Given my difficulties with any attempts at translating Old Norse poetry, I
almost laughed myself off my chair when I saw the comments in M & P on the
recitation from the ashes. The translator notes that the "rest of the
stanza is too garbled to be intelligible." That's pretty much my reaction
to all of it! ;-)
Grace
Þeir þökkuðu honum boð sitt og kváðust það þiggja mundu.
They thanked him for his invitation and said they would accept it.
Þá kvað Móðólfur Ketilsson vísu:
Then Modolf Ketill's son recited a verse,
Stafr lifir einn, þar er inni
One staff remains, who is inside
unnfúrs viðir brunnu,
??? (man?) trees of Njall's house burned,
synir ollu því snjallir
All those brave sons of
Sigfúss, Níals húsa.
Sigfuss,
Nú er, Gollnis sonr, goldinn,
Now is, the golden son of Gollnis?
gekk eldr of sjöt rekka,
fire went did not? ( rek-ka negative particle?) drive from home
ljós brann hyr í húsum,
bright burned fire in (the) house
Höskulds bani hins röskva.
bane of Hoskuld, the vigorous.
"Öðru nokkuru munum vér hælast mega," segir Flosi, "en því er Njáll hefir
inni brunnið því að það er engi frami."
"We will be able to boast of something other," says Flosi, "but that is
Njall has burned inside because it is no distinction."
Flosi gekk þá upp á gaflhlaðið og Glúmur Hildisson og nokkurir menn aðrir.
Flosi went up then on the gable end and Glum Hildi's son and some other men.
Þá mælti Glúmur: "Hvort mun Skarphéðinn nú dauður?"
Then Glum spoke, "Will Skarphedin now (be) dead?"
En aðrir sögðu hann fyrir löngu dauðan mundu vera.
And others said he would be long before (since) dead.
Þar gaus upp stundum eldurinn en stundum slokknaði niður. Þeir heyrðu þá
niðri í
The fire flamed up at times and extinguished down at times. They heard then
down in
eldinum fyrir sér að kveðin var vísa:
the fire before them that (one?) was prompted to utter a verse
Mundit mellu kindar
Recall? mankind ground down
miðjungs brúar Iðja
???????????????
Gunnr um geira sennu
Gunnr chatter about spears
galdrs bráregni halda,
????????????????
er hræstykkins hlakka
when the carrion piece his valiant scream of eagle
hraustr síns vinir mínu
my trusty friends
tryggvi eg óð og eggjar
I rush and urge on
undgengin spjör dundu.
spears showered going down.
Grani Gunnarsson mælti: "Hvort mun Skarphéðinn hafa kveðið vísu þessa lífs
eða dauður?"
Grani Gunnarson spoke, "Will Skarphedinn have spoken this verse alive or
dead?"
"Engum getum mun eg um það leiða," segir Flosi.
"I will (hazard) no guess concerning that way," says Flosi.
"Leita viljum vér," segir Grani, "Skarphéðins eða annarra manna þeirra sem
hér hafa inni brunnið."
"We will search," says Grani, "for Skarphedinn or others of those men who
here have burned inside."
"Eigi skal það," segir Flosi, "og eru slíkt heimskir menn sem þú ert þar sem
menn munu
"It shall not (be)," says Flosi, "and such are foolish men as you are as
people will
safna liði um allt héraðið. Mun sá allur einn er nú á dvalar og hinn er þá
mun verða svo
gather a force about the entire district. That one will (be) all alone who
now has a delay and he who will then become so
hræddur að eigi mun vita hvert hlaupa skal og er það mitt ráð að vér ríðum
allir í braut sem skjótast."
afraid that (he) will not know where (he) shall run and it is my advice that
we all ride away as quickly as possible."
Flosi gekk þá skyndilega til hesta sinna og allir hans menn.
Flosi went then hastily to his horse and all his men.
Flosi mælti til Geirmundar: "Hvort mun Ingjaldur heim að Keldum?"
Flosi spoke to Geirmund, "Will Ingjald (be) home at Keldur?"
Geirmundur kveðst ætla að hann mundi heima vera.
Geirmund said of himself to expect that he would be at home.
"Þar er sá maður," segir Flosi, "er rofið hefir eiða við oss og allan
trúnað."
"There is that man," says Flosi, "who has broken a vow with us and all
trust."