> Þorsteinn mælti við förunauta sína að ekki þyrftu þeir að
> ganga með þeim en Beinir gekk með þeim ekki að síður því
> að honum þótti mjög eftir því fara sem Halldór gat til.

> Thorsteinn spoke with his comrades that they did not need
> to go with them, and Beinir did not go with them later
> because it very much seemed to him after that to go as
> Halldor took care of. (??)

> Thorstein spoke with his comrades that they need not go
> with them, but Beinir went with them as well because it
> seemed to him much to go after (the scenario) as Halldor
> guessed.

> Þorsteinn spoke with his travelling-companions that they
> needed (past subjunctive of þurfa) not go (walk) with them
> but Beinir went (walked) with them not in the least (ekki
> at síðr, síðr = less, comparitive) because (it) seemed to
> him greatly to conform to (fara eptir) that which Halldórr
> spoke of (geta, Z.ii.2) (ie things were turning out as
> Halldórr had said).

<Eigi at síðr> is 'nevertheless' (Baetke and modern); I
expect that <ekki at síðr> is as well.

> Halldór hafði yfir sér samda skikkju og á nist löng sem þá
> var títt.

> Halldor had arranged over him a cloak and on (it) a long
> pin as then was (the) custom.

> Halldor had a shaped?? or mended?? cloak over him and a
> long pin (broach to hold it) as then was customary.

> Halldórr had over himself arranged (pp of semja?) a cloak
> and on (it) a long broach which then was customary (tíðr).

<Semja> apparently had three past participles: two variants
of the etymologically correct weak pp, <samiðr> and <samdr>,
and a strong pp <saminn>.

(I keep looking at <semja> and wanting to pronounce it like
Russian <семья> 'family', which is wrong twice over: the
Russian <с> is palatalized, and the Russian word has final
stress. This is bizarre, because I’ve forgotten virtually
all of the Russian that I learned in college some 45 years
ago and for all practical purposes haven’t used since!)

> Þætti mér okkur þetta vel hent því að mér er sagt að þú
> hafir ónógleg lausafé en land dýrt undir.

> It would seem to me we two are well suited because it is
> told me that you have insufficient moveable property but
> expensive land under (your feet). (?)

> It seems to us well suited because I am told you have not
> enough movable property, but valuable land beneath.

> This would-seem to me (and) us well suited (ie very
> fitting because) (it) is said to me (ie I have heard) that
> you have insufficient (úgnógligr) moveable-property but
> (you have) land of-high-worth under (you).

<Mér> goes with <þætti> and <okkur> with <vel hent>: ‘This
would seem to me well suited for us [you and me], for I am
told that ... .’

> Mun eg gefa þér í móti þá staðfestu að sæmileg sé og þar í
> milli sem við verðum á sáttir."

> I will give you in exchange then make steadfast at fairly
> good would be and there in between as we agree on.” (Z.
> sáttr - verða sáttr á (or um) e-t, at e-u, to agree on)

> I will give you in exchange then a domicile that is
> honourable and there in between as we become agreed.

> I will give to you in return that residence that is
> becoming and whatever (þar…sem) in between (presumably
> some financial sum to make up the difference?) we become
> agreed on.”

I’m inclined to see <þar í milli> as a single element,
'therebetween', so to speak, comparable to ‘therein’,
‘therewith’, and ‘thereto’, with <sem> as a separate
relative pronoun: ‘and therebetween as we become agreed
upon’. Same sense, just a slightly different parsing. And
I agree that it must refer to additional monetary
compensation to make up any perceived difference in value.

> Halldór dró þá heldur fyrir þeim en þeir sóttu eftir því
> fastara og þar kom um síðir að þess firr var er þeir gengu
> nær.

> Halldor then drew rather before them and they pursued that
> stronger and there came at last to that first it was when
> they went near. (?)

> Halldor then drew back rather before them and they tried
> harder for it and there came less of this the further (it)
> was when they went closer.

> Halldórr drew-out (draga, Z5 or Z6) then somewhat before
> them (ie adopted delaying tactics) but they sought after
> that (ie the bargain) more-strongly and (it) came (ie
> turned out) there at last that (it, ie the bargain) was
> farther-off (firr, see fjarri) in that when they went
> nearer (pressed harder?).

I’d say ‘and [it] at last turned out that it [the bargain]
was further off when they approached [it]’; <ganga e-m nær>
is glossed 'to approach, come near to one' and seems a
reasonable model, even if we don’t have a human object here.
It must mean that the harder they pressed, the further the
bargain receded, though how much of that is inherent in
<koma nær> and how much is from the context I couldn’t say.

> Nú ef þér er hugur á landkaupi þá munum vér verða að ganga
> nær."

> Now if you have a mind to purchasing land we must
> approach.” (?)

> Now if it is in your mind to buy land, then we will have
> to go closer.”

> Now if your (þér is dative) mind is on purchase-of-land
> then we will needs to go nearer (press harder?).”

Baetke has <ganga nær (e-u)> 'energisch betreiben, sich
aufmerksam beschäftigen mit, genau aufpassen auf', more or
less 'energetically pursue, attentively busy ourselves with,
keep our minds exactly on'; perhaps ‘we’ll have to
press/force the issue’.

Brian