> "Annað mál er það," sagði Styr, "að eg leysi vandræði þitt
> en hitt að þiggja menn þessa af þér í vingjöf og það vil
> eg eigi.
> "It is another matter," said Styr, "that I solve your
> difficulty, and that to accept these men from you in a
> friendly gift I also don't want.
> “That is another thing,” said Styr, “that I solve your
> problem, but the other that men think this of you as a
> friendly gift and I don’t want it.
‘That is another matter,’ said Styr, ‘that I solve your
difficulty, than the [one] to accept these men from you as a
friendly gift, and I don’t want it.
Less literally:
‘It is another matter,’ said Styr, ‘to solve your difficulty
than to accept these men from you as a friendly gift, and I
don’t want to do it.
> En vandræði þitt er engi maður jafnskyldur að leysa sem eg
> ef okkur þykir einn veg báðum."
> But no man is equally-bound to solve your difficulty as I
> if we two both think the same way. (Z. vegr 3 - einn veg,
> one way, in the same way)
> But no man is equally bound to solve your difficulty than
> I, if a way seems (possible) to both of us.”
But no one is as much obliged to solve your difficulty as I,
if we two both think the same way.’
That last clause is a bit unclear; the editor of my other
editions thinks that it’s to be understood as ‘if our enmity
is at an end’, which is a plausible enough reading.
> En þó að Styr mælti svo um þá kaus Vermundur að Styr tæki
> við berserkjunum og skilja þeir bræður nú með kærleik.
> Although Styr spoke so concerning them, Vermundr chose
> that Styr receive the berserkers and the brothers now part
> with affection.
> But even though Styr spoke thus regarding them, Vermund
> chose that Styr accept the berserkers and those brothers
> part now with affection.
And even though Styr spoke thus concerning them, Vermund
chose that Styr accept the berserks, and the brothers now
part with affection.
> Fór Styr þá heim og berserkirnir með honum og voru þeir
> þess eigi fúsir í fyrstu og kalla Vermund eigi eiga að
> selja sig né gefa sem ánauðga menn en þó kalla þeir nær
> sínu skapi að fylgja Styr en Vermundi.
> Styr went home and the berserkers with him, and they were
> not willing at first and say Vermund wasn't entitled to
> (either) sell nor give as bondage men although they say
> (it is) in accordance with their mood to follow Styr than
> Vermundr.
> Styr went home then and the berserkers with him and they
> were at first not eager and say Vermund (was) not entitled
> to sell nor give (them away) like enslaved men, but still
> they said (it was) nearer to their frame of mind to follow
> Styr than Vermund.
Then Styr went home, and the berserks with him, and they
were not at first eager for this and declare Vermund to have
no right to sell them or bestow [them] like enslaved men,
but nevertheless they declare [it] more to their mind to
follow Styr than Vermund.
> Og fóru þeirra skipti mjög líklega fyrst.
> And their dispute went much likely first. (??)
> And their arrangement went very promisingly at first.
And their dealings went very favorably at first.
> Þá voru berserkirnir með Styr er hann fór vestur um fjörð
> að drepa Þorbjörn kjálka er bjó í Kjálkafirði.
> Then the berserkers were with Styr when he went west over
> (the) fiord to kill "jaw-bone" Thorbjorn who lived in
> Jaw-bone-firth.
I think that <Þá> here actually just goes with <en>, the two
together being ‘when’.
> The berserkers were with Styr when he went west around the
> fjord to kill Thorbjorn jawbone who lived in Jawbone
> Firth.
The berserks were with Styr when he went west across [the]
fjord to kill Þorbjörn kjálka [‘jawbone’], who lived at
Kjálkafjörð.
I don’t know whether there’s any way to tell whether they
went across or around the fjord; I decided to take the most
literal interpretation of ‘west’. (The fjord does appear to
run north-south.) According to Landnáma, the fjord was
taken by one Geirstein (or Eystein) kjálki; either it got
its name from him, or it was at least believed to have done
so. Þorbjörn, on the other hand, might have got his byname
from living at the fjord or because of his features.
> Hann átti lokrekkju sterka gerva af timburstokkum og brutu
> berserkirnir þegar upp svo að af gengu nafarnar fyrir
> utan, en þó varð Styr banamaður Þorbjarnar kjálka.
> He had a strong locked bed closet made of timber stock and
> the berserkers at once forced (it) open so that the
> gimlets went from outside, yet Styr became "jaw-bone"
> Thorbjorn's killer.
> He had made a strong locked bed chamber of timber beams
> and the berserkers broke (it) up at once so that the
> wooden pegs went out, but still Styr became Thorbjorn
> kjalka’s killer.
He had a strong locked bedchamber made of timber beams, and
the berserks immediately broke into [it] so that the the
beam ends outside broke off, but nevertheless Styr [himself]
was Þorbjörn’s killer.
The <nafar> were apparently the projecting ends of joists.
According to notes in my other edition, the <lokrekkja> was
against an outer wall, through which it had an exit.
> Það haust er berserkirnir komu til Styrs varð það til
> tíðinda að Vigfús í Drápuhlíð fór til kolgerðar þangað sem
> heita Seljabrekkur og með honum þrælar hans þrír.
