> Þorsteinn þorskabítur átti son er kallaður var Börkur
> digri.

> Thorstein “cod-biter” had a son who was called big Borkr.

> Thorstein cod-biter had a son who was called Bork the
> stout.

Þorstein þorskabítr had a son who was called Börk digri
[‘(the) stout’].

> En sumar það er Þorsteinn var hálfþrítugur fæddi Þóra
> sveinbarn og var Grímur nefndur er vatni var ausinn.

> And that summer when Thorsteinn was 25, Thora gave birth
> to a baby boy and (he) was named Grimr and sprinkled with
> water.

> And that summer when Thorsteinn was 25 Thora gave birth to
> a boy child and (he) was named Grim when water was
> sprinkled.

And the summer when Þorstein was twenty-five, Þóra gave
birth to a boy, and (he) was named Grím when (he) was
sprinkled (with) water [a form of pre-Christian baptism].

<Vatni> is an instrumental dative.

> Þann svein gaf Þorsteinn Þór og kvað vera skyldu hofgoða
> og kallar hann Þorgrím.

> Thorsteinn gave (the) boy to Thor and said (he) should be
> a temple priest and calls him Thorgrimr.

> Thorsteinn dedicated that boy to Thor and said (he) should
> be temple priest and call him Thorgrim.

Þorstein gave [i.e., dedicated] the boy to Þór and said that
he was to become a temple priest and calls him Þorgrím.

> Það sama haust fór Þorsteinn út í Höskuldsey til fangs.

> That same autumn Thorstein went out fishing at Hoskuld’s
> island.

> That same fall Thorsteinn went out fishing to Hoskuld’s
> isle.

That same autumn Þorstein went out to Höskuldsey to fish.

> Það var eitt kveld um haustið að sauðamaður Þorsteins fór
> að fé fyrir norðan Helgafell.

> It was one evening during the fall that a shepherd of
> Thorsteinn was tending sheep north of Helgafell. (Z. fara
> 18 - fara at fé, to tend sheep)

> It was one evening during the fall that Thorsteinn’s
> shepherd went to take care of the livestock from the north
> of Helgafell.

That was a certain evening in the autumn that Þorstein’s
shepherd tended sheep north of Helgafell.

> Hann sá að fjallið laukst upp norðan.

> He saw that the mountain opened from the north. (Z. lúka6
> reflexive - laukst upp, to open)

> He saw that the mountain opened up from the north.

He saw that the mountain opened up from the north.

> Hann sá inn í fjallið elda stóra og heyrði þangað mikinn
> glaum og hornaskvöl.

> He saw inside the mountain a large fire and heard there
> much noisy merriment and noise of horns.

> He saw inside in the mountain a great fire and heard
> thither great noisy merriment and noise of horns.

Inside the mountain he saw a great fire and heard there
much noisy merriment and sound of horns.

The use of <þangat> 'thither, to there' is interesting.

> Og er hann hlýddi ef hann næmi nokkur orðaskil heyrði hann
> að þar var heilsað Þorsteini þorskabít og förunautum hans
> og mælt að hann skal sitja í öndvegi gegnt föður sínum.

> And when he listened if he took some distinction of
> meaning (that is, if he could get what was being said) he
> heard that at that place greeted Thorsteinn cod-biter and
> his retinue and said he shall sit in the high-seat across
> from his father.

> And when he listened if might hear any words he could
> distinguish he heard that there Thorstein cod-biter and
> his comrades were greeted and told that he should sit on
> the high seat across from his father.

And when he listened, in case he should be able to
distinguish some words, he heard that Þorstein and his
companions were greeted there and told that he shall sit at
the high seat opposite his father.

> Þenna fyrirburð sagði sauðamaður Þóru konu Þorsteins um
> kveldið.

> (The) shepherd relates this appearance to Thora,
> Thorsteinn's wife, during the evening.

> (The) shepherd told this forboding to Thorstein’s wife,
> Thora, during the evening.

In the evening the shepherd told this vision to Þóra,
Þorstein’s wife.

> Hún lét sér fátt um finnast og kallar vera mega að þetta
> væri fyrirboðan stærri tíðinda.

> She disapproved and says it can be that this would be
> foreboding (noun, not adjective in ON) important news. (Z.
> láta 5 - l. sér fátt um finnast, to disapprove)

> She rather disliked (it) and says it could be that this
> might be foreboding of serious tidings.

She rather disliked (it) and says that (it) may be that this
was a foreboding of greater tidings.

