This one was a bit harder than some. Or possibly I’m just a
bit below par. Last Tuesday I was the cyclist in a car/bike
collision and woke up in the ER a little later with very
minor road rash and multiple left-side pelvic fractures.
(If there was also a concussion, it must have been very
minor, since they seemed to be satisfied with the CT scan
results.) I was in the hospital for only two days, but I
can move about only with a walker — I’m not supposed to do
more than touch toes to ground with the left leg — and
everything is very slow and a bit painful. I expect to keep
up, but I may be a bit slower even than usual.

> Gullsaumaðir váru reflar á seglum þeira, veðrvitar váru
> allir sem á gull séi en drekahöfuð váru svá grimmlig at
> mörgum hélt við ótta er þau sá, en þegar þeir váru
> landfastir báru þeir á land í tjöld, ok fannst mönnum þá
> ei minna til hversu fögr ok kostulig þau váru, ok
> undruðust allir þeira fararblóma.

> Embroidered in gold were the tapestries of their sails,
> the vanes were all as gold would be (?), and dragon heads
> were so fearful that many were at the point of fear when
> they saw (them), and/but at once they were land-fast, they
> carried to land in tents, and then met men not less to how
> beautiful and costly they were, and all wondered about
> their travelling with pomp.

> Gold-embroidered tapestries were on their sails, weather
> vanes were all of gold ??? and the dragon heads were so
> fierce that many who saw them stood back with fear, and as
> soon as they were at moorings, they carried (the
> tapestries ?) on land in a tent, and people were pleased
> then not less as to how beautiful and expensive they were
> and all admired their traveling with pomp.

> Embroidered (lit: sewn with gold) were (the) hangings on
> their sails, (the) weather-vanes were as-if (one)
> were-looking (subjunctive of sjá) on gold but (and) (the)
> dragon‘s-heads-(prows) were so fearsome that (it) seized
> with fear many who saw them (the dragon´s-heads, neut pl),
> but (and) as-soon-as they were „land-fast“, they bore
> (their stuff) on to land (ie ashore) in tents(?), and (it)
> was-impressive to people (men) (cf Baetke  <e-m finnsk
> (mikit um e-t> , as per Brian´s comment last week) then
> not less (ie people were then no less impressed) by how
> fine and costly they were, and all wondered-at their
> „travelling-in-grand-style“ (their grand-parade).

The hangings on their sails were sewn with gold, [the]
weathervanes were all as if [one] looked on gold, and [the]
dragon’s heads [forming the prows] were so fierce that many
who saw them were gripped by fear, and as soon as they were
at harbor they carried [stuff] ashore into tents, and folks
were not then less impressed by how fair and costly they
were, and all wondered at the pomp with which they travelled
[‘their travelling with pomp’].

I chose to take <gullsaumaðr> literally here, since actual
embroidery seems a little unlikely. Because ‘in tents’ is
hard to interpret, I chose to read <í> as ‘into’. I note
that Hall seems to translate <tjöld> as ‘canopies’ (under
which the stuff was ceremoniously carried).

> Lét hann þá bera á land merki sitt.

> He then had his banner carried to land.

> He had them carry his standard ashore.

> He caused then to carry on to land (ie ashore) his
> standard.

He then had his standard borne ashore.

> Stöngin var níræð at hæð.

> The staff was 90 ells (or possibly some other unit of
> measure) in height.

> The pole was 90 fathoms in height.

> The pole was measuring-ninety-ells in height.

The staff was 90 [ells] in height.

Ells seems the most plausible unit.

> Þar fylgdi með gult silki með svá síðum streymum at þau
> tóku á miðja stöngina.

> There followed with gold silk so flanked running that they
> reached to the middle of the staff.

> There (from the pole?) equipped with golden silk with such
> long hanging streams that they came to the middle of the
> pole.

> Gold silk belonged (fylgja, Z6) there-with (ie was
> attached to the banner), with such long (hanging down,
> síðr, adj) stream(er)s that they took to (ie reached) the
> pole’s middle.

Yellow silk accompanied it with such long hanging streamers
that they reached [‘touched’] the middle of the staff.

From context either <streymum> is an adjective ‘streaming’,
with some neuter (because of <þau>) noun implied, or it’s
the dative plural of a neuter noun — <streym> ‘something
that streams’ or something similar — for whose existence I
can find no evidence.

> Þar váru viðfestar hundrað dynbjöllur af rauðu gulli.

