Even though this text is far beyond my abilities to come up with an accurate translation, I learned a lot doing this exercise. No one should feel the need to comment on each and every deficiency as it will take too long, and at my current stage of knowledge I wouldn't be able to absorb it all either.
If people have one or two things they would like to point out that could help me in my next efforts, I would be grateful.
Thank you.
Rob
Kafli
Ketill flatnefur hét maður son Bjarnar bunu. Hann var hersir ríkur í Noregi og kynstór.
A man named Ketil Flatnose was the son of Bjarn Bunu.
Hann var hersir ríkur í Noregi og kynstór.
He was a powerful chief in Norway and a lord.
Hann bjó í Raumsdal í Raumsdælafylki.
He lived in Raumsdal in Rausdalafylk.
Það er milli Sunnmærar og Norðmærar.
That is between Summmar and Nordmar.
Ketill flatnefur átti Yngvildi dóttur Ketils veðurs, ágæts manns.
Ketil Flatnose married Yngild, daughter of Ketil Vedur, an excellent man.
Þeirra börn voru fimm.
Their children numbered five.
Hét einn Björn hinn austræni, annar Helgi bjólan.
One was called Bjorn Austrani, another Helga Bojlan.
Þórunn hyrna hét dóttir Ketils er átti Helgi hinn magri son Eyvindar austmanns og Raförtu dóttur Kjarvals Írakonungs.
Thorun Hyrna was one of Ketil's daughters, who married Helga Mager, son of Eyvindar Austmann and Rafort, daughter of Kjarval Irakonung.
Unnur hin djúpúðga var enn dóttir Ketils er átti Ólafur hvíti Ingjaldsson Fróðasonar hins frækna er
Svertlingar drápu.
Unn Djupudga was one of Ketil's daughters who married Olaf White, son of Ijgald, son of Froda the Bold who Svertling killed. [???]
Jórunn manvitsbrekka hét enn dóttir Ketils.
Jorun Manvitsbrek was one of Keitil's daughters.
Hún var móðir Ketils hins fiskna er nam land í Kirkjubæ.
[My translation doesn't make sense as Ketil's daughter can't also be his mother. Whoever this person is, she settled some land ("named land") in Kirkjube.]
Hans son var Ásbjörn faðir Þorsteins, föður Surts, föður Sighvats lögsögumanns.
His son [is Ketil the "he"?] was Asbjorn, Thorstein's father, father of Surt, father of Sivhvat Lawsayer.
Kafli
Á ofanverðum dögum Ketils hófst ríki Haralds konungs hins hárfagra svo að engi fylkiskonungur þreifst í landinu né annað stórmenni nema hann réði einn nafnbótum þeirra.
In the latter days of Ketil, King Herald the Fairhaired came to power with the result that none of the minor kings [the word "þreifst" is apparently from the verb "to feel," but I don't see how it fits here] in the land nor the other great men except him would be able to keep their titles.
En er Ketill fréttir þetta, að Haraldur konungur hafði honum slíkan kost ætlað sem öðrum ríkismönnum, að hafa frændur sína óbætta en ger þó að leigumanni sjálfur, síðan stefnir hann þing við frændur sína og
hóf svo mál sitt: "Kunnig hafa yður verið skipti vor Haralds konungs og þarf eigi þau að inna því að oss ber meiri nauðsyn til að ráða um vandkvæði þau er vér eigum fyrir höndum.
And when Ketil heard that King Herald had similarly decided to intend the same for him as the other powerful men, to have his own kinsmen unatoned but made yet tenants themselves, he then summoned an assembly of his kinsmen ["hóf" means feast, so either they also had a feast, which doesn't fit with the context or there is some other meaning I didn't find] and so addressed them: [not sure of everything here - a reference to how skilled King Herald has been?] and it's not necessary to demonstrate to you so that I bring us the bigger necessity to advise about you who [have possessions???]
Sannspurðan hefi eg fjandskap Haralds konungs til vor.
I have it on good intelligence that King Herald is full of hostility toward us.
Sýnist mér svo að vér munum eigi þaðan trausts bíða.
[Apparently the individual words mean something like "Show me that we will not from there request protection," but what does that mean?]
Líst mér svo sem oss séu tveir kostir gervir, að flýja land eða vera drepnir hver í sínu rúmi.
It seems there are two choices to take, to leave the country or for each of us to be killed in his room.
Er eg og þess fúsari að hafa slíkan dauðdaga sem frændur mínir en eigi vil eg yður leiða í svo mikið vandkvæði með einræði mínu því að mér er kunnigt skaplyndi frænda minna og vina, að þér viljið eigi við oss skiljast þótt mannraun sé í nokkur að fylgja mér."
[Again, I have the sense of a number of individual words, but not enough for a coherent translation in English.]
Björn son Ketils svarar: "Skjótt mun eg birta minn vilja.
Ketil's son Bjorn answers: "I will throw some light on my preference."
Eg vil gera að dæmum göfugra manna og flýja land þetta.
I judge it noble to gather a crew and leave this land.
Þykist eg ekki af því vaxa þótt eg bíði heiman þræla Haralds konungs og elti þeir oss af eignum vorum eða þiggja af þeim dauða með öllu."
[I see from other posts the meaning of this sentence, but coming up with my own translation for this is beyond me at the present.]
Að þessu var ger góður rómur og þótti þetta drengilega talað.
At this there was good agreement and it was thought bravely spoken.
Þetta ráð var bundið, að þeir mundu af landi fara því að synir Ketils fýstu þessa mjög en
engi mælti í móti.
This advise was assented to, with the aim of leaving the country, the sons of Ketil urging this very much, and no one speaking against it.
Björn og Helgi vildu til Íslands fara því að þeir þóttust þaðan margt fýsilegt fregnt hafa, sögðu þar landskosti góða og þurfti ekki fé að kaupa. Kölluðu vera hvalrétt mikinn og laxveiðar en fiskastöð öllum
misserum.
Bjorn and Helga wanted to go to Iceland as they had heard many desirable things from there, saying there are good coasts and no necessity to buy livestock.
Ketill svarar: "Í þá veiðistöð kem eg aldregi á gamals aldri."
Ketil answers: "To that fishing place I will never come in my old age."
Sagði Ketill þá sína ætlan, að hann var fúsari vestur um haf, kvaðst þar virðast gott. Voru honum þar víða lönd kunnig því að hann hafði þar víða herjað.
At that time Ketil gave his opinion, that he was more willing to go west over the sea, saying that place had a good reputation.
Voru honum þar víða lönd kunnig því að hann hafði þar víða herjað.
[Again, I have the meanings of a number of words, but not enough to come up with anything coherent.]