You might find the song ‘Jólakötturinn’ (‘The Yule Cat’) of
interest; this clip of Björk’s performance includes an
English translation.

<www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj6skZAHfQE>

More information at

<http://www.lifewithcats.tv/2015/12/09/jolakotturinn-the-christmas-cat-of-iceland/>

and <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_Cat>. The Icelandic
lyrics can be read at

<www.lyricsmania.com/jólakötturinn_lyrics_bjork.html>.

> "Svá höfum vit nú fundizt," segir Busla, ,at vit munum
> eigi skilja, fyrr en ek hefi minn vilja."

> "So now we have met," says Busla, that we will not part,
> before I have my way."

> “Thus we have now met,” says Busla, “that we will not
> part, before when I have my will.”

> “We-two have now met-one-another,“ says Busla, “such that
> (svá...at) we-two will not part, before I have my will. ”

‘In such fashion [‘so’] have we now met,’ says Busla, ‘that
we will surely not part until I have my desire.’

I added ‘surely’ to emphasize the force of <munum>.

> Konungr vildi þá upp standa, ok var hann þá fastr við
> sængina, en smásveinar vöknuðu eigi.

> The king then wanted to stand up, and yet (CV ok (A-4)) he
> was (stuck) fast to the bed, but the small boys (pages?)
> didn't wake up.

> The king wanted to stand up then and he was sticking fast
> to the bed, and the small boys did not awaken.

> (The) King wanted then to stand up, and he was then
> (stuck) fast against the-bed, but (and) (the) small-boys
> did-not wake-up.

[The] king wanted then to stand up, but he was then stuck to
the bed, and [the] lads did not wake up.

I imagine that the lads are young servants.

> Busla lét þá frammi annan þriðjung bænarinnar, ok mun ek
> láta þat um líða at skrifa hann, því at þat er öllum
> þarfleysa at hafa hann eftir, en þó má svá sízt eftir hafa
> hann, at hann sé eigi skrifaðr.

> Busla then went on (my best guess) with the third prayer,
> and I will not pass by writing it, because it is needless
> to all to to repeat it, and yet it can be so since
> repeated, that it not be written. (Z. have 14: hafa e-t
> eptir = to do or repeat a thing after one)

> Busla expressed then another third of the entreaties and I
> will let it pass? that he write it??, because it is all
> useless to have it afterwards, even though (it) may thus
> since ?? after he has, that he be not the writer.?

> Busla then let (sounded, láta, Z11) out (the) second (or
> next) third-part of the-entreaty, and I will cause to pass
> by (ie skip) that, to write it (ie the 2nd third-part,
> masc), because that is needlessness to all to repeat (lit:
> to have after) it (ie the 2nd third-part, masc), but
> nevertheless one is pretty-much (sva, Z7) least (sízt,
> adv) able to repeat it (ie the 2nd third-part), that (ie
> when) it be not written (pp as adj) (ie this part of the
> entreaty is not written here now, it is pretty much
> unlikely to be repeated by anyone afterwards).

Then Busla spoke out [the] second third of the prayer, and I
will refrain from writing it [‘will let that pass by to
write it’], because it is a needlessness to all to repeat
it, though [I] can repeat such [a] least [part of] it that
it [will] not be written.

> En þó er þetta þar upphaf á:

> And yet this beginning is there:

> And still is this begun there:

> But (and) nevertheless this is (the) beginning (noun)
> there-to:

And even so, this is the beginning thereof:

> "Tröll ok álfar
> ok töfranornir,
> búar, bergrisar
> brenni þínar hallir,
> hati þik hrímþursar,
> hestar streði þik,
> stráin stangi þik,
> en stormar æri þik,
> ok vei verði þér,
> nema þú vilja minn gerir."

> "Trolls and elves
> and witches,
> neighbors (not likely, from the context), hill giants
> may they burn your halls,
> frost-giants hate you,
> horses harm (?) you,
> may the straw prick you,
> and may storms make you mad,
> and woe you become,
> except that you give me my wish."

> “Trolls and elves and magic snakes, ?? hill giants, burn
> your halls, frost giants hate you, the hay? stick you in
> the side, and storms madden you, and woe be to you, unless
> you do my will.”

> “(Let) trolls and elves
> and Norns-of-Sorcery (sorceresses, taufr + norn )
> neighbours, hill-giants
> burn your halls (höll),
> frost-giants damage (or destroy, hata, Z2) you,
> horses penetrate (serða see Z and CV) you,
> the-straws prick you,
> but (and) storms madden you,
> and woe (happen) to you,
> unless you do my will.