> There were fastened (?) a hundred tinkling bells (made) of
> red gold. (Brian Scott provided an explanation of "red
> gold" at
> https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/norse_course/conversations/messages/13853.)

> There were fastened to the wood a hundred tinkling bells
> of red gold.

> There-against were attached (fastened) a hundred
> tinkling-bells of red gold.

Attached thereto were a hundred tinkling bells of red gold.

> Þar váru á skrifaðar margs kyns sögur, ok var þat inn
> mesta gersimi.

> There were saga writings of many kinds, and it was the
> most costly thing.

> Many kinds of sagas were written there and it was the
> greatest treasure.

> There-on were inscribed (pp of skrifa) stories of many a
> kind, and that was the greatest treasure.

Written thereon were tales of many kinds, and that was the
greatest of treasures [‘the greatest treasure’].

> Meykonungrinn gjörir nú menn til skips at forvitnast
> hverir menn þeir séu er þar komnir váru, eðr hvárt þeir
> vilja hafa þar friðland eðr ei eðr hver þeira erendi eru.

> The maid-king now causes men (to go) to the ships to
> inquire who then men were who had arrived, whether they
> wanted to have there a peaceful country or not, and what
> their business was (plural in O.I.).

> The maiden king sends men now to the ships to inquire
> about who these men might be who had arrived there, or
> whether they wanted to have a friendly country there or
> not or what their errands were.

> The-maiden-king ordered now people (men) to (the) ship
> (sg) to enquire about which people (men) they were who
> were (had) come there, or whether they want to have a
> place-of-retreat there or not or what their errands are
> (present tense).

The maiden king now sends people to [the] ship to enquire
about what folks they are who had come there and [‘or’]
whether they want to have there a place of retreat and
[‘or’] what their business is [‘errands are’].

> Sendimenn komu til strandar ok fundu Sigrgarð, ok spurðu
> hvat manna hann væri, en hann sagði til it sanna.

> The messengers arrived at the beach and met Sigrgardr, and
> they asked what man he would be, and he told the truth.

> The emmisarries came to the beach and found Sigrgardr and
> asked who he was and he told (them) the truth.

> Messengers came to (the) shore and met Sigrgarðr, and
> asked what (type of) person (man) he was, but (and) he
> said to (that) the true (story) (ie the truth).

[The] messengers came to the shore and met with Sigrgarð and
asked what sort of man he was, and he told the truth.

> Þeir sögðust hans hafa heyrt getit, ok mikla frægð af
> honum fara, ok sögðu at meykonungrinn hefði eptir spurt,
> við hverju búast skyldi í hans þarkomu, en hann kveðst þar
> öngvan skyldi meina, ef enginn angraði hann, ok ei lengi
> þar dveljast þegar hann hefði skilað sínum erendum.

> They said for themselves to have had mention of him, and
> much fame of him travels, and they said that the maid-king
> had inquired, with what should prepare at his arrival,
> and/but he said for himself there (that he) should harm no
> one, and wouldn't stay there long, once he had explained
> his business.

> They said of themselves to have heard told of him and much
> fame to precede him and said that the maiden king had
> asked after him as to how his arrival should be arranged
> and he said he would harm none there if anyone angered him
> and not to remain there as soon as he had given the reason
> for his errand.

> They said-of-themselves to have heard him mentioned
> (spoken of, geta, Zii.2), and of great fame to go from (ie
> to precede) him, and said that the-maiden-king had asked
> after, with what (ie how) (it) should be-made ready for
> his coming-there, but he declared-of-himself (that he)
> should harm no-one there, if no-one vexed him, and to
> dwell there not for a long time once he had explained (or
> decided, settled?) his errands.

They said that they had heard him mentioned, and that great
fame had gone from him [i.e., preceded him], and said that
the maiden king had enquired as to what preparations should
be made for his arrival, and he said that he would harm no
one there if no one vexed him and would not stay there long
when he had settled his business.

> Fóru sendimenn þá heim ok sögðu meykonunginum hverir at
> komnir váru, ok þeir léti ei ófriðliga.

> The messengers then went home, and they told the maid-king
> who had come, and (that) they didn't behave in an
> un-peaceful manner.

> The emissaries went home then and told the maiden king who
> had arrived and (that)they did not behave unpeacefully.

> (The) messengers then went home and said to
> the-maiden-king who were (had) come to (there) and they
> acted not unpeacefully.

