480 Nú sitja þeir, þar til er dómar fara út. Þá kveðr Sámr upp

Now they sit (quiet), until (the) courts go out (are convened). Then Sám calls up (summons)


menn sína ok gengr til lögbergs. Var þar þá dómr settr. Sámr

his men and goes to (the) Law-Rock. A court was then established there. Sám


gekk djarfliga at dóminum. Hann hefr þegar upp váttnefnu

went boldly to the court. He begins at once (the) calling of witnesses


ok sótti mál sitt at réttum landslögum á hendr Hrafnkeli goða,

and prosecutes his case in accordance with (the) true laws of  the land against Hrafnkel (the) priest,


miskviðalaust með sköruligum flutningi. Þessu næst koma

flawlessly (and) with magnificent pleading. In this next (after this) come


485 þeir Þjóstarssynir með mikla sveit manna. Allir menn vestan

they, (the) sons of Þjóstar, with a great band of men. All men from the west


af landi veittu þeim lið, ok sýndisk þat, at Þjóstarssynir váru

of (the) country granted them help, and that (it) appeared that (the) sons of Þjóstar were


menn vinsælir. Sámr sótti málit í dóm, þangat til er Hrafnkeli

popular men. Sám prosecuted the case in court, thither to when (until) to Hrafnkel


var boðit til varnar, nema sá maðr væri þar við staddr, er

(it) was offered to (present his) defence, unless that man were there present, who


lögvörn vildi frammi hafa fyrir hann at réttu lögmáli. Rómr

wanted to have forward (produce) a legal defence for (on behalf of) him in accordance with true legal procedure. Applause


490 varð mikill at máli Sáms. Kvazk engi vilja lögvörn fram bera

became great at Sáms speech. No-one declared themselves to want to carry forward a legal defence


fyrir Hrafnkel.

for (on behalf of) Hrafnkel.

 

Menn hlupu til búðar Hrafnkels ok sögðu honum, hvat um

Men ran to Hrafnkel´s booth and said to him, about what


var at vera.

was happening.


Hann veiksk við skjótt ok kvaddi upp menn sína ok gekk til

He reacted quickly and called up (summoned) his men and went to


495 dóma, hugði, at þar myndi lítil vörn fyrir landi. Hafði hann

(the) courts, thought, that little defence would (be encountered) there in front of the land (ie the ground would be poorly defended). He had


þat í hug sér at leiða smámönnum at sœkja mál á hendr honum.

that in his mind to cause tiredness in (discourage) insignificant men to prosecute cases against him.


Ætlaði hann at hleypa upp dóminum fyrir Sámi ok hrekja

He intended to break up the court in front of Sám and drive


hann af málinu. En þess var nú eigi kostr. Þar var fyrir sá

him from the case. But in that (there) was now not a choice. There, in front (of him) was that


mannfjölði, at Hrafnkell komsk hvergi nær. Var honum þrøngt

great crowd of men, so that Hrankel made his way nowhere near. He (dative, impersonal) was pushed


500 frá í brottu með miklu ofríki, svá at hann náði eigi at heyra mál

from (it) away with great overbearing force, so that he was not able to hear (the) case


þeira, er hann sóttu. Var honum því óhægt at fœra lögvörn

of those who prosecuted him. (It) was in that difficult for him to bring forward (present) a legal defence


fram fyrir sik. En Sámr sótti málit til fullra laga, til þess er

for himself. But Sám prosecuted the case to (the) full extent of the law, to that (time) when (until)


Hrafnkell var alsekr á þessu þingi.

Hrafnkel was (made) an outlaw at this Thing.

 

 

Grammar Notes:

 

Nú              nú: (adv)                                              Now

sitja            sitja: (v)                       3p pres ind         sit

þeir,            þeir: (pron)                                           they,

þar             þar: (adv)                                             there

til               til: (prep)                                              to

er               er: (conj)                                              when

dómar         dómr: (n)                     nom pl               (the) courts

fara             fara: (v)                       3p pres ind         go

út.              út: (adv)                                               out.

