Bit of work, this one was.

> Nú vil eg," segir Halli, "leita eftir staðfastri vináttu
> við þig og biðja að þú giftir mér Ásdísi dóttur þína en
> þar í mót vil eg leggja mína vináttu og trúlega fylgd og
> svo mikinn styrk með krafti Leiknis bróður míns að á
> Íslandi skal eigi fást jafnmikil frægð í tveggja manna
> fylgd sem við skulum þér veita.

> Now I will," says Halli, "seek steadfast friendship with
> you and ask that you give away in marriage your daughter
> Asdisi to me and there in return I will put my friendship
> and safe support and so much strength with power my
> brother Leiknis that in Iceland shall not be busy equally
> much fame in each of the two men support as we would give
> you.

> “Now I want,” says Halli, “to seek steadfast friendship
> with you and ask that you marry me to Asdis, your daughter
> and there in return I will place my friendship and
> faithful support also great strength with strength? of
> Leikni, my brother that in Iceland shall not as much fame
> be available (fast?) due to the support of two men as we
> shall give you.

‘Now I want,’ says Halli, ‘to seek steadfast friendship with
you and to ask that you give me your daughter Ásdís in
marriage, and in return I will give my friendship and
faithful support and so much assistance together with [the]
strength of my brother Leiknir that in Iceland equally much
renown shall not be got from two men’s support as we two
shall give you.

<Fást> is the <-sk>-form of <fá>, here I think with passive
sense.

> Skal og okkur framkvæmd meir styrkja þinn höfðingskap en
> þó að þú giftir dóttur þína þeim bónda er mestur er í
> Breiðafirði.

> Our success shall also assist more your leadership
> although you give away in marriage your daughter to those
> farmers who greatest is in Broadfirth.

> Also our success shall strengthen your chieftainship more
> than if you were to marry your daughter to that farmer who
> is most (important) in Breidafirth.

And our prowess will strengthen your prestige more than if
you were to give your daughter in marriage to the greatest
yeoman in Breiðafjörð.

> Skal það þar í mót koma að við erum eigi fésterkir.

> That shall come upon (you) there in return that we are not
> rich.

> It shall come in return that we are not wealthy.

That will compensate for [the fact] that we two are not
wealthy.

> En ef þú vilt hér engan kost á gera þá mun það skilja vora
> vináttu.

> But if you wanted here no expense made, then that will
> break our friendship.

> But here if you do not want (the) choice to do (this),
> then it will decide our friendship.

But if you will not give any opportunity here, that will
break off our friendship.

> Munu þá og hvorir verða að fara með sínu máli sem líkar.

> Then also will each have to go handle his case as (he)
> pleases.

> Then will also each happen to go with his affairs as (he )
> pleases.

And then each [of us] will have to deal with his business as
[he] pleases.

In other words, Halli is quite willing to pursue Ásdís
without Styr’s consent.

> Mun þá og raunlítið tjóa að vanda um tal okkart Ásdísar."

> Then also little efforts (?) will avail to find fault with
> concerning our speaking to Asdisi."

> Then will also very little avail to find fault with our
> (mine and) Asdis’ conversations.

[It] will also avail very little then to find fault with our
conversations, mine and Ásdís’s.

> En er hann hafði þetta mælt þá þagnaði Styr og þótti
> nokkur vandi á svörum og mælti er stund leið: "Hvort er
> þessa leitað með alhuga eða er þetta orðaframkast og
> málaleitan?"

> And when he had spoken this, then Styr became silent and
> thought some difficulty at answers and said when a while
> passed: "Is this sought with wholeheartedness or is this a
> chance proposal and mooting the question?"

> And when he had said this then Styr was silent and
> considered with some difficulty as to answers and spoke
> when time passed, “Is this sought whole-heartedly or is
> this a chance proposal and negotiation?”

And when he had said this, Styr became silent, and he
thought it somewhat difficult to answer [‘to him there
seemed some difficulty concerning answers’] and spoke when
some time had passed: ‘Is this sought in earnest, or is this
a chance proposal and an attempt to open negotiations?’

<Nokkur vandi> is nominative. <Styr> here is nominative, so
it can’t be the typical dative subject of <þótti>. I think
that a dative <Styr> (identical with the nominative in the
modern language; the older language has <Styrr> in the nom.)
or <honum> is to be understood here.

