Sheesh! The author’s idiolect is certainly an outlier, at
least in my experience. Tristrams saga ok Ísöndar, Brother
Robert’s adaptation of an Old French version of the story of
Tristan and Iseult, is the only thing that I’ve seen with
equally odd language, and that was only because Brother
Robert had a pronounced tendency to imitate the Old French
syntax of the original; once one got the hang of it, it
wasn’t too bad. Here we seem to run into a word not in any
of the dictionaries or a new idiom practically every time we
turn around. I really think that this is the hardest saga
that I’ve done, and there have been places where I’m not
sure of my reasoning even with Hall’s translation to help.

On a different note, the essay ‘Sex and the Sagas: How to
get a date in Medieval Iceland’ is rather funny, and Tip #1,
based on Sigrgarðs saga frækna, is *Beware the Maiden
Kings*. For that matter, Tip #2, *You’re gonna need a good
chat up line*, is based on Bósa saga ok Herrauðs.

<https://www.culturised.co.uk/2017/03/sex-and-the-sagas-how-to-get-a-date-in-medieval-iceland/>

> “Þá snýst lagliga um,” segir hon, “ef þú vilt koma á mig
> skömm þinni.

> "Then one turns oneself properly," she says, "if you
> wanted to bring about to me your shame.

> “Then turns fittingly about,” says she, “if you want to
> bring me your shame.

> „Then (it) turns-up-and-down (snúast um, CV) neatly
> (lagliga, CV MnI) (That is twisting things (turning things
> on their head) rather conveniently (?)),“ says she, „if
> you want to bring (ie transfer) your shame on to me (ie
> blame me for your shame).“

‘It would be a neat reversal [‘Then it properly turns
about’],’ she says, ‘if you want to put your shame on me.

It really isn’t clear to me what <lagliga> does here.
Baetke gives a definition that amounts to ‘properly, as it
ought to be done’, which is compatible with Z and CV; CV’s
modern ‘neatly’, taken literally, is a straightforward
extension of that sense. Perhaps here we have a slightly
ironic usage a bit like that of ‘right’ and ‘proper’ in ‘a
right villain’ and ‘a proper Charlie’.

> Legg nú fram drekann þann góða sem þér hingað stýrðuð, ok
> mun ek þá ei mein gjöra yðr ok yðrum mönnum.”

> Put forward now that good ship of war which you steered
> here, and then I will not do harm to you or your men."

> Now put out (to sea or as compensation??) that good
> warship which you steered hither and I will not so harm to
> you and your men.”

> Now Put forward (ie offer up) the dragon (prowed warship),
> that good (one) which you steered hither, and I will then
> not do harm to you and your people (men).”

Now put forth [i.e., offer] that good warship that you
sailed [‘steered’] hither, and I will then not do you or
your men harm.’

> “Vel mun okkr þat semja, frú,” segir hann.

> "That will well agree to us, lady," he says.

> “Mistress, that will settle us well,” says he.

> “Well will that be-agreed-on by us (ie me) (ie I´m only
> too happy to do that), madam,” says he.

‘Well will we agree to that, lady,’ he says.

> “Ekki vil ek deila yðr frá mat,” segir hon, “en í minni
> mun þetta haft vera, ok er tími til borðs herra.”

> "I don't want aportion you away from an estimate," he
> says, "and/but this will in memory be a bond, and is a fit
> time to lords' tables." (?)

> “I do not want to deal with you over? a meal,” says she,
> “but ?????????????????? and it is time to (go to) table,
> lord.

> “I want not to divide (separate, keep) you from (your)
> food (matr),” says she, “but this will be held (lit: had)
> in memory, and (it) is time (to go) to table, sire.”

‘I do not want to divide you [i.e., keep you] from [your]
food,’ she says, ‘but this will be kept in memory, and it is
time to eat, sir.’

> Sigrgarðr gengr nú til borðs ok er bæði rjóðr ok reiðr af
> þeim svívirðingarorðum sem meykonungrinn hafði valit honum
> á allra manna færi, en þó skipaði hann sínum mönnum at
> færa drekann í þær hafnir er drottningin vildi.

> Sigrgardr now goes aboard and is both red and angry at the
> shameful words that the maid-king had chosen for him to
> all few men, and yet he assigned his men to go to the ship
> of war in the harbors that the queen wanted.

> Sigrgardr goes now to table and is both red and angry from
> those dishonorable words which the maiden king had blamed
> on him of all men few?, and yet he ordered his men to
> bring the warship in that harbor which the queen wished.

> Sigrgarðr goes now to table and is both red (faced) and
> angry from those words-of-dishonour which the-maiden-king
> had chosen for him within range (færi, CV) of all persons
> (men), but nevertheless he assigned (gave directions) to
> his men to convey (foera) the dragon (prowed warship) into
> those havens which the-queen wanted.

Sigrgarð now goes to the table and is both red[-faced] and
angry on account of the insulting words that the maiden king
had spoken to him in everyone’s reach, but nevertheless he
instructed [‘assigned’] his men to bring the warship into
the harbors where the queen wanted [it].

Note Z’s <velja e-m hæðilig orð> ‘to speak ignominiously to
(or of) one’; here we don’t have the adjective, but it’s the
same kind of use of <velja orð>.

> Litlu síðar mælti drottning við Sigrgarð: “Því ertu svá
> hljóðr, herra?” segir hon.

> A little later the queen spoke with Sigrgardr: "Why are
> you so silent, lord?" she says.

> A little later the queen spoke with Sigrgardr, “Why are
> you so silent, lord?” says she.

