Hi, I hope I can get some feedback from the wonderful ON gurus on this list. I and a colleague are trying to translate the 'prayer' that is from the 13th Warrior movie from English to Old Norse for a memorial to a fallen friend. We're VA re-enactors. Anyway, here is what we have come up with;
The original (as I remember it):
Lo there do I see my father.
Lo there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers.
Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning.
Lo they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them in the Halls of Valhalla.
Where the brave may live forever!
A more literal translation in English:
There do I see my father
There do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers
There do I see the line of my people back to the beginning*
They call to me.
They bid me join them in Valhalla.
Where the brave may live forever.
Icelandic (from Google translate):
þar sé ég föður minn.
þar sé ég móður mína og systur mína og bræður mínir.
þar sé ég línu þjóðar minnar, til baka í upphafi.
þeir kalla til mín.
Þeir bjóða mér ganga þær í Valhöll.
Ef hugrakkir geta lifað að eilífu!
*alternate (There do I see my ancestors back to the beginning)
þar sé ég forfeður mínir, aftur á byrjunina..
Old Icelandic (Old norse):
þar sé ek föður minn.
þar sé ek móðir mín ok systur mína ok broeðrum mínir (or systkin?)
þar sé ek línu aftur ætt mína í upphafi.
mér þeir kalla
Minn staður þeir bjóða mér að taka þatt pá í sölum af Valhöll
Ef eilífu hugrakkir megi lifa
Any thoughts, corrections, etc would be greatly appreciated.