Thank you for the notes and explanations!

Rob

--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...> wrote:
>
> Once again Alan's translation and notes cover most of the
> difficulties.
>
> > Þorsteinn skipaði ferju og gekk þar á með tólfta mann.
>
> > Thorstein arranged (i.e., prepared) (the) ship and went
> > there with (the) twelfth man (i.e., Thorstein plus 11
> > others).
>
> > Thorstein manned a large boat and went there on with 12
> > men (including himself).
>
> > Þorsteinn manned (see skipa, Z4) a ferry-boat and walked
> > there on (ie boarded) with (the) twelth man (who carried
> > the drinks :-) cricket joke) (ie with eleven other men).
>
> I think that this should be 'who carried the drinks --
> Howzat?!' (Not bad, actually.) Hmm. Þorsteinn skipaði
> ferju ok gekk þar á með drykkjarþjóninum. <g> (Wonder what
> 'backward square leg' is in Icelandic!)
>
> <http://www.009leika.com/play/1489.html>
>
> > Sigla þeir inn að straumum í þann straum er hét
> > Kolkistustraumur.
>
> > They sail in to a current, in (to) that current which
> > was-called Kolkistu-current.
>
> > They sail in to a current in that tide (?) which is called
> > Kolkisttustraum.
>
> > They sail in amongst currents in that current which is
> > called (the) Coal-chest-current.
>
> Rob & Grace: the <-um> ending of <straumum> guarantees that
> the noun is dative *plural*.
>
> > Sá er í mesta lagi þeirra strauma er á Breiðafirði
> > eru.
>
> > That which is very greatly the current which was in
> > Broad-firth. (CV lag II,2 - í mesta lagi = very greatly)
>
> > That is in greatest degree (most powerful) of those
> > currents which are in Broad Firth.
>
> > That-one (ie that current) is in (the) greatest position
> > (ie at the top of the list) of those currents which are in
> > Breiðafjörðr.
>
> In the expressions <í ... lagi>, where the ellipsis is
> filled by a comparative or superlative, the <lagi> doesn't
> usually translate. For instance, <í meira lagi> is
> 'considerably, rather'. This is simply 'That is the
> greatest of those currents that are in Breiðafjörðr'.
>
> > Heldur það mest til þess að þá var komið útfall sjávar en
> > byrinn ekki vinveittur því að skúraveður var á og var
> > hvasst veðrið þá er rauf en vindlítið þess í milli.
>
> > But that most to that that then was come ebbing
> > of-(the)-sea and/but not the favorable fair-wind because
> > (there) was showery-weather and (there) was the sharp
> > weather then which cleared-up but that calm in between.
>
> > It remained most like that until then low tide came and no
> > kindly breeze because showery weather was on and then was
> > a sharp wind which cleared and this calm in between.
>
> > That holds (ie continues) mostly for that reason that the
> > (an) ebbing of the sea was (had) come but (and) (the) wind
> > was not favourable because showery-weather was upon (them)
> > and the wind was fresh (strong) when (it) cleared but calm
> > (little-wind) in between that.
>
> Misplaced parentheses in '(the) wind was favorable':
> <byrinn> includes the definite article, but the verb is
> understood, so it's 'the wind [was] not favorable'.
>
> The last bit probably means that the squalls brought strong
> winds that cleared the clouds (and squalls themselves) away,
> but the winds died away as soon as the weather cleared, so
> that during the squalls they had too much wind and bad
> visibility, and between them they had no wind to speak of.
>
> > Var hirslum mest hlaðið og varð hár farmurinn en löndin
> > voru nær.
>
> > The (hirslum?) was most loaded and the cargo became high
> > and/but land was near.
>
> ON <hirzla>; modern <s> is often ON <z>.
>
> > (The ship) was laden with great chests and the cargo
> > became high and land was near.
>
> > Mostly (it) was laden with chests and (the) load became
> > high but (and) the-lands were near.
>
> That last bit presumably means that they were in a narrow
> part of the fjord.
>
> > Gekk skipið lítið því að straumurinn gerðist óður að móti.
>
> > The ship went little because the current became furious
> > against (them).
>
> > The ship went slowly because the current became violent
> > against (it).
