Here’s my translation and grammar notes.
leitaði lífs: (l. 802). I can see two ways of interpreting this: (1) he looked for (a sign) of life or (2) sought (to restore) life, ie tried to revive. Is either of these more likely to be meant than the other?
Var þat trúliga gört: (l. 803) Again I can see two ways of interpreting this: (1) the search for sign of life/attempt to revive was performed thoroughly, or (2) Eyvinds life was thoroughly extinguished. Is either of these more likely to be meant than the other?
Þeir hafa mœdda hesta, en vér höfum alla hraða (ll. 807-810) Gordon says in his notes that ‘these words of Sám can only be to encourage his men, for in fact Hrafnkel´s horses, rested during the battle, must have been fresher than his’ Despite what it says in line 806 (which I think may be a corruption of the text), this doesn´t make sense to me since, if we assume the battle lasted 30 minutes, Sám´s horses can only have been travelling for about 20 minutes, while Hrafnkel´s horses, despite a 30 minute respite during the battle, had travelled for what must have been several hours, including already having to wade through the swamp. Even the Icelandic horse has its limits.
hvat leika er: (l. 795): Gordon glosses this simply as ’what is going on’ but I was wondering if it could be rendered in a way more specific to the context, viz. what (sort of) contest is (going on). Any thoughts?
Þá er umskipti á orðit með þeim: (l. 799) At first I thought this referred to a decision made among Sám and his followers, but on further consideration ‘realised’ it must mean the decision or outcome of the battle between them, Hrafnkel and Eyvind. Is my
Kveðja
Alan
Hrafnkell snýr þá af götunni ok suðr at torfunni. Hann
Hrafnkell turns then off the path and (goes) south to the patch of turf. He
hafði engi orð við Eyvind ok veitti þegar atgöngu. Eyvindr
had no words with Eyvind and launched at once an attack. Eyvind
varðisk vel ok drengiliga. Skósveinn Eyvindar þóttisk ekki
defended himself well and in manly fashion. Eyvind´s servant thought himself not
kröptugr
til orrostu ok tók hest sinn ok ríðr vestr yfir háls til
strong in battle and took his horse and rides west over (the) ridge to
Aðalbóls
ok segir Sámi, hvat leika er. 795
Aðalból and says to Sam, what (sort of) battle is (going on).
Sámr brá skjótt við ok sendi eptir mönnum. Urðu þeir
Sám starts up quickly with (that) and sent after men. They were
saman tuttugu. Var þetta lið vel búit. Ríðr Sámr austr á
together twenty. This was a well prepared band. Sám rides east to
heiðina ok at þar, er vættfangit hafði verit.
The heath and to there, where the battleground had been.
Þá er umskipti á orðit með þeim. Reið Hrafnkell þá austr
Then (the) outcome is settled between them. Hrafnkell rode then east
frá verkunum. 800
from the deeds.
Eyvindr var þá fallinn ok allir hans menn.
Eyvind was then fallen and all his men.
Sámr gerði þat fyrst, at hann leitaði lífs með bróður sínum,
Sám did that first, that he looked for (a sign of) life in his brother.
Var þat trúliga gört: þeir váru allir líflátnir, fimm saman. Þar
That was thoroughly done: they were all bereft of life, five together. There
váru ok fallnir af Hrafnkeli tólf menn, en sex riðu brott.
Were also fallen twelve men from Hrafnkel(´s band), but six rode away.
Sámr átti þar litla dvöl, bað menn ríða þegar eptir. Ríða 805
Sám had there a short dwell (delay), bade men ride at once after (them). They ride
þeir nú eptir þeim ok hafa þó mœdda hesta.
now after them and have though exhausted horses.
Þá mælti Sámr: 'Ná megum vér þeim, því at þeir hafa
Then Sám spoke: ’We may reach them, because they have
mœdda
hesta, en vér höfum alla hraða, ok mun nálægt
exhausted horses, but we have all fresh (ones), and (it) will a near (thing)
verða, hvárt vér nám þeim eða eigi, áðr en þeir komask af
be, whether we reach them or not, before they make their way from
heiðinni.' 810
the heath.’
Þá var Hrafnkell kominn austr yfir Oxamýri.
