Re: Laxdaela Saga 14 part 3 - - Grace's translation

At 10:49:07 AM on Tuesday, June 15, 2010, Fred and Grace
Hatton wrote:

> This section had all sorts of places where I got into
> trouble. I would welcome any help.

This one does have its moments, doesn't it? This is
bringing back memories of when my group did Laxdæla a few
years ago: it was definitely one of the harder ones that
we'd attempted.

I started this before Alan posted, so it has only Grace's
and Rob's translations. I've not deleted anything that I'd
already written, but I've foregone comment on anything that
Alan's now covered that I'd not already addressed.

> Þykir mér og þann veg aðeins verk þetta er þú hefir unnið
> að eg kalla þig ekki að verra dreng.

> (It) seems to me also thus alone? this work which you have
> performed that I call you not a worse bold man.

> It seems to be also that way only (?) this deed which you
> have bestowed that I call you not to become stout-heart.

'This deed that you have done seems to me only thus, that I
call you not so much the worse a fellow', i.e., 'I cannot
consider you a worse fellow for having done this deed'. For
<at verra> see the third entry for <at> in Zoëga, section
(1).

> En þó sýnist mér svo sem þeir menn muni veðsetja bæði
> sig og fé sitt er þér veita ásjá svo stórir menn sem
> hér munu veita eftirsjár.

> But still (it) seems to me so, that those men will hazard
> both themselves and their wealth when you get help as
> important men as here will give (cause for?) regret.

> And although it seems to me so as the men would hazard
> both one and one's property that you grant protection so
> greater men as here would know regret. (???)

The first <svá sem> is 'as if', or even simply 'that'. The
second, <svá stórir menn sem>, parallels example 3.8.2.4(k)
in Barnes, A New Introduction to Old Norse:

But still it seems to me as if those folks would hazard
both themselves and their wealth who give you
aid/protection, such great men as will give attention [to
the matter] here.

That is:

But still it seems to me that those who aid you would be
risking themselves and their wealth, considering what
great men will concern themselves here with the matter.

> En Þórður bóndi minn," segir hún, "er ekki garpmenni
> mikið en úrráð vor kvenna verða jafnan með lítilli
> forsjá ef nokkurs þarf við.

> But Thord, my husband, " says she, "is not of very bold
> men and help of our women become always with little
> foresight if someone stands in need of (it).

> But Thord my husband," she says, "is no great martial-man
> but (úrráð?) our women's happen equal with little
> foresight if something useful with. (???)

<Úrráð> took some tracking down. Note that it must be
distinguished from <úráð> ~ <óráð>, i.e., <ráð> with the
negative prefix. As Grace discovered, it turns out to be in
Z. as <órráð>, a synonym of <úrræði> ~ <órræði> 'expedient,
help'. <Verða> is plural, so <úrráð> must be plural as
well. (It's a neuter with identical nom. sing. and plur.)
<Verða> is a bit of a problem, but in this case it seems to
be something like 'turn out to be'. <Nökkurs> is the
genitive needed in the idiom <þurfa e-s við> 'to stand in
need of something', so <ef nökkurs þarf has no explicit
subject and is likely to be an impersonal construction, 'if
there is need of something, if something is needed'.

'But Þórð, my husband,' she says, 'is no great martial
man, and our women's expedients turn out to be [contrived]
with little foresight if something is needed.'

The idea seems to be that Þórð isn't likely to have much of
a stomach for helping Þórólf, and whatever she does as a
woman is likely to turn out to have been ill-advised, but
(as we find out in the next sentence) she's not going to let
this stop her from helping him.

> En þó nenni eg eigi með öllu að víkjast undan við
> þig alls þú hefir þó hér til nokkurrar ásjá
> ætlað."

> But still I am not at all (alls?) inclined withal to
> refuse you; you still have expectation of some help here."

> And though I cannot bear that with all to refuse you all
> you have though here until some protection intend.

Z. s.v. <allr> has <með öllu> 'wholly, quite' near the end
of (5); <alls> is a conjunction 'as, since' with its own
entry. <Ætla til e-s> is 'to reckon upon something, to
expect something'.

But yet I am not wholly inclined to refuse you, since you
have nevertheless expected some help here.

> Eftir það leiðir Vigdís hann í útibúr eitt og biður hann
> þar bíða sín.

> After that Vigdis leads him to a certain outbuilding and
> asks him to wait for her there.

> After that Vigdis leads him in a store-house and asks him
> (to) abide there.

Rob: The final <sín> is the 'for her' in Grace's
translation.

> Setur hún þar lás fyrir.
> She sets a bolt there before (the door).
> She sets there locked over. (???)