> The fall when the berserkers came to Styr it happened (as)
> to news that Vigfus in Drapuhlid went to charcoal-making
> there where is named Seljabrekkr and with him his three
> thralls.
> That fall when the berserkers came to Styr, news was that
> Vigfus in Drapuhlid went to burn charcoal thither where it
> is called Seljabrekkur and with him his three thralls.
The fall when the berserks came to Styr it happened that
Vigfús of Drápuhlíð went charcoal burning to the place
called Seljabrekkur [apparently ‘willow-slopes’], and with
him three of his thralls.
> Einn hét Svartur hinn sterki.
> One was named Black the strong.
> One was named Svart the strong.
One was called Svart hinn sterki [‘the strong’].
> Og er þeir komu í skóginn mælti Vigfús: "Allmikill harmur
> er það, og svo mun þér þykja Svartur, er þú skalt vera
> ánauðigur maður svo sem þú ert sterkur og drengilegur að
> sjá."
> And when they came to the forest, Vigrus said: "It is a
> great sorrow, and so will you think, Svartr, when you will
> be an enslaved man such as you are strong and valiant to
> see."
> And when they came to the forest, Vigfus spoke, “It is a
> very great pity, and so will it seem to you, Svart, that
> you shall be an enslaved man though you are strong and
> valiant to see.”
And when they came into the wood Vigfús said: ‘It is a very
great pity/wrong, and so it must seem to you, Svart, that
you must be an enslaved man, as strong as you are and [as]
valiant to see.’
I was puzzled for a while by <svo sem þú ert sterkur>, but
then I realized that it’s another example of a word order
that seems odd to us: the more natural order for us would be
<svo sterkur sem þú ert>.
> "Víst þykir mér mikið mein að því," segir hann, "en eigi
> er mér það sjálfrátt."
> "It seems to me probably much harm to that," he says, "but
> it isn't my fault." (Z. sjálfráðr 3 - e-m er e-t
> sjálfrátt, one's own fault)
> “Certainly it seems to me a great harm in it,” says he,
> “but independent choice is not for me.”
‘Certainly it seems to me a great harm,’ he says, ‘but it is
not my fault.’
> Vigfús mælti: "Hvað viltu til vinna að eg gefi þér
> frelsi?"
> Vigfus said: "What will you do in exchange that I give you
> (your) freedom?" (Z. vinna 12 vinna e-t til e-s, to do
> one thing in order to obtain or effect another)
> Vigfus spoke, “What do you wish to do that I give you
> freedom?”
Vigfús said: ‘What will you do in order that I give you
freedom?’
> "Eigi má eg það með fé kaupa, því að eg á ekki, en þá
> hluti er eg má mun eg enga til spara."
> "I cannot buy it with money, because I don't have (any),
> but the part which I can, I will (have) none to spare."
> “I am not able to buy it with money, because I don’t have
> any, and of those things which I am able I (would) spare
> nothing.”
‘I cannot buy it with money, for I have none, but I will be
sparing with none of those things that I can [do].’
> Vigfús mælti: "Þú skalt fara til Helgafells og drepa
> Snorra goða en eftir það skaltu sannlega fá frelsi þitt og
> þar með góða kosti er eg skal veita þér."
> Vigfus said: "You shall go to Helgafell and slay chieftain
> Snorri, and after then you will truly get your freedom and
> therewith good provisions which I will give you."
> Vigfus spoke, “You shall got to Helgafells and kill Priest
> Snorri and after it you shall truly get your freedom and
> in addition good means which I shall give you.”
Vigfús said: ‘You shall go to Helgafell and kill Snorri
goði, and after that you shall truly receive your freedom
and therewith good means that I will give you.’
In other words, ‘I’ll free you and set you up well’. If I’m
not mistaken, this is another instance of a fairly common
motif: a freeman taking advantage of a thrall, who is
portrayed as not too bright about the whole business.
> "Því mun eg eigi til leiðar koma," segir Svartur.
> "I will not bring that about," says Svartr. (Z. leið 4 -
> koma e-u til leiðar or á leið, to bring about)
> “I will not (be able) to bring it about,” says Svart.
‘I will not [be able to] bring that about,’ says Svart.
> "Eg skal ráð til setja," segir Vigfús, "það er þetta skal
> framkvæmt verða mannhættulaust."
> "I will contrive a plan for (that)," says Vigfus, "that is
> this will become efficacious without danger of life." (Z.
> setja 3 - ráð, ráðagørð, to set on foot (contrive) a plan,
> plot)
> “I shall contrive a plan,” says Vigfus, “that which shall
> become successful and without mortal danger.”
‘I will contrive a plan thereto,’ says Vigfús, ‘one that
will be carried out without mortal danger.’
<Framkvæmt> is the past participle of <framkvæma> 'to
fulfill, to bring about'.
> "Heyra vil eg það," segir Svartur.
> "I want to hear that," says Svartr.
> “I want to hear it,” says Svart.
‘I want to hear it,’ says Svart.
Brian