> Um morguninn eftir komu menn utan úr Höskuldsey og sögðu
> þau tíðindi að Þorsteinn þorskabítur hafði drukknað í
> fiskiróðri og þótti mönnum það mikill skaði.

> The next morning men come from outside, from Hoskuld's
> island and told the news that Thorsteinn cod-biter had
> drowned while rowing out for fish and people felt that a
> great loss.

> During the next morning, men came out from Hoskuld’s isle
> and said the news that Thorsteinn cod-biter had drowned
> fishing and it seemed to people a great loss.

The next morning men came from out at Höskuldsey and
told these tidings, that Þorstein þorskabítr had drowned
while rowing out to fish, and folks thought that a great
loss.

> Þóra hélt þar bú eftir og ræðst sá maður til með henni er
> Hallvarður hét.

> Thora maintained a residence there afterwards, and that
> man who was named Hallvardr took to her.

> Thora kept the farm thereafter and recruited that man to
> (work it) with her who was named Hallvard.

Þóra held (the) farm there afterwards, and the man who was
called Hallvarð moved in with her.

> Þau áttu son er Már hét.
> They had a son who was named Mar.
> They had a son called Mar.

They had a son who was called Már.

> Synir Þorsteins þorskabíts uxu þar upp heima með móður
> sinni og voru hinir efnilegustu menn og var Þorgrímur
> fyrir þeim í öllu og var þegar hofgoði er hann hafði aldur
> til.

> Thorsteinn cod-biters sons grew up there at home with
> mother's company and were the most promising men and
> Thorgrimr was in front of them in all (ways) and was a
> temple priest there which he had a long time at.

> Thorsteinn cod-bter’s sons grew up there at home with
> their mother and were the most promising men and Thorgrim
> was (outstanding) before them all and was immediately
> temple chieftain when he was old enough.

Þorstein þorskabítr's sons grew up there at home with their
mother and were the most promising men, and Þorgrím was
foremost of them in all (ways) and was a temple priest as
soon as he was old enough.

> Þorgrímur kvongaðist vestur í Dýrafjörð og fékk Þórdísar
> Súrsdóttur og réðst hann þangað vestur til mága sinna,
> Gísla og Þorkels.

> Thorgrimr got married west in Dyra-fiord and got as a wife
> Thordisar, Sur's daughter, and he moved west to his
> inlaws, Gisla and Thorkel.

> Thorgrim married west in Dyrafjord and got Thordis, Sur’s
> daughter and he joined thither west with his in-laws,
> Gisla and Thorkel.

Þorgrím took a wife to the west in Dýrafjörð and married
Þórdís Súrsdóttir, and he repaired thither to the west to
his in-laws, Gísli and Þorkel.

> Þorgrímur drap Véstein Vésteinsson að haustboði í
> Haukadal.

> Thorgrimr killed Vestein Vesteinsson at the autumn feast
> in Hawk's-dale. (Other than that, everyone enjoyed
> themselves at Thanksgiving.)

Just a little excitement to speed the digestion!

> Thorgrim slew Vesteinn, Vesteinn’s son at an autumn visit
> in Hauka Dale.

Þorgrím killed Véstein Vésteinsson at an autumn feast in
Haukadal.

> En annað haust eftir þá er Þorgrímur var hálfþrítugur sem
> faðir hans þá drap Gísli mágur hans hann að haustboði á
> Sæbóli.

> The next autumn when Thorgrimr was 25 as his father (he)
> killed his inlaw Gisli at the autumn feast at Saebol.

> And the following fall then when Thorgrimm was 25 as his
> father, then he slew Gisli, his brother in law at an
> autumn visit at Saeboli.

And (the) next autumn, when Þorgrím was twenty-five, like
his father, Gísli, his in-law, killed him at a harvest feast
at Sæból.

<Gísli> and <mágur> are nominative; the corresponding
accusatives are <Gísla> and <mág>. Thus, <Gísli> must be
the subject of <drap>, not the object. <Hann>, being acc.
as well as nom., can happily be the object.

> Nokkurum nóttum síðar fæddi Þórdís kona hans barn og var
> sá sveinn kallaður Þorgrímur eftir föður sínum.

> Some nights later, his wife Thordis gave birth to a child
> and the boy was called Thorgrimr after his father.

> Some nights later Thordis his wife, gave birth to his
> child and that was a boy called Thorgrim after his father.

Several nights later Þórdís, his wife, gave birth to his
child, and the boy was called Þorgrím after his father.

Brian