Looking at the citations in CV s.v. <láss>, I've the
impression that <setja lás fyrir> is both a usual
construction and elliptical for <setja lás fyrir dyrnar>
'to set a lock on the door'. <Þar> is then a bit redundant,
and I'd make it simply 'She puts a lock on the door'.

> Þættist hann þurfa hér lengri dvöl ef þú vildir að svo
> væri."

> (It) would seem to him to need to dwell longer here if you
> wish that it were so."

> It is thought he needs here (a) longer delay if you (are)
> agreeable to so be."

The subjunctive probably indicates uncertainty here: 'He may
think that needs a longer stay here, if you wish that it be
so' (i.e., if you allow it).

> Vigdís svarar: "Veitt hefi eg honum áður gisting og mun eg
> þau orð eigi aftur taka þótt hann eigi sér eigi jafna vini
> alla."

CV s.v. <eiga> (A.I.3) notes <eiga vini> 'to have friends'.
Here <vini> is accusative plural, matching <jafna>. <Alla>
could also be accus. plur., but I think that it's actually a
genitive plur.: <þótt hann eigi sér eigi jafna vini alla>
'though he have not equal friends of all [people]', i.e.,
even if not everyone is equally his friend.

> Þórður varð styggur við þetta, kvaðst það víst vita að
> Ingjaldur mundi mikið fé taka af honum fyrir þessa björg
> er nú var veitt honum "er hér hafa hurðir verið loknar
> eftir þessum manni."

> Thord became displeased with that, said of himself to know
> for certain that Ingjald would deprive him of much wealth
> for this sheltering which now was given him "when here
> doors have been locked behind this man."

> Thord was showing-anger with this, stated that certainly
> know that Ingjald would take away much wealth from him
> over this help-given-to-an-outlaw which now was granted
> him "which here have doors been (loknar?) after this man.

Alan: <hurðir> is nom. plur., 'doors', without the article.
Rob: <loknar> is nom. plur. fem. of <lokinn>, past
participle of <lúka> 'to shut'. (Not 'to lock', though we
know that in fact this one was locked.)

> Þórður mælti: "Þann veg máttu mér mest upp tefla og að
> móti er það mínu skapi að slíkur óhappamaður sé hér."

> Thord spoke, "Thus most of what I have (Z) might be
> deprived of me and in return it is in my mind that such a
> miscreant be here."

> Thord says: "That way estimate most deprive me of what I
> have that against which that my condition that such
> (unlucky man?) be here. (Z tefla 2 ? tefla e-n upp, to
> deprive one of what one has)

<Máttu> is a contraction of <mátt þú> 'you can' (from
<mega>). The one puzzle concerning the <tefla> construction
is the dative <mér> instead of the accusative <mik>: Z's
<e-n> indicates an accusative. However, both CV and
Fritzner offer this sentence as an example of the
construction, so it does appear to be 'In that way you can
most strip me of my possessions', i.e., 'That's how you can
ruin me'. The word order of the second half is a little
tricky: you need to think of it as <þat er at móti mínu
skapi> 'that is against my state of mind'. 'That's how you
can ruin me, and it is against my state of mind that such an
unlucky man stay here.'

> En þó var Þórólfur þar um veturinn.
> But still Thorolf was there during the winter.
> And yet Thorolf was there during the winter/year.

Context indicates that this is 'But nevertheless Þórólf
stayed there over the winter'. (Remember that <vera> can be
'remain, stay'.)

> Þeir sigla vestan útnyrðing hvassan og lenda í Laxárósi um
> kveldið, setja upp ferjuna en fara á Goddastaði um kveldið
> og koma ekki á óvart.

> They sail from the west on a north west wind ?? and land
> in Salmon River mouth during the evening, draw up the
> ferry and go to Goddastead during the evening and do not
> come covertly.

> They sailed westerly (with a) fresh northwest-wind and
> landed in Laxarose (Mouth-of-the-Salmon-River) during the
> evening, draw the ferry-boat ashore and go to Goddastad
> during the evening and don't take by surprise.

Grace has the right tense and direction, and Rob has the
right wind: <vestan> is 'from the west', and <hvassan> is
the masc. acc. sing. of <hvass> 'sharp, keen', applied to
wind in the sense 'sharp, fresh'. <Sigla> takes the
accompanying weather in the accusative, so it's 'They sail
from the west [before] a fresh northwest wind ...'. (It may
be of interest that <hvass> is related to English <whet>.)

> Er þar tekið vel við þeim.
> There they were received well.
> Which there they made a bold resistance.

Technically it's a present tense: 'They are received well
there'.

Brian