> En í annan stað gruna þeir Ósvífurssynir hví Bolli mun sér
> hafa þar svo staðar leitað er hann mátti vel sjá þá er
> menn riðu vestan.

> And in another place they, the sons of Osvifr, doubt what
> Bolli will himself have there so a spot searched that he
> was able to see well when men rode from the west.

> But in another location they, Osvif’s sons, suspect why
> Bolli will have chosen a location where he might well see
> then when men rode from the west.

> But on-the-other-hand they, Ósvífr’s-sons suspect why
> Bolli will have thus sought for himself a spot there where
> he might easily see (or where (they) might easily see
> him?) then when men (persons) ride from-(the)-west.

<Mátti> can only be 3rd sing. past indic., so it's 'where
[one] might easily see him' -- effectively a passive, 'where
he might be easily seen'.

> En þá Kjartan bar brátt að er þeir riðu hart og er þeir
> komu suður yfir gilið þá sáu þeir fyrirsátina og kenndu
> mennina.

> And then Kjartan quickly reported (?) that they rode hard
> when they come south over the ravine, then they saw the
> ambushes (why plural?) and recognized the men.

> But then Kjartan came suddenly upon them (in) that they
> rode hard and when they came south over the gully then
> they saw the ambush and recognized the men.

> But then (it) carried Kjartan suddenly towards (them) (ie
> he approached quickly, see bera, Z.ii.1) when they rode
> hard and when they came south over the-gully then they saw
> the-ambush (fem acc sg with def art suffixed) and
> recognised the-persons (men).

I'd go with Grace's interpretation of <er>; here it seems to
be effectively 'because'.

> Þar bað Kjartan þá við taka.

> Kjartan asked them there to receive him well. (?)

> Kjartan bade them make a bold resistance there.

> Kjartan bade them make-resistance (make their stand) (cf
> þeir tóku vel við, Z12) there (he learnt this tactic from
> Búi J).

Snap! <g>

Actually, I wonder how often that tactic comes up in the
sagas; given Icelandic topography, it must have been pretty
common.

> Þá sóttu þeir Ósvífurssynir að Kjartani og Guðlaugur.
> Then they, Osvigur's sons and Gudlaugr, attacked Kjartan.
> Then they, Osvif’s sons, attacked Kjartan and Gudlaug.
> Then they Ósvífr’s-son and Guðlaugr attacked Kjartan.

Grace: <Guðlaugur> is nominative, so despite the position of
the noun, it must go with <Ósvífurssynir>, not with dative
<Kjartani>.

Brian