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