Laxdaela Saga 28 end + beginning 29 / Alan's Translation

Here´s my translation

Kveðja

Alan

Í þenna tíma bjó Hólmgöngu-Bersi í Saurbæ á þeim bæ er í Tungu heitir. Hann
At
that time Dueller-Bersi lived in Saurbær (Dung-town) on that farm which is-called (in) Tungr (Tongue). He

fer á fund Ólafs og bauð Halldóri syni hans til fósturs. Það þiggur Ólafur
travels to a meeting with (ie to see) Ólafr and offers (to take on the) fostering of Halldór, his son. Ólafr accepts
(present tense) that

og fer Halldór heim með honum. Hann var þá veturgamall.
and Halldór travels home with him. He was then (one) winter-old.

Það sumar tekur Bersi sótt og liggur lengi sumars
.
That summer, Bersi contracts an illness and lies (is on his back, bedridden) for-a-great-part of (the) summer.
(see lengi with gen. Z)

Það er sagt einn dag er
menn voru að heyverki í Tungu en þeir tveir inni,
That is said one day that (see er, Z3)
men (folk) were at hay-making in Tungr (Tongue) but they two inside,

Halldór og Bersi. Lá Halldór í vöggu (vagga). Þá fellur
vaggan undir sveininum og
Halldór and Bersi. Halldór lay in (the) cradle. Then the-cradle falls
(present tense) under (collapses from under) the boy and

hann úr vöggunni á gólfið. Þá mátti Bersi eigi til
fara.
he (falls) out-of the-cradle on-to the-floor. Then Bersi could not go to (
him, to his aid).

Þá kvað Bersi þetta:
Then Bersi recited this:

Liggjum báðir
(We) both lie

í lamasessi
in lame-seating (in a state of lame-helplessness?)

Halldór og ek,
Halldór and I,

höfum engin þrek.
(we) have no strength.

Veldur elli mér
Old age rules-over me

en æska þér
.
but (and) infancy (over) you
(dative).

Þess
batnar þér
For you (it will) get-better from this
(you will recover from this, see batna, impers, Z2 + gen (the malady))

en þeygi mér.
but yet not for me.

Síðan koma menn og taka Halldór upp af gólfinu en Bersa batnar. Halldór
After-that men (folk) come and take Halldór up from the-floor but (and) Bersi gets-better (recovers). Halldór

fæddist þar upp og var mikill maður og vasklegur.
was brought-up there and was a tall man (person) and of-gallant-bearing.

Kjartan Ólafsson vex upp heima í Hjarðarholti. Hann var allra manna vænstur
Kjartan Ólafr’s-son grew up at-home in Hjarðarholt. He was of all men (persons) (the) most promising (or handsome?)

þeirra er fæðst
hafa á Íslandi. Hann var mikilleitur og vel farinn í
of those who had been-bo
rn (suits the sense better here, I think) in Iceland. He was with-marked-features and well behaved in (ie well-formed in, -endowed with, blessed with)

andliti
, manna best eygður og ljóslitaður. Mikið hár hafði hann og fagurt
countenance
(having finely formed features) (I´m not sure what simply well-favoured, as per farinn Z2, actually means or might mean here), of men (persons) (the) best-eyed (with the finest eyes) and (the most) light-coloured (fairest). Much (big J) hair had he and (as) fine

sem silki og féll með lokkum, mikill maður og sterkur eftir sem
as silk and (it) flowed with locks, a tall man and strong after (ie in the manner that, before him,)

verið hafði Egill móðurfaðir hans eða Þórólfur. Kjartan var hverjum manni betur á sig

Egill his mother’s-father had been or Þórólfr. Kjartan was better
accomplished (see kominn á sik vel, under kominn, Z) than every man (person)

kominn
svo að allir undruðust þeir er sáu hann. Betur var hann og vígur en
so that all wondered at (it), those who saw him. He was better and (more) skilled-at-arms than

flestir menn aðrir. Vel var hann hagur og syndur manna best
.
most other men. He was amply skilled and able-to-swim best of men (persons
, gen. pl).

Allar íþróttir hafði hann mjög umfram aðra menn. Hverjum manni var hann lítillátari
og
He had all accomplishments much beyond other men. He was more humble
than every man and

vinsæll
svo að hvert barn unni honum. Hann var léttúðigur og mildur af fé.
popular
so that every child loved him. He was light-hearted and liberal with money. (but could he solve cryptic crosswords?)

Ólafur unni mest Kjartani allra barna sinna.
Ólafr loved Kjartan most of all his children.

Bolli fóstbróðir hans var mikill maður. Hann gekk næst Kjartani um allar
Bolli his foster-brother was a tall man (person). He went (approached) nearest to Kjartan concerning all

íþróttir og atgervi. Sterkur var hann og fríður sýnum, kurteis og hinn
accomplishments and abilities. He was strong and handsome in appearance, courteous and the

hermannlegsti, mikill skartsmaður. Þeir unnust mikið fóstbræður.
most warrior-like, a great show-off. They loved-each-other greatly, (the) foster-brothers.

Situr Ólafur nú að búi sínu svo að vetrum skipti
.
Ólafr sits (stays, remains) now at his farm such for several winters
(years, see skipta, Z4).


29. kafli - Af utanferð Ólafs
Chapter 29. Of Ólafr’s journey-abroad.

Það er sagt eitt vor að Ólafur lýsti því
fyrir Þorgerði að hann ætlar utan:
That is said one spring that Ólafr makes-known that
(this is the object of lýsa, dative sg) before Þorgerðr that he intends (to go) abroad.

"Vil eg að þú varðveitir bú og börn."
”I want that you keep (manage, take care of) (the) farm and (the) children.”

Þorgerður kvað sér lítið vera um það en Ólafur kvaðst ráða mundu. Hann
Þorgerðr declared (it) to be little to her (liking) (cf e-m er ekki um e-t, Z9) about that but Ólafr declared-of-himself (that) he would decide. He

kaupir skip er uppi stóð vestur í Vaðli.
buys a ship which stood up (was laid up ashore) west in Vaðill (Shallow).