Saell Alan,

I am beginning to see through this Thorkell Character, by the Gods he's crafty, e'en so  I would have thought, a fresh bandage and a mug of mead would be a better cure for a sore toe

 

Ok nú gengu þeir Sámr ok Þorbjörn ok koma í búðina.
and now went they Sam and Thorbjorn and arrive at the booth

So Sam and Thorbjorn go down to the booth

 

Sváfu þar menn allir. Þeir sjá brátt, hvar Þorgeirr lá.

Asleep [slept, past] there men all. They see quickly where Thorgeirr is lying [lay, past]

The men were all asleep, and they see at once where Thorgeirr is lying

 

 Þorbjörn karl gekk fyrir ok fór mjök rasandi. En er hann kom at
húðfatinu, þá fell hann á fótafjölina ok þrífr í tána,  þá er 405
vanmátta var, ok hnykkir at sér.

Thorbjorn (the) old man went first and [went greatly stumbling. But when he] came to  to the sleeping sack, then fell he on the footboard and grasped [grasps, pres] the toe (van-matta ? indecl adj.) [that one which] sore was and jerked [jerks, pres] (it) towards him

Old Thorbjorm came to the sleeping sack,  and fell upon the footboard amd grasped the sore toe and pulled/jerked it towards him

 

En Þorgeirr vaknar við ok
hljóp upp í húðfatinu ok spurði, hverr þar fœri svá hrapalliga,
at hlypi á fœtr mönnum, er áðr váru vanmátta.
But Thorgeirr awakes [with (that)]and (he) leapt up in the sack and asks [asked, past] who  there (in that place)

was going (about) so hurriedly trampling [that tramps?] on the feet of people [who were] already ill

But Thorgeirr awoke,  and leapt up, asking who it was trampling on the feet of people who were ill enough already

 

En þeim Sámi varð ekki at orði.

At this, Sam and Thorbjorn were unable to speak

Here Sam and Thorbjorn could not say anything

 

            [literally (I think): ”But to those, Sam (et al) (there) was nothing in speech”]

 

Þá snaraði Þorkell inn í búðina ok mælti til Þorgeirs, bróður 410
síns:

Then rushes [rushed, past] Thorkell [inside] into the Booth and speaks [spoke, past] to Thorgeir brother his

Then Thorkell comes in to speak with his brother

 

'Ver eigi svá bráðr né óðr, frændi, um þetta, því at þik
mun ekki saka.

Be not so quick to speak [nor angry], kinsman, of [about] this, this will be to you no harm

Don'y be so quick to judge kinsman, of this, it will do you no harm

 

En mörgum teksk verr en vill, ok verðr þat
mörgum, at þá fá eigi alls gætt jafnvel, er honum er mikit í
skapi 

For many [people] are taken/it happens worse than (they) intend and (verðr) [happens]  that  [to] many

so that then they take not (alls-as allr used as adverb) [completely] care likewise, which is [when] to him much [is] in mind

Many people are confronted with worse than they intend/hope amd thus they take no care because they have much in mind

 

 En þat er várkunn, frændi, at þér sé sárr fótr þinn, er
mikit mein hefir í verit. Muntu þess mest á þér kenna.

And this is (your) excuse kinsman that to you is hurt foot thine. which great pain has been [in]

You will be this most to know [you will recognise that most in yourself (ie your own situation)]

This is your excuse Kinsman, your foot hurts, so painfully has it been you will

be the most aware of it

 

Nú má 415 ok þat vera, at gömlum manni sé eigi ósárari sonardauði sinn,
en fá engar bœtr, ok skorti hvetvetna sjálfr.

Now it may [also] that be, that [to] the old man is [(the) death of a his son] not less painful of -son-the-death his and ? has

 in [is given] no way compensation and lacks anything what ever himself (from hvat-vetna)

now it seems the Old Man is suffering no less from the death of his son and has no compansation for it, nor has he any resources himself

hvat-vetna appears to imply  he has hardly any means of a decent burial

 

            [I think it means he does not have the means (financially and status-wise) to pursue compensation]

 

 Mun hann þess
gørst kenna á sér, ok er þat at vánum, at sá maðr gæti eigi alls
vel, er mikit býr í skapi.'

He will be most fully to know (aware) this for himself  [recognise that most in himself] and it is to be expected (?) [yes, literally: that is in expectations...] that a [that] man takes care not always [completely] well is much (býr/bœr) [dwells, búa] in mind

He will be constantly aware of this and it is to be expected that a man with a lot on his mind does not take care always (or at every step)

 

Thorkell, I am beginning to understand better now, he is a crafty Item, and he is not by any means ill-given  he seems to know his way about

Thank you Alan for this opportunity of studying further

Kveðja

Patricia