Þá              þá: (adv)                                              Then

kveðr          kveða: (v)                    3p pres ind         calls

Sámr          Sámr: (n)                    nom sg              Sám

upp             upp: (adv)                                            up

480             480                                                    

menn          maðr: (n)                     acc pl                men

sína            sinn: (pron)                  acc pl                his

ok              ok: (conj)                                             and

gengr          ganga: (v)                    3p pres ind         goes

til               til: (prep)                                              to

lögbergs.     lögberg: (n)                  gen sg               (the) Law-Rock.

Var             vera: (v)                       3s past ind         Was

þar             þar: (adv)                                             there

þá              þá: (adv)                                              then

dómr           dómr: (n)                     nom sg              (the) court

settr.          setja: (v)                      pp                     set (forth)

Sámr          Sámr: (n)                    nom sg              Sám

gekk           ganga: (v)                    3s past ind         went

djarfliga       djarfliga: (adv)                                       boldly

at               at:                                                       to

dóminum.    dómr: (n)                     dat sg                the court.

Hann          hann: (pron)                 nom sg              He

hefr             hefja: (v)                      3s pres ind         raises

þegar          þegar: (adv)                                          immediately

upp             upp: (adv)                                            up

váttnefnu     váttnefna: (n)               acc sg               (the) calling of witnesses

ok              ok: (conj)                                             and

sótti            sœkja: (v)                    3s past ind         prosecuted

mál             mál: (n)                       acc sg               case

sitt             sinn: (pron)                  acc sg               his

at               at:                                                       in accordance with

réttum         réttr: (adj)                    dat pl                 true

landslögum landslög: (n pl)             dat pl                 law of the land

á                á: (prep)                                              against

hendr          hönd: (n)                     acc pl                (the) hands

Hrafnkeli     Hrafnkell: (n)                dat sg                (of) Hrafnkel

goða,          goði: (n)                      dat sg                priest,

miskviðalaust miskviðalaust: (adv)                           flawlessly in procedure

með            með: (prep)                                          with

sköruligum  sköruligr: (adj)             dat sg                bold

flutningi.      flutningr: (n)                 dat sg                pleading.

Þessu         sjá, þessi: (pron)          dat sg                In this

næst          næst: (adv)                                          next

koma          koma: (v)                     3p pres ind         come

þeir             þeir: (pron)                  nom sg              they

Þjóstarssynir þjóstarsonr: (n)          nom sg              (the) sons of Þjóstar

með            með: (prep)                                          with

mikla          mikill: (adj)                  dat sg                (a) great

sveit           sveit: (n)                      dat sg                band

manna.       maðr: (n)                     gen pl                (of) men.

Allir            allr: (pron)                   nom pl               All

menn          maðr: (n)                     nom pl               men

vestan         vestan: (adv)                                        from (the) west

485             485:                                                   

af               af: (prep)                                              of

landi           land: (n)                      dat sg                (the) country

veittu          veita: (v)                      3p past ind         granted

þeim           þeir: (pron)                  dat pl                 (to) them

lið,              lið: (n)                         acc sg               help,

ok              ok: (conj)                                             and

sýndisk       sýnask: (v refl)             3s past ind         appeared

þat,            þat: (pron)                   nom sg              that,

at               at:                                                       that

Þjóstarssynir þjóstarsonr: (n)          nom pl               (the) sons of Þjóstar

váru            vera: (v)                       3p past ind         were

menn          maðr: (n)                     nom pl               men

vinsælir.      vinsæll: (adj)                nom pl               popular.

Sámr          Sámr: (n)                    nom sg              Sámr

sótti            sœkja: (v)                    3s past ind         prosecuted

málit           mál: (n)                       acc sg               the case

í                 í: (prep)                                               into

dóm,           dómr: (n)                     acc sg ?            court,

þangat        þangat: (adv)                                        thither

til               til: (prep)