May trolls and elves
and magic norns,
spirits [‘dwellers’], hill giants
burn your halls,
may frost giants destroy you,
may stallions bugger you,
may the straws prick you,
and may storms madden you,
and woe be to you,
unless you do my will.

<Búar> are literally ‘dwellers’, and if you look at the
compounds in which this is the second element, it seems
likely that in this context they are spirits of various
sorts.

> En er sú þula var úti, mælti konungr til hennar: "Fyrr en
> þú illmælir mér lengr, þá mun ek gefa Herrauði líf, en
> Bósi fari ór landi ok sé dræpr, nær ek get hann áhent."

> And when her rhymes (CV) were at an end, the king said to
> her: "before you talk evil of me (any) longer, then I will
> grant Herraudr (his) life, but Bosi should go out of the
> country or be killed, when I get my hands on him."

> And when that rhapsody was out, the king spoke to her,
> “And before you talk of evil to me longer, then will I
> give Herraudr life, but Bosi wil go out of the country and
> may be killed with impunity, when I am able to seize him.”

> But (And) when this rhyme was out, (the) king spoke to
> her: “Before you speak-ill-of me longer, then I will give
> life to Herrauðr, but Bósi should-journey out-of (the)
> land and be (one) who-may-be-killed-with-impunity, when I
> am-able to lay-hands-on him.”

And when the enumeration was over, [the] king said to her:
‘Before you bad-mouth me longer, I will grant Herrauð life,
but Bósi shall travel from [this] land and be killed when I
can lay hands on him.’

> "Þá skal taka þér fram betr," segir Busla.

> "Then I shall take you better forward," says Busla.

> “Then shall better be taken away from you??,” says Busla.

> “Then (I) shall take forward (fram) (ie offer up) better
> (ie more (curses)) for you,” says Busla.

‘Then [I] shall point out [‘take forward’] to you better
[curses],’ says Busla.

Modern Icelandic has <taka e-ð fram> ‘point something out’.

> Hóf hún þá upp þat vers, er Syrpuvers er kallat ok mestr
> galdr er í fólginn ok eigi er lofat at kveða eftir
> dagsetr, ok er þetta þar í nærri endanum:

> She then began that verse, wich is called Syrpuvers
> (verses of Syrpa) and most sorcery is hidden (?) and is
> not allowed to speak after nightfall, and is there near
> the end:

> She began then that verse, which is called ?? and (is) the
> greatest sorcery which in obscure phrases (this whole
> section is pretty obscure to me) and is not allowed to be
> spoken after sunset, and this is there near the ending:

> She then raised up (ie began) that verse, which is called
> Syrpa´s (Dirty-Woman’s, Ogress´s)-Verse, and (the)
> greatest sorcery is concealed (pp of fela) in (it), and
> (it) is not permitted to recite (it) after nightfall, and
> this is near to the end there-in:

Then she began the verse that is called Slut’s-verse, and
[the] greatest magic is hidden therein, and it is not
permitted to recite [it] after nightfall, and this is
therein near the end:

> "Komi hér seggir sex,
> seg þú mér nöfn þeira
> öll óbundin,
> ek mun þér sýna:
> getr þú eigi ráðit,
> svá at mér rétt þykki,
> þá skulu þik hundar
> í hel gnaga,
> en sál þín
> sökkvi í víti."
> [Hér koma rúnir]

> "Six say come here,
> tell me thier names
> all unbound,
> I will your sons:
> you don't get the help,
> so to me precisely it seemed,
> then your dogs should
> gnaw in death,
> but your soul
> may it sink into punishment."

> “Come here six men, you tell me their rings?, all
> unclasped?, I will show you , you are not able to decide,
> so that to me seemed right, then shall dogs in hell gnaw
> your soul in punishment.”

> “(Let) six “men” (seggr) come here, (these are the runes
> which come later)
> say (you) to me their names
> all unbound (ie all deciphered),
> I will show (them, the men, runes) to you:
> (if) you are-not able to read-and-understand (interpret,
> solve, decipher, ráða, Z11, 12) (them),
> so that (it) should-seem to me right (ie correctly read
> and understood, deciphered, by the king),
> then hounds shall
> gnaw you in hell (the abode of the dead)
> but (and) (let) your soul
> sink in punishment.”

‘May six men come here,
tell me their names
all unbound [i.e., deciphered],
I will show you them:
[if] you cannot interpret [them]
so that [it] seems right to me,
then shall hounds you
gnaw in Hel,
and may your soul
sink into punishment.

