Re: Njall 134 part 4 - - Grace's translation

At 1:21:03 PM on Thursday, April 2, 2009, Fred and Grace
Hatton wrote:

> There were several places where I couldn't figure out the
> meanings.

[...]

> "Þá snýrðu öllum vanda á hendur mér," segir Flosi, "en þó
> var mér slíks að þér von."

> "Then change (snúa?) all my difficulties??," says Flosi,

<Snýrðu> is <snýr>, 2nd person singular present indicative
of <snúa>, + <þú> 'you' (sing.). Zoëga s.v. <hönd> has the
idiom <snúa vanda á hendr e-m> 'to throw the responsibility
on one' (and more generally, <á hönd, á hendr> 'against'),
which would make it 'Then you are throwing the whole
responsibility on me'. In context, though that doesn't
really make sense, and it seems clear that in this case
<vandi> must be 'obligation', the sense being 'Then you are
putting me under great obligation', 'Then you are putting me
wholly in your debt', etc.

> "but still such was expected by me of you."

> Þaðan fóru þeir Flosi til Krossavíkur. Þar bjó Þorkell
> Geitisson. [...]

> From there they, Flosi (and company) went to Krossavik.
> Thorkel Geiti's son lived there.

The nominative is <Geitir>.

[...]

> Þá fór Flosi norðan úr Vopnafirði og upp í Fljótsdalshérað
> og gisti að Hólmsteins Spak-

> Then Flosi went from the north out of Vapn Fjord and up to
> River Dale district and spent the night at Holmstein's,
> son of Spak Bersa.

Nominative <Bersi>.

> Bersasonar. Flosi sagði honum að allir hefðu vel staðið
> undir hans nauðsyn og erindi

> Flosi told him that all raised ?(forces were) well
> situated? for his needs and errands

Zoëga s.v. <standa> (15): <standa vel undir e-t> 'to support
well, back it up well'. Everyone except Sörli had been very
supportive of his need and errand.

> nema Sörli Brodd-Helgason.

[...]

> eða breyta högum sínum.

> or change his affairs (hagr?).

Yes, <högum> is the dative plural of <hagr>, but here I
think that <breyta> should be read 'conduct': 'or conduct
his affairs'.

> Hallur mælti: "Það ræð eg að þú sért heima við bú þitt og
> Sigfússynir en þeir sendi menn

> Hall spoke, "I advise it that you be at home with your
> neighbors and Sigfuss' sons and they send men

<Við bú sitt> is 'at your farm'.

> til að skipa til búa sinna en þér farið heim að sinni. En
> þá er þér ríðið til þings, ríðið allir

> to arrange for their farms and you go home to yours?

Here <at sinni> is 'for the present', from <sinn> 'time'.

[...]

Brian