> "Svo skaltu svara," segir Halli, "sem þetta sé eigi
> hégómatal og mun hér öll vor vinátta undir felast hversu
> þessu máli verður svarað."

> "You shall so answer," says Halli, "as this would not be
> false-speaking (?) and all our friendship will depend on
> this: how this matter becomes (i.e., "is") answered." (Z.
> fela 2 - man hér öll vár vinátta undir felast, all our
> friendship will depend upon this)

> “So you shall answer,” says Halli, “as (if) this is no
> vain talk and here will all our friendship rest upon how
> to this case is answered.”

‘So shall you answer,’ says Halli, ‘as if this were not
foolish talk, and all our friendship will depend on how this
matter is answered here.’

> Styr mælti: "Þá vil eg þetta mál tala við vini mína og
> taka ráð af þeim hversu þessu skal svara."

> Styr said: "Then I will talk about this matter with my
> friends and take their advice how (I) shall answer this."

> Styr spoke, “Then I will discuss this case with my kinsmen
> and take their advice how (it) shall be answered.” (A
> study committee will be formed, or better yet I need a
> group of armed men.)

Styr said: ‘Then I will discuss this matter with my friends
and get their advice on how [I] shall answer this.’

I don’t think that he’s actually saying that he’ll
necessarily *take* their advice, just that he’ll seek it.

> Halli mælti: "Þetta mál skaltu tala við þá menn er þér
> líkar, innan þriggja nátta.

> Halli said: "You shall talk about this matter with the men
> whom you like, within three nights.

> Halli spoke, “You shall discuss this case with those men
> who you please, within three nights.

Halli said: ‘You shall discuss this matter with those
persons whom you wish, within three nights.

> Vil eg eigi þessi svör láta draga fyrir mér lengur því að
> eg vil eigi vera vonbiðill þessa ráðs."

> I will not wait long for these answers because I don't
> want to be a wooer waiting for an answer for this
> agreement. (Z. draga 6 - vil ek þessi svör ekki láta draga
> fyrir mér lengi, I will not wait long for these answers)

> I do not want this answer to drag out for me longer,
> because I do not want to be a hopeless? suitor for this
> marriage.”

I will not have this answer [literally 'these answers'] put
off longer, because I do not want to be a suitor waiting
upon this counsel for an answer.’

I think that <fyrir mér> doesn’t actually add anything to
the subject <eg>, except possibly emphasis.

> Og eftir þetta skildu þeir.

> And after this they split. (OK, Z. doesn't have "split,"
> but that would be a good choice if we were translating
> this into beatnik slang)

> And after that they parted.

And after that they parted.

> Um morguninn eftir reið Styr inn til Helgafells.
> During the next morning Styr rode in to Helgafell.
> During the next morning, Styr rode in to Helgafell.

The next morning Styr rode in to Helgafell.

> Og er hann kom þar bauð Snorri honum þar að vera en Styr
> kvaðst tala vilja við hann og ríða síðan.

> And when he came there, Snorri asked him to stay there,
> but Styr said for himself (he) wanted to talk with him and
> then ride (away).

> And when he came there Snorri invited him to stay there
> but Styr said he wanted to talk with him and ride
> afterwards.

And when he got there, Snorri invited him to stay there, but
Styr said that he wanted to talk to him and then ride
[away].

> Snorri spurði ef hann hefði nokkur vandamál að tala.
> Snorri asked if he had some difficulty to discuss.
> Snorri asked if he had some complicated case to discuss.

Snorri asked if he had some problem to discuss.

> "Svo þykir mér," sagði Styr.
> "So it seems to me," said Styr.
> “Seems so to me,” said Styr.

‘So it seems to me,’ said Styr.

> Snorri svarar: "Þá skulum við ganga upp á Helgafell.
> Snorri answers: "Then we would go up to Helgafell.
> Snorri answers, “Then we shall go up to Helgafell.

Snorri answers: ‘Then we two shall go up to Helgafell.

> Þau ráð hafa síst að engu orðið er þar hafa ráðin verið."

> They have least advice that no one became who there has
> been hired." (huh?)

> Those plans have least come to nothing which have been
> decided there.”

Those plans have least come to nought that have been devised
there.’

In other words, it’s the best place to lay plans; good feng
shui or something. :-)

> "Þér skuluð slíku ráða," sagði Styr.
> "(They) should advise you such," said Styr.
> “You shall decide such (things),” said Styr.

‘You shall decide this,’ said Styr.

See <slíkr> Z2.

Brian