Then (ie by that time) Hrafnkell was (had) come east over Ox Swamp.
Ríða nú hvárirtveggju allt til þess, at Sámr kemr á heiðar-
Each of the two (bands) ride now all to that (end), that Sám comes to the heath´s
brúnina.
Sá hann þá, at Hrafnkell var kominn lengra ofan í
edge. He saw then, that Hrafnkel was (had) come further down in
brekkurnar.
Sér Sámr, at hann mun undan taka ofan í
the slopes. Sám sees, that he will take (himself) away down into
heraðit. 815
the district.
Hann mælti þá: 'Hér munum vér aptr snúa, því at Hrafnkeli
He spoke then: ’Here we will turn back, because (for) Hrafnkel
mun
gott til manna verða.'
(it) will be good for men.’
Snýr Sámr þá aptr við svá búit, kemr þar til, er Eyvindr lá,
Sám turns then back with (matters) so arranged (without further ado (Gordon)), comes to there, where Eyvind lay,
tekr
til ok verpr haug eptir hann ok félaga hans. Er þar ok
sets to (work) and erects a mound for him and his companions. (It) is also there
kölluð Eyvindartorfa ok Eyvindarfjöll ok Eyvindardalr. 820
called Eyvind’s Turf and Eyvind´s Mountains and Eyvind´s Dale.
Sámr ferr þá með allan varnaðinn heim á Aðalból. Ok er
Sám goes then with all the goods home to Aðalból. And when
hann kemr heim, sendir Sámr eptir þingmönnum sínum, at
he comes home, he sends after his Thingmen, that
þeir skyldi koma þar um morguninn fyrir dagmál. Ætlar hann
they should come there next morning before breakfast time. He intends (to go)
þá austr yfir heiði. 'Verðr ferð vár slík, sem má.'
then east over (the) heath. ‘Be (turn out) our journey such as (it) may.’
825 Um kveldit ferr Sámr í hvílu, ok var þar drjúgt komit
manna.
During the evening Sám goes to bed and (it) was (had) come there greatly of men. (ie many many came)
Grammar notes:
Hrafnkell Hrafnkell: (n) nom sg Hrafnkel
snýr snúa: (v) 3s pres ind turns
þá then
af off
götunni gata: (n) dat sg the path
ok and
suðr south
at towards
torfunni. torfa: (n) dat sg the turf patch.
Hann hann: (pron) nom sg He
hafði hafa: (v) 3s past ind had
engi no
orð orð: (n) acc pl words
við with
Eyvind Eyvindr: (n) acc sg Eyvind
ok and
veitti veita: (v) 3s past ind delivered
þegar at once
atgöngu. atganga: (n) acc sg assault.
Eyvindr Eyvindr: (n) nom sg Eyvind
varðisk verjask: (v refl) 3s past ind defended himself
vel well
ok and
drengiliga. manfully.
Skósveinn skósveinn: (n) nom sg (The) servant
Eyvindar Eyvindr: (n) gen sg (of) Eyvind
þóttisk þykkjask: (v refl) 3s past ind bethought himself
ekki not
kröptugr kröptugr: (adj) nom sg strong
til for
orrostu orrosta: (n) gen sg battle
ok and
tók taka: (v) 3s past ind took
hest hestr: (n) acc sg horse
sinn sinn: (pron) acc sg his
ok and
ríðr ríða: (v) 3s pres ind rides
vestr west
yfir over
háls háls: (n) acc sg ridege
til to
Aðalbóls Aðalból: (n) gen sg Aðalból
ok and
segir segja: (v) 3s pres ind says
Sámi, Sámr: (n) dat sg (to) Sám,
hvat what
leika leikr: (n) gen pl (concerning the) state of play
er. vera: (v) 3s pres ind (it) is.
795
Sámr Sámr: (n) nom sg Sám
brá bregða: (v) 3s past ind stirs
skjótt quickly
við with (that)
ok and
sendi senda: (v) 3s past ind sent
eptir after
mönnum. maðr: (n) dat pl men.
Urðu verða: (v) 3p past ind Became
þeir þeir: (pron) nom sg they
saman together
tuttugu. tuttugu: (num) nom sg twenty.
Var vera: (v) 3s past