Re: Laxdaela Saga 40 part 7 - Rob's Translation

> En eigi mun þér þess auðið verða að standa yfir
> höfuðsvörðum mínum og ærna hefir þú sök til þess þótt þú
> heitaðist eigi við fleiri konunga inni að brenna fyrir þá
> sök er þér væri hið betra kennt.

> But that will not fall to your lot to have an enemy's head
> in my power and you have an abundant charge to that
> although you didn't make threats against more kings to
> burn (them) inside their homes for that charge is (what)
> you would be better known. (Z. höfuðsvörðr - head-skin,
> scalp; standa yfir -svörð-um e-s, to have an enemy's head
> in one's power)

> But this will not fall to your lot to have my head in
> (your) power (Z) and you have matters enough? to this yet
> you vowed not with more to burn kings inside for those
> matters which to you were the better known.

> But (it) will not become destined for you to that (ie you
> are not destined), to stand over my scalp (ie to have my
> head/life in your power) and (but) sufficiently (see
> oerinn(?) have you reason towards that even-though you
> did-not-make-threats against more kings to burn (them)
> inside (their own house) for that reason which was the
> better known to you. (this zinger totally bamboozled me)

I spent a *long* time thinking about it.

I suspect that the somewhat stronger CV gloss, 'to have an
enemy's head at one's feet, to slay one', is more
appropriate here: 'But it does not fall to your lot to stand
over my scalp [= dead body]'. <Ærna> is indeed <œrna>, the
fem. acc. sing. or masc. acc. plur. of <œrinn> 'sufficient';
here it goes with <sök> as fem. acc. sing. The overall
context suggests that <þess> does not refer to Kjartan’s
killing the king: the king is hardly likely to take the view
that Kjartan deserves to stand over his dead body! The
referent isn't obvious, though, so let's leave it open for
the moment.

In case it isn't clear from Alan's translation, <heitaðist>
is from <heitast> 'to make threats', not from <heita>. It's
clearly a past tense, but it could be either indicative or
subjunctive; my overall reading of the sentence requires the
latter.

<Hið betra kennt> is neuter, so it can't refer to <sök>.
This looks to me like a neuter adjective used as a noun:
'you would not threaten more kings with burning in their
houses because you were taught the better', 'the better'
being the better faith, the proper belief. (This is <kenna>
(Z10), by the way.) It could also be interpreted as an
ellipsis, with the same sense.

The real problem is <þótt>: it simply can't have it's usual
meaning here if the king's speech is to make any sense. CV
s.v. <þó> (B.II) has a couple of atypical usages, and Gordon
has a couple of passages in which <þó at> means '(seeing)
that'. Something close to that last sense seems to work
here, if we take <þess> to refer to the king's possible
execution of Kjartan: 'But it does not fall to your lot to
stand over my scalp [= dead body], and you have [given]
sufficient cause/reason for that [= your execution], seeing
that [if dead] you would not threaten more kings with
burning in their houses because you were taught the better'.

That *has* to be more or less what he's saying, though I
can't vouch for all of the syntactic details.

> Kann eg og það að skilja að það mun skipshöfnum skipta að
> þann dag munu við trú taka er þú lætur ónauðigur skírast.

> I know also that to understand that that the ship's crew
> will shift to that day you will accept the faith when you
> are baptized unforced (i.e., by your own volition). (Z.
> skíra - láta skírast, to be baptized)

> I know it also that to distinguish? it will decide the
> crew that that day will accept the faith when you are
> baptized without compulsion.

> I can (kunna + inf, Z10) also discern that that will
> make-a-difference (skipta, Z4) to (the) ship’s-crew (so)
> that (?) (on) that day (they) will accept the faith when
> you let yourself uncompelled (nom masc sg adj)
> become-baptised.

That's my reading.

> Þykir mér og á því líkindi að frændur yðrir og vinir muni
> mjög á það hlýða hvað þér talið fyrir þeim er þér komið út
> til Íslands.

> It seems to me also that is probable that your relatives
> and friends will very much listen to that what you say
> before them when you come out to Iceland.

> (It) seems to me also to probable in it that your kinsmen
> and friends will listen much to it what you speak before
> them when you come out to Iceland.

> (It) seems to me also in that (respect)a likelihood that
> your kinsmen and friends will much listen to that which
> you speak before them when you come out to Iceland.

Despite <koma>, I'd say 'when you go out to Iceland' or
'when you return to Iceland'; English 'come' would require
that the king be in Iceland as he speaks.

> Er það og nær mínu hugboði að þú Kjartan hafir betra sið
> er þú siglir af Noregi en þá er þú komst hingað.

> That is also near my anticipation that you, Kjartan, have
> a better faith when you sail from Norway than when you
> came here.

> It is also close to my anticipation that you Kjartan
> (will) have better faith if you sail from Norway and then
> when you arrive hither.

> That is near my fancy that you, Kjartan, would-have a
> better faith when you sail from Norway than when you
> made-your-way hither.

I think that 'anticipation, expectation' fits better here
than 'fancy'.

> Þá mælti Kjartan: "Þakka viljum vér yður konungur ...

> Then Kjartan said: "We wanted to thank you (yður = plural;
> why plural?), King, ...

> Then Kjartan spoke, “We wish to thank you, King, ...

> Then Kjartan spoke: “We want to thank you (Royal “we”),
> King, ...

The plural pronouns <vér> and <þér> were often used by and
to royalty and other important persons; see Gordon, §133.

> Og það ætla eg mér að taka því aðeins við trú í Noregi að
> eg meti lítils Þór hinn næsta vetur er eg kem til
> Íslands."

> And I intend to take only that faith in Norway that I
> value Thor little the next winter when I came to Iceland."

> And I expect it for myself to accept it, only with (the)
> faith in Norway that I make little of Thor the next winter
> when I come to Iceland.”

> And I intend that for me to only to accept (the) faith in
> Norway for that (reason) that I should esteem Þor little
> the next winter when I come to Iceland.”

'And I intend to accept [the] faith in Norway only to [the
extent that] I esteem Thor little the next winter when I
return to Iceland.'

Brian