I was able to find the runes in question. The Latin letter
equivalent:

R.O.Þ.K.M.U IIIIII SSSSSS:
TTTTTT:IIIIII:LLLLLL:

From other similar examples it seems likely that in the
first instance this is to be disentangled into <ristill>
'plowshare', <aistill>, <þistill> 'thistle', <kistill>
'box', <mistill> 'mistletoe', and <vistill>. Here <vistill>
is unknown, and <aistill> is said to be 'testicle' —
apparently akin to <eista> 'testicle'. How to interpret
this first-stage interpretation, however, remains a mystery!

> "Ráð nú þessi nöfn, svá at rétt sé, elligar hríni allt þat
> á þér, sem ek hefi verst beðit, nema þú gerir minn vilja."

> "Advise now these names, so that I would be right, or else
> all that will take effect on you, as I have worst in store
> for (you), except that you do my will."

> “Decide now this name?, so that it is correct, or else all
> that will take effect on you, as I have offered? put in
> verse, unless you do my will.”

> “Read-and-understand (decipher, ráða, Z11, 12) now these
> names, so that (they) be right (interpreted, deciphered
> correctly), or (let) all that take-effect on you, which I
> have worst (most-evilly) entreated, unless you do my
> will.”

Interpret these names now, so that [it] is right, or may all
that take effect on you, [the] worst that I have asked for,
unless you do my will.’

> En er Busla hafði úti bænina, vissi konungr varla, hverju
> hann vildi svara fyrir fortölum hennar.

> And when Busla had the the prayers at an end, the king
> scarcely knew what he would answer because of her
> representations.

> But when Busla had the entreaty over, the king scarcely
> knew how he wanted to answer for her predictions. “What is
> now your wish?” says the king.

> But (And) when Busla had the-entreaty (recited) out, (the)
> king scarcely knew, with what (ie how) he wanted to answer
> as-a-result of her persuasions.

And when Busla had recited the prayer, [the] king hardly
knew how he wanted to respond to her persuasions.

> "Hverr er nú þinn vili?" segir konungr.

> "What is now your wish?" says the king.

> “What is now your wish?” says the king.

> “What is now your will?” says (the) king.

‘What is now your will?’ says [the] king.

> "Sentu þá forsending," segir kerling, "þá sem tvísýni er
> á, hversu þeim gengr, ok ábyrgist þeir sik sjálfir."

> "Send them on a dangerous mission," says the old woman,
> "those as uncertainty is to, how it goes for them, and
> they answer for it themselves."

> “You send them on a dangerous mission,” says the old
> woman, “then it is uncertainty, how it goes to them and
> they make themselves answerable for themselves???”

> “Send-you them on a dangerous mission, “says (the)
> old-woman, “that (dangerous mission, þá, fem acc sg dem
> pron) in which (there) is uncertainty, how (it) goes (ie
> turns out) for them, and they answer for themselves
> themselves.”

Send them [on] a dangerous mission,’ says the old woman,
‘that in which is uncertainty, how they [will] fare, and
make them answerable for themselves.’

In other words, give them a dangerous task, and leave them
the responsibility for their own safety and survival.

> Konungr bað hana þá í burt fara, en hún vildi þat eigi,
> fyrr en konungr sór henni trúnaðareið, at hann skyldi
> halda þat, sem hann hafði henni lofat, en þá skyldi
> Buslubæn ekki á honum hrína.

> The king asked her then to go away, but she didn't want
> that, before that the king swore an oath to her, that he
> should keep that, as he had promised her, and then
> Busla's-prayer shouldn't take effect on him.

> The king bade her then go away, but she didn’t want that,
> before the king swore her an oath, that he should keep
> that, as he had promised her, but then should the Busla
> entreaty not take effect on him.

> (The) king bade her then to go away, but she wanted that
> not, before (the) king swore to her an oath-of-allegience,
> that he should keep that which he had promised to her, but
> (and) then (the) Entreaty-of-Busla should not take-effect
> on him.

[The] king then told her to go away, but she did not want
[to do] that before [the] king swore her an oath that he
would uphold that which he had promised her, and then
Busla’s Prayer should not affect him.

<Trúnaðareiðr> need not be specifically an oath *of
allegiance*.

> Hvarf þá kerling þá í burtu.

> The old woman then turned away.

> Then the old woman turned away.

> (The) old-woman then vanished (away) (hverfa, Z2, Z3).

Then the old woman vanished away.

Brian