"Allir megið þér sjá," segir Gunnar, "að þú hefir blóðgað mig og er
slíkt
ósæmilega farið.
"All of you can see" says Gunnar "that you have
bloodied me" (made me bloody) and it is dishonourably done.
Hefir þú stefnt mér fyrst en nú treður þú mig undir fótum
og ríður á mig."
You have first summoned me but now you walk upon me and
ride over me"
Skammkell mælti: "Vel er við orðið bóndi en hvergi varst þú óreiðulegri
á
þinginu þá er þú tókst sjálfdæmið og þú hélst á atgeirinum."
Skammkel said "It is well with words - Farmer -
(?well-spoken) but how (?CV - Unreliable) / angry were you at Thing when you
took for yourself - self-judgement and you held onto the Halberd
Gunnar mælti: "Þá er við finnumst næst skalt þú sjá atgeirinn."
Gunnar spoke " Then when we next meet you shall see the
Halberd"
Síðan skilja þeir að því.
Then they parted after that
Skammkell æpti upp og mælti: "Hart ríðið þér sveinar."
Skammkel shouted out and said "You ride hard
lads"
Gunnar gekk heim og gat fyrir engum manni um og ætluðu engir að þetta
mundi
af mannavöldum vera.
Gunnar went home and spoke of it (the incident) before
no man, and none suspected it was from human action (an inflicted
woulnd)
Einu hverju sinni var það að hann sagði Kolskeggi
bróður sínum.
One certain (particular) time it was that he told
Kolskegg his brother
Kolskeggur mælti: "Þetta skalt þú segja fleirum mönnum að eigi sé það
mælt
að þú gefir dauðum sök því að þrætt mun vera í móti ef eigi vita vitni
áður
hvað þér hafið saman átt."
Kolskegg said "You shall tell this to many people
(so) that it be not said you bring a charge against the dead for it will be
denied/rejected if no witnesses know before - what has happened between
you
Gunnar sagði nábúum sínum og var lítil orðræða á fyrst.
Gunnar told his neighbours and there was but little
discussion at first
Otkell kemur austur í Dal og er þar við þeim vel tekið og sitja þar
viku.
Otkell comes East to Dale and they are well received
(lit. it is there well received with them) and they sit (stay) there a
week
Otkell sagði Runólfi allt hversu fór með þeim Gunnari. Einn maður varð
til
að spyrja að því hversu Gunnar varð við.
Otkel told Runolf how it went between then (and
Gunnar). One man was to ask how Gunnar was about it (what had
happened)
Skammkell mælti: "Það mundi mælt ef ótiginn maður væri að grátið
hefði."
Skammkell spoke "That it would be spoken of (i.e.Worthy
of comment ) if it were a man of low-rank (G - ó-tiginn) that he had wept. (man
! that guy has a mouth on him)
"Illa er slíkt mælt," segir Runólfur, "og munt þú það eiga til að segja
næst
er þið finnist að úr sé grátraust úr skapi hans.
"That is evilly said" says Runolf "you will need to say
when next you meet (each other) that to weep is out of his
character.
Og væri það vel ef eigi
gyldu betri menn þinnar illsku.
It were well if better men did not (have to) pay for
your wickedness
Líst mér nú hitt ráð þá er þér viljið heim
fara að eg fari með yður því að Gunnar mun eigi gera mér mein."
It seems to me best - that when you go home that I go
(along) with you for Gunnar would not harm me.
"Eigi vil eg það," segir Otkell, "og munum vér ríða neðarlega yfir
fljótið."
"I do not want that" says Otkel "and we will cross the
river further down"
Runólfur gaf Otkatli góðar gjafar og kvað þá eigi sjást mundu oftar.
Runolf gave Otkel good gifts and said they would not
see each other more often (or ever again ?) (was this meant to indicate a
"prophetic utterance")
Otkell
bað hann þá muna syni sínum ef svo bæri við það er með þeim var vel.
Otkel asked him then to remember his sons if
(got lost here - ?again)
if anything happened.
It reads to me - like remember the boys if anything
should happen to me - I may be reading too much into it at this stage but it is
as if Otkel knows that his association with Skammkell is doomed to a sad
failure
Any help-critisue - Welcome
Patricia
I am not best pleased with this one
I find that I have taken up a great dislike to Skammkel
- there is a character in Dickens - Quilp - "The Old Curiosity Shop" -
unpleasant - sly - sneaky. Never to do a good turn where a bad one will
suffice