Hrafnkell reið heim ok sagði tíðendi þessi. Hann etr mat, ok

Hrafnkel rode home and related these tidings. He eats a meal, and

eptir þat safnar hann mönnum at sér, svá at hann fær sjau tigu

after that he gathers men to him, so that he brings seventy

manna, ok ríðr við þetta vestr yfir heiði ok kemr á óvart til

men, and rides with this west over (the) heath and comes unnoticed to

Aðalbóls, tekr Sám í rekkju ok leiðir hann út.

Aðalból, takes Sám in bed and leads him out.

830 Hrafnkell mælti þá: 'Nú er svá komit kosti þínum, Sámr,

Hrafnkel spoke then: ‘Now it is (has) come to your choice, Sám,

at þér mundi ólíkligt þykkja fyrir stundu, at ek á nú vald á lífi

that would (have) seem(ed) to you unlikely a short time ago, that I now have power over your life.

þínu. Skal ek nú eigi vera þér verri drengr en þú vart mér.

I shall now not be a worse fellow to you than you were to me.

Mun ek bjóða þér tvá kosti: at vera drepinn - hinn er annarr,

I will offer you two choices: to be killed – the other is second,

at ek skal einn skera ok skapa okkar í milli.'

that I shall alone ’cut and shape’  (settle the terms) between us.’

835 Sámr kvazk heldr kjósa at lifa, en kvazk þó hyggja, at

Sám declared himself (that he would) rather choose to live, but declared himself still to believe, that

hvárrtveggi mundi harðr.

each of the two would (be) severe.

Hrafnkell kvað hann þat ætla mega, -- 'því at vér eigum þér

Hrafnkel said he may expect that, -- ‘because we have

þat at launa, ok skylda ek hálfu betr við þik gera, ef þess væri

to reward you that, and I should do (deal) with you better by half, if (it) were about that

vert. Þú skalt fara brott af Aðalbóli ofan til Leikskála, ok sezk

fitting (to do so). You shall go away from Aðalból down to Leikskálar, and be settled

840 þar í bú þitt. Skaltu hafa með þér auðœfi þau, sem Eyvindr

there in your farm. You shall have with you those possessions, which Eyvind

hafði átt. Þú skalt ekki heðan fleira hafa í fémunum útan þat,

had owned. You shall have (take) nothing from here more in valuables besides that,

er þú hefir hingat haft. Þat skaltu allt í brottu hafa. Ek vil taka

which you have had hither (brought here). That you shall complete have (take) away. I want to take (back)

við goðorði mínu, svá ok við búi ok staðfestu. Sé ek, at mikill

my authority as priest, also (my) farm and farmstead. I see that great

ávöxtr hefir á orðit á gózi mínu, ok skaltu ekki þess njóta.

increase has happened to my goods, and you shall not enjoy (have use of) this.

845 Fyrir Eyvind, bróður þinn, skulu engar bœtr koma, fyrir því

For Eyvind, your brother, no compensations shall come, because

at þú mæltir herfiliga eptir inn fyrra frænda þinn, ok hafi þér

you shamefully took up the prosecution for (the slaying of) that former kinsmen of yours, and have to you

œrnar bœtr þó eptir Einar, frænda yðvarn, þar er þú hefir haft

sufficient compensations for Einar, your kinsman, where(by) you have had

ríki ok fé sex vetr. En eigi þykki mér meira vert dráp Eyvindar

power and wealth for six winters. But (the) slaying of Eyvind and his men seems not to me worth more

ok manna hans en meizl við mik ok minna manna. Þú gerðir

than (the) injuries to me and my men. You made

850 mik sveitarrækan, en ek læt mér líka, at þú sitir á Leikskálum,

me driven from the district, but I allow myself to be pleased, that you stay at Leikskálar,

ok mun þat duga, ef þú ofsar þér eigi til vansa. Minn undirmaðr

and that will suffice, if you do not exaggerate (raise) yourself (beyond your rightful station) to (your own) harm. My subordinate

skaltu vera, meðan vit lifum báðir. Máttu ok til þess ætla, at

you shall be, while we both live. You may expect that, that

þú munt því verr fara, sem vit eigumsk fleira illt við.'

you will fare worse in that, as we contend with each other more badly.

 

Sámr ferr nú brott með lið sitt ofan til Leikskála ok sezk

Sám goes now away with his household down to Leikskálar and is settled

þar í bú sitt.

there in his farm.

 

Grammar Notes:

 

Hrafnkell                                                             nom sg                          Hrafnkel

reið                               ríða: (v)                          3s past ind                     rode

heim                                                                                                       home

ok                                                                                                          and

sagði                             segja: (v)                        3s past ind                     told

tíðendi                                                                acc pl                            tidings

þessi.                            þessi: (pron)                   acc pl                            these.

Hann                                                                  nom sg                          He

etr                                                                      3s pres ind                     eats

mat,                                                                   acc sg                           food,

ok                                                                                                          and

eptir                                                                                                        after

þat                                                                     acc sg                           that

safnar                                                                 3s pres ind                     gathers

hann                                                                  nom sg                          he

mönnum                        maðr: (n)                        dat pl                             men

at                                                                                                           to

sér,                               sinn: (pron)                     dat sg                            himself,

svá                                                                                                         so

at                                                                                                           that

hann                                                                  nom sg                          he

fær                                fá: (v)                             3s pres ind                     receives

sjau                                                                   acc pl indecl                  seven

tigu                                                                    gen pl                            tens

manna,                          maðr: (n)                        gen pl                            (of)

ok                                                                                                          men,

ríðr                                ríða: (v)                          3s pres ind                     rides

við                                                                                                          with

þetta                             þetta: (pron)                   acc sg                           this

vestr                                                                                                       west

yfir                                                                                                          over

heiði                                                                   acc sg                           heath

ok                                                                                                          and

kemr                             koma: (v)                        3s pres ind                     comes

á                                                                                                            on

óvart                                                                                                       unnoticed

til                                                                                                           to

Aðalbóls,                                                            gen pl                            Aðalból,

tekr                               taka: (v)                         3s pres ind                     takes

Sám                                                                   acc sg                           Sám

í                                                                                                             in

rekkju                                                                 dat sg                            bed

ok                                                                                                          and

leiðir                              leiða: (v)                         3s pres ind                     leads

hann                                                                  acc sg                           him

út.                                                                                                          out.

830                                                                                                        

Hrafnkell                                                             nom sg                          Hrafnkel

mælti                                                                 3s past ind                     spoke

þá:                                                                                                         then:

'Nú                                                                                                         'Now

er                                                                       3s pres ind                     (it) is

svá                                                                                                         so

komit                             koma: (v)                        pp nom sg                     come

kosti                                                                  dat sg                            (to) choice

þínum,                           þinn: (pron)                     dat sg                            your,

Sámr,                                                                 nom sg                          Sám,

at                                                                                                           that

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

mundi                            munu: (v)                        3s past ind                     would

ólíkligt                                                                                                     unlikely

þykkja                           þykkja: (v)                      inf                                 seem

fyrir                                                                                                         before

stundu,                                                               dat sg                            a short time,

at                                                                                                           that

ek                                 ek: (pron)                       nom sg                          I

á                                   eiga: (v)                          1s pres ind                     have

nú                                                                                                          now

vald                                                                    acc sg                           power