[The] messengers then went home and told the maiden king who
[plur.] had come, and [that] they did not behave in an
unpeaceful manner.

It appears that the subjunctive is used for <léti> only
because it’s indirect discourse.

> Hon spurði hversu fríðr maðr Sigrgarðr væri, en þeir
> sögðust öngvan á sinni æfi hafa séð fríðara ok
> stórmannligra at öllu ok þar eptir væri hans hæverska ok
> lítillæti.

> She asked how handsome a man Sigrgardr was, and they said
> for themselves no one in their lifetime had been more
> handsome and magnificent than all, and after that would be
> his courtesy and humility.

> She asked how handsome Sigrgardr was and they said of
> themselves none in a long time to have seen a more
> handsome and magnificent (person) at all and on top of
> that he was courteous and humble.

> She asked how handsome a person (man) Sigrgarðr was, but
> (and) they said-of-themselves to have seen (pp of sjá)
> no-one more-handsome in their-lifetime and
> more-magnificent in all (respects) and there-after (in
> addition, ie “not forgetting”) were his good-manners and
> humility.

She asked how handsome a man Sigrgarð was, and they said
that in their lifetime they had seen no one handsomer and
more magnificent in all respects and that his courtesy and
humility were in accordance therewith.

For <þar eptir> Baetke offers inter alia <dementsprechend>
‘accordingly; in line with this’.

> Hon sagðist þat löngum hafa heyrt frá honum sagt.

> She said for herself that (she) has long heard concerning
> spoken about him.

> She said she had for a long time heard tell of him.

> She said-of-herself to have continuously heard that said
> about him

She said that she had long heard that said of him.

> Hon spurði hvárt þeim þætti ráðligt at hon byði þeim til
> veislu, en þeir segja at við slíka menn væri gott at
> vingast.

> She asked whether it seemed to them advisable that she
> invite them to a feast, and they say that with such men it
> would be good to make friends.

> She asked whether to them it seemed advisable that she
> invite them to a feast and they say that with such men it
> would be good to make friends.

> She asked whether that seemed advisable that she offer
> them a reception (banquet), but (and) they say that with
> such people (it) was good to make-friends.

She asked whether it seemed to them advisable that she
invite them to a feast, and they say that with such men it
would be good to enter into friendship.

> Váru þá menn gjörðir til sjóar at bjóða Sigrgarði til
> sæmiligrar veislu, með svá marga menn sem hann vildi, en
> hann þekktist þat gjarna, ok bjóst heim til hallar, með
> hundrað liðs, sitt vildasta fólk.

> The men then went (?) do sea (?) to invite Sigrgardr to an
> honorable (?) feast, with so many men as he wanted, and it
> pleased him, and he prepared to go home to the hall with a
> hundred crew, the best people.

> Then men were made to (go to) the sea to invite Sigrgardr
> to a feast in his honor, with so many men as he wished and
> he accepted that gladly and readied himself (to go ) home
> to the hall with a company of 120, the most agreeable
> folk.

> People (men) were then ordered to (the) sea to invite
> Sigrgarðr to a more-fitting reception, with as many people
> (men) as he wanted, but (and) he gave-thanks for that
> willingly, and readied-himself (to go) home to (the) hall,
> with a hundred troops, his most-agreeable (presentable)
> folk.

People were then sent to the sea to invite Sigrgarð to a
sumptuous feast, with as many men as he wished, and he
accepted that willingly and prepared to [go] to [the] hall
with a hundred people, his best folk.

This is Baetke’s second sense for <sœmiligr>, ‘ansehnlich,
stattlich, kostbar’, matching ‘costly’ in Zoëga’s <sœmiligr
kalekr> ‘costly chalice’. I’m not sure whether <heim> is
simply a little redundant, or whether it implies that the
hall is where the messengers came from.

> En er þeir komu heim, leiddi meykonungrinn þá sæmiliga inn
> í höll sína ok reis þar upp ágæt veizla.

> And when they came home, the maid-king led them honorably
> inside her hall, and an excellent feast was raised up
> there.

> And when they came home, the maiden king led them
> honorably into her hall and set up an excellent feast
> there.

> But (And) when they came home, the-maiden-king lead them
> fittingly (becomingly) inside into her hall and an
> excellent reception (banquet, nominative) rose up (ie
> arose) there.

And when they arrived at the hall [‘home’], the maiden king
led them in fitting fashion into her hall, and an excellent
feast came into being [‘arose’] there.

Brian