Thanks, Alan, for all your work on this. Before Hrafnkell I would never have
thought I'd be able to translate this stuff!!
Great fun!
Grace
Hrafnkell snýr þá af götunni ok suðr at torfunni. Hann
H. then turns off the path and south to the turf. He
hafði engi orð við Eyvind ok veitti þegar atgöngu. Eyvindr
had no word with E. and charged at once. E.
varðisk vel ok drengiliga. Skósveinn Eyvindar þóttisk ekki
defended himself well and manfully. E.'s servant thought himself not
kröptugr til orrostu ok tók hest sinn ok ríðr vestr yfir háls til
strong (enough for) to battle and took his horse and rides west over the
hillcrest to
Aðalbóls ok segir Sámi, hvat leika er. 795
A. and says to Sam, what is going on. (Gordon)
Sámr brá skjótt við ok sendi eptir mönnum. Urðu þeir
Sam hurried off (Zoega) quickly and sends for men. They were
saman tuttugu. Var þetta lið vel búit. Ríðr Sámr austr á
twenty (al) together. This was a well equipped band. Sam rides east to
heiðina ok at þar, er vættfangit hafði verit.
the heath and to there where (the) battle had been.
Þá er umskipti á orðit með þeim. Reið Hrafnkell þá austr
Then when a decisions had been reached (Gordon) with them. H. rode then east
frá verkunum. 800
from the business.
Eyvindr var þá fallinn ok allir hans menn.
E. was then fallen and all his men.
Sámr gerði þat fyrst, at hann leitaði lífs með bróður sínum,
(The) first that Sam did (was), that he tried to save the life (Gordon) of
his brother.
Var þat trúliga gört: þeir váru allir líflátnir, fimm saman. Þar
It was thoroughly done, they were all lifeless, five (all) together. There
váru ok fallnir af Hrafnkeli tólf menn, en sex riðu brott.
were also fallen twelve men of H.'s, but six ride away.
Sámr átti þar litla dvöl, bað menn ríða þegar eptir. Ríða 805
Sam had little delay there, asked men to ride at once after (them). They
rode
þeir nú eptir þeim ok hafa þó modda hesta.
now after them and besides (they) have tired horses.
Þá mælti Sámr: 'Ná megum vér þeim, því at þeir hafa
Then spoke Sam, "We may reach them, because they have
modda hesta, en vér höfum alla hraða, ok mun nálægt
tired horses, but we have all fresh (ones), and will be a
verða, hvárt vér nám þeim eða eigi, áðr en þeir komask af
near thing (Gordon), whether we catch them or not, before when they escape
from
heiðinni.' 810
the heath."
Þá var Hrafnkell kominn austr yfir Oxamýri.
Then H. was come east over Oxmoor.
Ríða nú hvárirtveggju allt til þess, at Sámr kemr á heiðar-
Both of them (Sam and H.?) rode now all the way to this, that Sam comes to
the heath's
brúnina. Sá hann þá, at Hrafnkell var kominn lengra ofan í
edge. He saw then that H. was come further down in
brekkurnar. Sér Sámr, at hann mun undan taka ofan í
the slope. Sam sees, that he will escape over in
heraðit. 815
the district.
Hann mælti þá: 'Hér munum vér aptr snúa, því at Hrafnkeli
He spoke then, "Here we will turn back, because H.
mun gott til manna verða.'
will have got together men. (Zoega)"
Snýr Sámr þá aptr við svá búit, kemr þar til, er Eyvindr lá,
Sam turns back then without more ado (Gordon), comes there to where E. lay,
tekr til ok verpr haug eptir hann ok félaga hans. Er þar ok
undertakes and builds a mound after him and his companions. And there is
kölluð Eyvindartorfa ok Eyvindarfjöll ok Eyvindardalr. 820
called E's turf and E's fell and E's dale.
Sámr ferr þá með allan varnaðinn heim á Aðalból. Ok er
Sam goes then home to A. with all the people. And when
hann kemr heim, sendir Sámr eptir þingmönnum sínum, at
he comes home, Sam send for his thingmen, that
þeir skyldi koma þar um morguninn fyrir dagmál. Ætlar hann
they should come there the next morning at 9 AM. He intends
þá austr yfir heiði. 'Verðr ferð vár slík, sem má.'
(to go) then east over (the) heath. "(the) journey happens ?? such as (it)
may."
825 Um kveldit ferr Sámr í hvílu, ok var þar drjúgt komit manna.
In the evening Sam goes to bed and there were come men in great numbers.