> Hamar stendur fyrir norðan ána er Höfði heitir.
> A crag stands further north of the river which is named
> Hofdi.
> A crag stands north of the river which is called Hofdi.
> A crag stands north of the-river which is call Höfði.
Just in case it wasn't entirely clear, it's the crag that's
named Höfði, not the river. I don't think that you can tell
either way from the syntax, but the meaning makes it clear.
> Má þér það og ekki að óvörum koma því að eg hefi þig á
> minnt stundum.
> That cannot also take you by surprise because I have
> reminded you at times. (Z. úvarr 1 - koma at e-m úvörum,
> kom e-m á úvart, to come unawares upon one, take one by
> surprise)
> It may also not take you by surprise because I have
> reminded you now and then.
> That may also not come to you unawares (take you by
> surprise) because I have reminded you (of it) sometimes
> (now and then).
I've a feeling that <stundum> is good old Old Norse
understatement.
> Guðrún mælti: "Það er minn vilji að þeir haldi eigi allir
> heilu Ólafssynir."
> Gudrun said: "It is my wish that they not all withhold a
> greeting to Olaf's sons."
> Gudrun spoke, “It is my wish that they do not keep all
> Olaf’s sons from harm.”
> Guðrún spoke: That is my wish that they should-not-keep
> all Ólafrs sons hale (heill).
I think that <þeir Ólafssynir> is the subject of <haldi>:
'It is my wish that they, [the] Ólafssons, should not all
keep hale'.
> Snorri kvaðst það banna mundu að fara á hendur þeim mönnum
> er mest voru virðir í héraði "en náfrændur þeirra er nær
> munu ganga hefndunum og er allt mál að ættvíg þessi takist
> af."
> Snorri said for himself it would prohibit to go to (the)
> hands of the men who were most respected in (the) district
> "and their near-kinsman who will go near the revenge and
> is all talk (to) putting to death (for) this slaying of
> kinsmen."
> Snorri said he would forbid it to go against those men who
> were most esteemed in the district “but close relatives of
> theirs who will go closer for vengeance and all cases of
> this slaying of kinsmen stop.”
> Snorri declared-of-himself (that he) would forbid that, to
> go against (á hendr) those men who were most
> highly-esteemed in (the) district (but) and near-kinsmen
> of those who will go near to-the-vengeance and who
> would-deprive (the) whole case by this slaying-of-kinsmen
> (?).
After browsing the various senses of <nær>, I'm inclined to
think that in <ganga nær hefndunum> it's more like 'nearly
completely' than just 'near'. I think that <er> in <er allt
mál að ættvíg þessi takist af> is the verb, and <mál> is
'high time' (Z2, 2nd <mál>): 'and [it] is high time that
this slaying of kinsmen cease'.
> Snorri svarar: "Er sök við Lamba þótt hann væri drepinn en
> eigi þykir mér Bolla hefnt að heldur og eigi mun þeirra
> Bolla slíkur munur ger í sættum sem vert er ef þeim vígum
> er saman jafnað."
> Snorri answers: "(It) is a reason with Lamb although he
> were killed but it doesn't seem to me Bolli's revenge
> rather also will not the Bollis such will do in peace as
> would be when if to them slayings together which made
> equal."
> Snorri answers, “(It) is to have done? offense against
> Lambi (even) though he be slain, but Bolli doesn’t seem to
> me avenged any the more and not will? do ?such of theirs?
> for Bolli in settlement as (he was) worth if those slaying
> are made equal together.”
> Snorri answers: (There) is a case (reason) against Lambi
> (?) even-though he were killed but (it) does not seem to
> me Bolli (would-be) avenged any-the-more and such
> differences (as exist) between them, Bolli (and he) will
> not be made (ie accounted for) in agreements (?) as is
> deserving if (it) is equated together in those deaths (ie
> if those deaths are set-off one against the other).
In other words, the case against Lambi is enough to warrant
his death, but his death would be insufficient to avenge
Bolli, 'and such difference of theirs, Bolli [and Lambi], as
worth is (i.e., in terms of worth) won't do (Z7, gøra) in
(peace) settlements if those deaths are set off against each
other'. Or something along those lines.
Brian