Here’s my translation. I have underlined text I am not sure about and comments about these bits would be most welcome.

 

Question: how much of Hrafnkel´s property does Hrafnkel get to keep and how much does Sám take for himself? It hinges on the meaning of ‘skipti Hrafnkeli af’…(line 606)  Does it mean ´took off Hrafnkel’ or ’apportioned / shared out / divided up to Hrafnkel’? Given Sám´s earlier statement (line 597) Hrafnkel shouldn´t expect much.

 

Kveðja

Alan

 

Sámr svarar: 'Tvá kosti geri ek þér, Hrafnkell. Sá annarr, at

Sám answers: I give you two choices. The first, that

þik skal leiða ór garði brott ok þá menn, sem mér líkar, ok vera (what is the grammatical subject of this verb?)

(I) shall lead you out of the farmyard, away, and those men, whom it please me, and to be

drepinn. En með því at þú átt ómegð mikla fyrir at sjá, þá vil

killed. But because you have many dependents to provide for, then will

ek þess unna þér, at þú sjáir þar fyrir. Ok ef þú vilt líf þiggja, 595

I grant this to you, that you should provide for (them) there. And if you want to accept (the) life (alternative) ,

þá far þú af Aðalbóli með allt lið þitt ok haf þá eina fémuni, er

then go (you) from Aðalból with all your followers and have only those valuables, which

ek skef þér, ok mun þat harðla lítit, en ek skal taka staðfestu

I allot to you, and that will (be) very little, but I shall take your farmstead

þína ok mannaforráð allt. Skaltu aldri tilkall veita né þínir

and all (your) authority of priest. You shall never lay (press) claim nor your

erfingjar. Hvergi skaltu nær vera en fyrir austan Fljótsdalsheiði,

heirs. You shall be (stay) nowhere near(er) than to (the) east of Fljótsdalsheið,

ok máttu nú eiga handsöl við mik, ef þú vilt þenna upp taka.' 600

and you may now have handshakes with me, if you want to take this up.’ (shake hands on it with me if you want to accept this)

Hrafnkell mælti: 'Mörgum mundi betr þykkja skjótr dauði

Hrafnkell spoke: ’To many a quick death would seem better

en slíkar hrakningar, en mér mun fara sem mörgum öðrum,

than such humiliations, but (it) will go (with) me as (for) many others,

at lífit mun ek kjósa, ef kostr er. Geri ek þat mest sökum sona

that I will choose the life (option), if (there) is a choice. I do that mostly for (the) sake of my sons,

 

minna, því at lítil mun vera uppreist þeira, ef ek dey frá.(what function is this performing?)"

because their success will be little, if I die from (this).’

Þá er Hrafnkell leystr, ok seldi hann Sámi sjálfdœmi. 605

Then Hrafnkell is untied, and he gave to Sám ‘self-judgement’.

 

Sámr skipti Hrafnkeli af fé slíkt, er hann vildi, ok var þat (´took off Hrafnkel’ or ’apportioned to Hrafnkel’?)

Sám took off Hrafnkel such property, which he wanted, and that was

 

raunarlítit. Spjót sitt hafði Hrafnkell með sér, en ekki fleira

very little. Hrafnkel had his spear with him, but no more

vápna. Þenna dag forði Hrafnkell sik brott af Aðalbóli ok allt

weapons. On this day, Hrafnkel moved himself away from Aðalból and all

sitt fólk.

his people.

Þorgeirr mælti þá við Sám: 'Eigi veit ek, hví þú gerir (indicative or subjunctive?) þetta. 610

Thorgeir spoke then with Sám: ’I do not know, why you would do this.

Muntu þessa mest iðrask sjálfr, er þú gefr honum líf.'

You will yourself most repent of this, when you give life to him (spare his life).

Sámr kvað þá svá vera verða.

Sám declared then ´que sera sera’ (as (it) is will be).

 

Grammar notes:

Sámr                                                                  nom sg                          Sám

svarar:                                                                3s pres ind                     answers

'Tvá                                tveir: (num)                     acc pl                            'Two

kosti                              kostr: (n)                        acc pl                            choices

geri                                gera: (v)                         1p pres ind                     make

ek                                 ek: (pron)                       nom sg                          I

þér,                               þú: (pron)                       dat sg                            (to) you,

Hrafnkell.                       Hrafnkell: (n)                  nom sg                          Hrafnkell.

Sá                                 sá: (pron)                       nom sg                          That

annarr,                           annarr: (pron)                 nom sg                          first,

at                                                                                                           that

þik                                 þú: (pron)                       acc sg                           you

skal                               skulu: (v)                        3s pres ind                     (one) shall

leiða                              leiða: (v)                         inf                                 lead

ór                                                                                                           out of

garði                              garðr: (n)                        dat sg                            farm yard

brott                                                                                                       away

ok                                                                                                          and

þá                                 þeir: (pron)                     acc pl                            those

menn,                            maðr: (n)                        acc pl                            men,

sem                                                                                                        who

mér                               ek: (pron)                       dat sg                            me

líkar,                              líka: (v)                          3s pres ind                     (it) pleases,

ok                                                                                                          and

vera                               vera: (v)                          inf                                 be

drepinn.                         drepa: (v)                       pp                                 killed.

En                                                                                                          But

með                                                                                                        with

því                                 þat: (pron)                      dat sg                            that

at                                                                                                           that (because)

þú                                 þú: (pron)                       nom sg                          you

átt                                 eiga: (v)                         2s pres ind                     possess

ómegð                           ómegð: (n)                     acc sg                           dependents

mikla                             mikill: (adj)                     acc sg                           large

fyrir                                                                                                         for

at                                                                                                           to

sjá,                                sjá: (v)                           inf                                 provide,

þá                                                                                                          then

vil                                  vilja: (v)                          1s pres ind                     want

ek                                 ek: (pron)                       nom sg                          I

þess                              þat: (pron)                      gen sg                           of that

unna                              unna: (v)                        inf                                 grant

þér,                               þú: (pron)                       dat sg                            (to) you,

at                                                                                                           that

þú                                 þú: (pron)                       nom sg                          you

sjáir                               sjá: (v)                           2s pres subj                   should provide

þar                                                                                                         there

fyrir.                                                                                                        for.

Ok                                                                                                          And

ef                                                                                                           if

þú                                 þú: (pron)                       nom sg                          you

vilt                                 vilja: (v)                          2s pres ind                     want

líf                                   líf: (n)                             acc sg                           life

þiggja,                           þiggja: (v)                       inf                                 (to) accept.

595                                                                                                        

þá                                                                                                          Then

far                                 fara: (v)                          2s imper                        journey

þú                                 þú: (pron)                       nom sg                          you

af                                                                                                           from

Aðalbóli                         Aðalból: (n)                    dat sg                            Aðalból

með                                                                                                        with

allt                                 allr: (pron)                      acc sg                           all

lið                                  lið: (n)                            acc sg                           band

þitt                                þinn: (pron)                    acc sg                           your

ok                                                                                                          and

haf                                 hafa: (v)                         2s imper                        have

þá                                                                                                          then

eina                     

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