1. Frá Hringi ok sonum hans.

Concerning Hringr and his son.

Hringr hefir konungr heitit, er réð fyrir Eystra-Gautlandi. 

A king who ruled over East-Gautland was named Hringr

Hann var sonr Gauta konungs, sonar Óðins, er konungr var í Svíþjóð ok kominn var utan af Asíam ok frægastar konungaættir eru frá komnar hér á Norðrlöndum. 

He was a son of King Gauta, Odin's son, who was king in Svithjod and had come out (to Iceland) from Asia and the most famous peace between kings of all times had come here to the North-lands.

Þessi konungr, Hringr, var bróðir Gautreks ins milda at faðerni, en móðerni átti hann göfugt. 

This king, Hringr, was brother of Gautrek the Mild of paternity, and on his mother's side, he had nobility.

Hringr konungr átti Sylgju, dóttur Sæfara jarls af Smálöndum; hún var fríð kona ok vel skapi farin. 

King Hringr married Sylgju, daughter of Earl Saefara of Smalondum (Small-lands); she was a beautiful woman and well tempered.   (Z. skap-farinn, pp. disposed, tempered (= skapi farinn))

Bræðr hennar váru þeir Dagfari ok Náttfari. 

Her brothers were Dagfari (Day-traveller) and Nattfari (Night-traveller).

Þeir váru hirðmenn Haralds konungs hilditannar, er þá réð fyrir Danmörk ok mestum hluta Norðrlanda.

They were king's men of King Harald "battle-tooth," who then ruled over Denmakr and most parts of Nordland (North-lands).

Þau áttu einn son, er Herrauðr hét. 

They had one son, who was named Herraudr. 

Hann var mikill vexti ok fríðr sýnum, sterkr at afli ok vel at íþróttum búinn, svá at fáir menn máttu við hann jafnast. 

He was large in size and fair of face, strong in physical strength and endowed with accomplishments, so that few men could call themselves a match with him.

Hann var vinsæll af öllum mönnum, en ekki hafði hann mikit ástríki af feðr sínum, ok olli þat því, at konungr átti annan son frilluborinn, ok unni hann honum meira. 

He was popular among all men, but he wasn't much loved by his father, and it was the cause of that: that (the) king had another, bastard-born, son, and he loved him more.

Sá er nefndr Sjóðr. 

That one is named Sjodr.

Konungr átti hann í æsku sinni, ok var hann nú fulltíða maðr. 

The king had him in his youth, and he (i.e., the son) was now a full-grown man.

Konungr fekk honum lén mikit, ok var hann ráðgjafi konungs ok tók saman skatta hans, leiðangr ok landskyldir, ok var hann fyrir öllum inntektum ok útlátum, ok þótti flestum hann frekr í útheimtunum, en fastr í lyktum ok launum, en hollr var hann konungi ok vildi hans jafnan fullastan, ok hófst af því sá málsháttr af hans nafni, at sá er öðrum kallaðr sjóðfelldr, er honum sér mesta hagsmuni ok geymir bezt eftir.

The king got him a large royal grant, and he was the king's counsellor and collected his taxes, levies, and rents of land, and he was over all the revenues and outlays, and he seemed to most greedy in cravings-for-payment, but close-fisted in payments and rewards, but he was loyal to the king and always wanted his (i.e., the king's) fullest, and the proverb of his name began from that, to that which others called lucrative, which to him is seen most profit and watches best for.

Sjóðr samdi til þess punga þá, er síðan váru kallaðir fésjóðar, at geyma í silfr þat, er tekit var í skuldir konungs. 

(The) purse befit to that taxation then, which since were called money-bags, to keep silver in that, which was taken in taxes.

En þat, sem hann tók meira en til stóð, þá gerði hann þar at smápunga, ok kallaði hann þat slæg, ok umvendi hann því til kostnaðar, en landaurum var óbrigt. 

But that, as he took more than was expected, then he made there small objects, and he called that cunning, and he changed that to expenses, but the land-money was unchanged.     (Z. standa 15: stendr til e-s = it is to be expected, feared)

Ekki var Sjóðr þokkasæll af mönnum, en konungr unni honum mikit ok lét hann einn öllu ráða.

Sjodr was not well-beloved by men, but the king loved him much and sought him alone for advice.   (Z. leita 2: l. ráða, to seek for advice)