Re: Laxdaela Saga 33 end + 34 beginning -- Rob's Translation

> Þorvaldur hét maður son Halldórs Garpsdalsgoða.

> Thorvald was the name of a man, Halldor Garpsdalgod's
> (Bold-valley-priest?) son.

> A man was called Thorvald, son of Halldor, Garps Dale
> Chieftain.

> (There) was a person (man) called Þorvaldr, son of
> Halldórr Garpsdalrs-goði (priest-chieftain).

According to 'Þorskfirðinga saga' (also called 'Gull-Þóris
saga'), Garpsdalr was named after an ox:

[Þórir] dvaldist í Garpsdal um hríð; þar bjó Halldórr
Heðinsson. Halldórr gaf Þóri uxann Garp, er dalrinn var
við kendr; var hann þá fimtán vetra gamall.

Þórir stayed in Garpsdal for a while; Halldórr Heðinsson
lived there. Halldórr gave Þórir the ox Garpr, after
which the valley was named; he was then fifteen years old.

<Garpr>, originally a byname, came to be used as a masculine
name.

> Hann bjó í Garpsdal í Gilsfirði, auðigur maður og engi
> hetja.

> He lived in Garpsdale in Gils-firth, a wealthy man and no
> hero.

> He lived in Garps Dale in Gils Firth, a wealthy man and no
> hero.

> He lived in Garpsdalr (oddly enough) in Gilsfjörðr
> (Ravine-Fjord), a wealthy person and (but) no hero.

I can't be certain, but I think it likelier that
<Gilsfjörðr> is 'Gils' fjord', from the masculine name
<Gils>, genitive also <Gils>, a later variant of <Gísl>.

> Hann skyldi og kaupa gripi til handa henni svo að engi
> jafnfjáð kona ætti betri gripi en þó mætti hann halda búi
> sínu fyrir þær sakir.

> He should also buy a valuable treasure for her hands so
> that no woman of equal wealth have a better valuable
> treasure and besides he was able to retain the farm for
> their sake.

> He should also buy valuable treasures for her so that no
> equally well off woman would have better treasures but
> still he would be able to hold (M&P: these treasures would
> not count against her half of the value of the farm) his
> farm for their sake.

> He should also buy costly-things (masc acc. pl) for her
> (lit. into her hands) so that no equally-rich woman
> should-have better costly-things but nevertheless he must
> hold (keep, maintain?) the farm in spite of (fyrir,
> Z.ii.13) those effects (fem. acc pl) ie the effects of
> having to buy costly-things, sök,Z4).

One meaning of <sök> is 'hvad man faar udrettet' (Fritzner),
which I understand to mean something like 'what one gets
done'. Here it evidently refers to the purchases of costly
items, so I'd translate it simply as 'purchases'. The
subjunctive <mætti> seems to me to be 'might' (i.e., 'would
be permitted to') rather than 'must', so I'm inclined to
make it 'but none the less he might preserve his estate
despite these purchases'. In other words, his obligation to
keep her foremost among her equals didn't extend to the
point of harming the value of the estate.

> Ekki var Guðrún að þessu spurð og heldur gerði hún sér að
> þessu ógetið og var þó kyrrt.

> Gudrun was not asked about this, and she herself rather
> did that this un-mentioned and it was quiet.

> Gudrun was not asked about this and she was very
> displeased with this and still was quiet.

> Guðrun was not informed of this and (but) rather she
> adjudged herself in respect of this ill-pleased (lit.
> not-begotten) and (but) still (it) was quiet (ie again
> bugger all happened).

I'm with Rob and Grace on <spurð>, 'asked'.

> Brúðkaup var í Garpsdal að tvímánuði.

> (The) wedding was in Garps-dale in the fifth month of
> summer.

> (The) wedding was in Garps Dale in two months.

> The wedding-feast was in Garpsdalr after double-month
> (ie the 5th month of the summer).

And I'm with Rob on <at tvímánuði>: I make it 'in' or 'at',
not 'after'.

> Þá mælti Guðrún: "Nú gafstu mér það er oss konum þykir
> miklu skipta að vér eigum vel að gert en það er litaraft
> gott og af hefir þú mig ráðið brekvísi við þig."

> Then Gudrun spoke: "Now you gave me that which to us wives
> seems of great importance that we have well to done and
> that is a good complexion and if you have made me leave
> off an importune solicitation with you. (Z. skipta 4 - þat
> skiptir engu (litlu, miklu), it is of no (little, great)
> importance, it makes no (little, great) difference) (Z.
> ráða 16 - r. e-n af e-u, to make one leave off (af hefir
> þú mik ráðit brekvísi við þik))

> Then Gudrun spoke, “Now you have given me that which we
> women think the greatest change that we have well done and
> it is good light---? and you have put a stop to my
> solicitation from you.”

> Then Guðrún spoke: Now you have-given to me that which to
> us women seems to-matter greatly that we have well made
> (ie that we achieve), and that is a good underlying (skin)
> colour (lit. back of colour) and you have
> made-me-leave-off (ráða af, Z16) (my) importunate
> solicitations towards you.

I don't disagree with Alan's interpretation, but since <göra
at> is 'to do something', I'd make the relatively literal
version 'that we have well done'.

Brian