>
> > The ship went little (ie made little headway) because
> > the-current became rough to-contend with (see at móti,
> > under mót, Z4).
>
> Any of these would do, but Grace's 'became violent against
> [it]' seems the best choice for a literal translation. CV
> suggests 'violent' in the case of things (rather than
> people), and <skipit>, the subject of the sentence, seems
> the natural choice for the omitted object of <at móti>.
>
> > Og er nær hafði að skipið mundi fljóta þá rekur á
> > hvassviðri mikið og hvelfir skipinu og drukkna nú menn
> > allir þeir er þar voru á skipinu nema einn maður.
>
> > And is near had to the ship would float then tossed to a
> > sharp-gale much and the ship capsizes and now they, all
> > men who were on the ship, drown save one man.
>
> > and when nearly (they) had (it) that the ship would float,
> > then a very sharp wind drives and capsizes the ship and
> > all those men drown now who were there on the ship except
> > for one man.
>
> > And when (it) had nearly (done so sufficuently?) that the
> > ship would float then a great sharp-gale rises upon (them)
> > and overturns the-ship and now all those men are drowned
> > who were on the-ship except one man.
>
> 'And when [it] had nearly [happened] that the ship would
> float ... .' In better English, 'And when the ship had
> nearly floated free'.
>
> > Þann rak á land með viðum.
>
> > That (one) (was) tossed to land with (the) mast.
>
> > Then (he) washes up on land with wood.
>
> > (It) drove that-one (ie him) onto land (ashore) with (the)
> > timbers (wreckage of the ship?).
>
> My guess is 'with timbers [from the wreckage of the ship]'.
>
> > Guðríður átti að taka arf eftir Þorstein surt föður
> > sinn, er átti Þorkell trefill.
>
> > Gudrid was-entitled-to be-heir-to Thorstein Black his
> > father, which Thorkell Tatter was entitled to. (Z arfr 1 ?
> > taka arf eptir e-n, to be heir to a person, to inherit)
>
> > Gudrid, who was married to Thorkell tatters, was obliged
> > to inherit after Thorstein the black, her father.
>
> > Guðríðr had-the-right to take (possession of the)
> > inheritance after Þorsteinn Black, her father, who Þorkell
> > Rag had (as a wife, ie married).
>
> Rob & Grace: You want Zoëga s.v. <eiga> (4), not (3). I
> think that Alan mentions this the next time it comes up.
>
> > Og er hann kemur á fund Þorkels þá slær Þorkell við
> > hann kaupi á laun að hann skyldi svo greina frásögn um
> > líflát manna sem hann segði fyrir.
>
> > And when he comes to meet (that is, speak with) Thorkell,
> > then Thorkell strikes a bargain with him secretly that he
> > should so tell tell an account concerning (the)
> > loss-of-life which he told previously. (Z, slá 6 - slá
> > kaupi, to strike a bargain) (Z. laun - á (or með) laun,
> > secretly)
>
> > And when he comes to a meeting with Thorkell then Thorkell
> > strikes a bargain secretly with him that he should so
> > report the account of death of people as he told him
> > before.
>
> > And when he comes to a meeting with Þorkell, then Þorkell
> > strikes a bargain with him in secret that he should so
> > tell (structure) the story-telling (narrative) about the
> > loss-of-life of (the) men as he (ie Þorkell) prescribed
> > (see segja fyrir, Z5) .
>
> Note that <segði> is a past subjunctive, the active form
> being <sagði>, so <sem hann segði fyrir> has something of
> the flavor of 'as he would prescribe'.
>
> > Heimtir nú Þorkell af honum frásögn um atburð þenna svo að
> > margir menn voru hjá.
>
> > Thorkell now claims of him an accounting concerning this
> > this event so to many men (who) were near.
>
> > Thorkell now demands of him an account about that event so
> > that many men were nearby.
>
> > Þorkell now requests from him (the) story-telling
> > (narrative) about this event so that many men were nearby.
>
> This is a case in which <svá at> doesn't really correspond
> to any idiomatic English use of 'so that', although one can
> see how it works: the idea is that the request is made in
> such a way that many people were nearby, i.e., in the
> presence of many people (to act as witnesses).
>
> Brian
>