S. the king's son at home with his father in great honour(!) and honour", or "with great honour and respect".  Or maybe we could paraphrase "enjoying great honour and respect".  Zoega spelling: soemd.

Besides meaning "so that" or "in such a way that", the combination svá at often introduces a clause explaining the nature of a continuous state or action.  Sometimes svá and at come together; sometimes, as here, they get split up.  E.g. Hann liggr þenna dag allan til kvelds, svá at hann mælti ekki orð "He stays lying down that whole day till evening without saying a word" (Ragnars saga loðbkókar); líðr nú svá á haustit, at kerling tekr hann upp hvert kveld "now autumn goes on, with the old woman retrieving it every evening" (Völsa þáttr).

>
> Einn tíma bað Sigurðr föður sinn at fá sér skip ok menn ok segist vilja ór landi at afla sér fjár ok frægðar.
> One time (?one day) Sigurðr asked his Father for a ship and (some) men and said he wished to set sail and gain for himself fortune and fame

Yes, "one day" feels a bit more natural, doesn't it.  You weren't thrown by vilja ór landi, well paraphrased (note the sudden shift to present tense though!).  But I guess you're familiar with missed out verbs of motion from German and archaic English, to say nothing of: "We must away ere break of day..."

> Konungr sagði, at þat skyldi á mánaðarfresti búit
> vera, -- "ok Björn skal fara með þér," segir konungr, "en Illugi vil ek heima sé."
>
> The King said he would but with a month's notice
> "and Bjorn shall travel with you" Said the King amd Illugi shall remain at home

Or more literally "but I want Illugi to stay at home."

> Sigurðr svarar: "At vísu vil ek, at Illugi fari."
> Sigurðr replied "Certainly I will go with Illugi"

S. replies (present tense) "I certainly do want Illugi to come."

> En konungr sagði Björn skyldi fylgja honum, -- "því at hann er hverjum kappa meiri ok bilar aldri í stríði.
> But the King said Bjorn must (had to - was obliged) to follow him because he is a great warrior who never has given way to trouble(a Fight)

fylgja can also mean "accompany", as here I think.  I would probably go with "said that B. had to" or "should" or "must", since "obliged" might suggest in modern English that Björn felt it was his (Björn's) duty.

hverjum kappa meiri "greater than any warrior/champion".

ok bilar aldri í stríði "and never falters in battle, never gives way in a fight".

> Hann mun þér vera hollr ok trúr, sem hann hefir mér verit," sagði konungr, ok skilja þeir nú tal sitt.
>
> He will be loyal and true, as he has been / was to me Said the King, and they parted from (or left off) the discussion

hefir verit "has been", I'd say, since Björn is still alive and with the king when this is said.  skilja, present tense.

>
> Eptir þetta gengr konungsson til Sviða ok segir Hildi tal þeira feðga.
> Afterwards the Kings Son (Prefer Prince) went to Svidi's and told Hilda of the discussion

Present: "goes...says".  Could be literally til Sviða "to Sviði", but as Sviði doesn't seem to be joining in this conversation and he ends up talking to Hildr, "to Sviði's" seems reasonable.

> Hún segir son sinn ungan vera ok eigi í hernað fara mega.
> she said he was young (or too young) and may not be well in battle

"She says her son is young and can't go raiding".  Tsk, mothers!  Yes, it might feel more natural in English to insert "too" or "still".

> "Er hann ok ekki reyndr," segir hún, "vilda ek ok ekki heldr, at Björn brygði honum því, at hann þyrði ekki at berjast með þér í orrostu."
> he is (untried/untested ??) said she, "I will not want him to argue (fight) with Bjorn be could not best (or beat him)in a fight

"untried/untested", that's right.  segir hún... says she, "and moreover I would not want Björn to cast a spell on him so that he wouldn´t dare to fight alongside you in battle."  (I think.  cf. Zoega bregða (3) "alter change, b. e-m í e-s líki turn one (by spell) into another shape.")  The verbs in her negative wish are past subjunctive.

> Lýkr Hildr svá máli, en konungsson ferr heim til hallar ok er mjök óglaðr.
> (Lykr) Hilda said this ? and the Prince went home to the Hall and was very unhappy

"With that Hildr finished speaking."

> No question here of bailing out - I want the ending to this, of course I think it will end in tears (for Bjorn - I trust) I do not like Bjorn.T he boat that I row wont cross no Ocean but I want to finish this journey and join in Hrafnkel's Saga, the story of Freyfaxi the Womder Horse was very appealing, I knew one like that

All this talk of "champions"!  Well, we're keeping up Wonder Horse pace so far...  I suspect you were generalising to past tense deliberately, which most translators of Old Norse sagas do, anyway, but just thought I'd do my best to match Alan's meticulousness on that point, just to keep us on our toes.  I actually like to keep the shifting tenses as far as I can because it's sometimes used to cunning stylistic effect, but it's really a matter of taste.

Llama Nom