Re: Njall 149 end + beginning 150 / Alan's Translation

I saw the question marks and noticed one other bit:

--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "AThompson" <athompso@...>
wrote:

> Björn mælti: "Það ætlaði eg ef eg héti nokkurum manni trausti
> mínu eða umsjá að þeim skyldi mun (munr = importance, Z2 or
> considerably, Z3) í fara."

> Björn spoke: `I expected that, if I promised to some man my
> support or care, that to them (it) should `go in' somewhat
> (ie sink in, influence their thinking considerably (?))

It appears to me that <munr> here is 'mind, heart': 'go into (his)
mind/heart'.

> Húsfreyja hans mælti: "Fyrr væri illa en þú værir drottinsviki.
> (dróttinsviki)"

> His wife spoke: `Sooner (things) were difficult than (that) you
> were a traitor.' (ie I would rather…than…?)

I think that this is actually more abuse from his wife, <vera illa>
being 'behave badly'. I make it something on the order of '(One
[= you] can) behave badly before you are a traitor', meaning that
even if he's not a traitor to his promises, he's still a bad lot.

> Margt töluðu þeir um þetta og hafði Björn í sínu orði hvort að
> hann vildi flýja sem harðast eða hitt að hann vildi bíða og taka
> í móti og þótti Kára að þessu allmikið gaman.

> Theu talked much about this and Björn had in his words whether
> that he wanted to flee as fast-as-possible or otherwise that he
> wanted to wait and to offer resistance (see taka í móti, Z12)
> and (it) seemed to Kári regarding this a very-great game (ie
> Kári was greatly amused by this, see mér þukkir gaman at e-u,
> under gaman, Z).

See Zoëga s.v. <orð> for <segja í sínu orði hvárt> 'to say one
thing in one breath and another in the next': 'and Björn said in
one breath that he wanted to flee as fast as possible and in the
next that his wanted to ...'.

Brian