Re: Hrana Saga Hrings 2 -- Rob's Translation

> Mikill vinskapr var með þeim Hrana hring ok Helga krók, ok
> var hann oft með Helga.

> (There) was much friendship between them, Hrana "Ring" and
> Helgi "Peak," and he often stayed with Helgi.

> A great friendship was (existed) between them, Hrani
> ‘Ring’ and Helgi ‘Hook’, and he was (stayed) often with
> Helgi.

There was great friendship between Hrani hring and Helgi
krók, and he [= Hrani] often stayed with Helgi.

> Gaf Helgi honum marga ágæta gripi, meðal hverra var sax
> eitt, it bezta þing.

> Helgi gave him many captial things, among which was one
> short-edged sword, the best valuable item.

> Helgi gave him many excellent treasures, among which was a
> certain short-single-edged-sword, the best thing.

Helgi gave him many excellent treasures, among which was a
certain seax, the best thing.

> Nú líða svo fram tímar, at eigi bar til tíðenda.

> Time now passes so forward, that news doesn't happen.

> Now times (why plural?) pass away, such that nothing
> happens (lit: (it) bears/produces not tidings).

Now times [formally plural] passes in such a way that
nothing happened.

I’ve found other instances of <líða tímar (fram)>, both old
and modern, as well as the past tense <liðu tímar>, so it’s
apparently idiomatic. Perhaps it comes from a view of time
as a sequence of instants or events.

Brian