> A little later (the) queen spoke with Sigrgarðr: “Why
> are-you so silent, sire?” says she.

A little later the queen spoke to Sigrgarð: ‘Why are you so
quiet, lord?’ she says.

> “Eðr leikr þér aptr mundr at drekanum?”

> "Are you playing for the ship of war as a dowry?"

> “Are you playing (at keeping?) the warship as your bride
> price?”

> “So does the bridegrooms-payment-to-the-bride (nominative)
> of the-dragon (prowed warship) (at + dat, Z.iv.6) play
> back for you (dative) (ie can´t you forget it)?”

‘So is the bride price of the warship back on your mind?’

Of the examples in Z, this use of <leika> seems closest to
<e-m leikr öfund á> ‘to envy’ and <e-m leikr hugr á> ‘to
have a mind to’; in each case we have the dative of the
person affected, and <leika> shows something affecting that
person’s mind or feelings.

> “Lítils þiki mér hann verðr,” segir hann, “enn meira þiki
> mér vert at missa yðvarn vinskap.”

> "It seemed to me of little worth," he says, "still it
> seemed to me worth to lose your friendship."

> “It seems to me worth little?” says he, “but more
> important seems to me to lose your friendship.”

> “It (ie the dragon-prowed ship, masc) seems (present
> tense) to me worthy of little (ie that is of little
> importance to me)),” says he, “yet (it, neut) seems to me
> worthy of more (it is a bigger deal to me) to lose your
> friendship.”

‘It [i.e., the warship] seems to me of little importance,’
he says; ‘it seems to me of yet more importance to lose your
friendship.’

> “Ei þiki mér þat mín skuld,” segir hon, “ok munu ei margar
> leggja sik betr upp, ok sæl þættumst ek ef mætti þín
> njóta, en ef svá mætti verða at þetta væri lagit á þik þá
> mætti þik hér síðr um kunna.”

> "It didn't seem to me my due," she says, "and will not
> many better settle onself up, and (sæl?) it seemed if I
> was able to profit by you, and/but if it so could be that
> this would be imposed on you, then you can blame yourself
> here less." (Z. kunna 8)

> “It doesn’t seem to me my fault,” says she, “and many will
> not place themselves better?? and I would think myself
> fortunate if I might make use of you, and if such might be
> that this were laid on you then might you here later be
> blamed??”

> “That does not seem (present tense) to me my debt
> (fault),” says she, “and many (women, feminine) will not
> put (ie offer) themselves up better (ie more readily), and
> I would-bethink myself fortunate (sæll) if I could enjoy
> (take pleasure from) you, but if (it) might so be, that
> this (ie your ability to give satisfaction) be imposed on
> you (ie that you could be forced to deliver such, leggja
> e-t á e-n, Z14), then (one, I) might blame you less here.”
> (Alternate reading based on different reading of what
> ‘þetta’ refers to: …but if (it) might so be, that this (ie
> your marital bed shortcomings) be imposed on you (by
> external or supernatural forces, ie beyond your control),
> then one might blame you less here)

‘I do not think that my fault,’ she says, ‘and not many
[women] would submit themselves more [readily], but I would
think myself fortunate if [I] could enjoy you, and if it
could happen that this were laid on you [meaning, I suppose,
that it was given to S. to satisfy her], then you might be
blamed less here.’

Perhaps <leggja sik upp> is to be seen as sort of reciprocal
to <leggja undir sik> ‘to conquer’, in which case it would
be ‘to submit (oneself)’; at any rate this seems to be
Hall’s understanding.

> “Ekki veit ek þess ván,” segir hann, “en allr þikjumst ek
> annarr maðr síðan ek kom hér.

> "I don't know that hope," he says, "but it all seemed to
> me another man since I came here.

> “I don’t know this to be anticipated,” says he, “that I
> think myself all another man after I came here.???”

> “I know not of that expectation,” say he, “but (and) I
> bethink-myself all (completely) another man since I came
> here.

‘I do not expect that,’ he says, ‘but I think myself
entirely another man since I came here.

> Gjör nú svá vel at þér látið vera sleitnalaust ef þú mátt
> nökkuru umráða.”

> Now do so well that you caused to be (sleitnalaust?) if
> you would somewhat advise."

> Do now so well that you permit to be ??? if you might some
> some consideration.

> Act now so well that (ie may it please you that) you cause
> (it) to be free of subterfuges (sleight-less, sleita, fem
> gen pl + lauss) if you can arrange (it) somewhat.”

Now be so kind as to [‘that you’] let it be without tricks
if you can have a little say in it.’

<Sleitna> is the gen. plur. of <sleit> ‘a subterfuge’, and
<lauss> ‘free of’ takes the genitive. <Umráða> appears to
be a verb here, though not one that I’ve found anywhere.
I’ll guess that its meaning is more or less the same as that
of <ráða um e-t> ‘to dispose of, to have control of’.
<Nökkuru> is neut. dat. sing.; as an adverb it seems
generally to mean ‘a little’. CV has <ger svá vel> ‘be so
kind’.

> “Ok enn ertu svá dulinn at þér,” segir hon, “at þú vilt
> auka þinn ósóma?

> "And yet you are so self-conceited," she says, "that you
> wanted to increase your dishonor?

> “And yet you are so conceited about yourself?,” says she,
> “that you want to increase your dishonor?

> “And still are-you so self-deluded (lit: denied to
> yourself, seems slightly more appropriate than
> self-conceited here), says she, “that you want to increase
> you disgrace?

‘And you are still so clueless,’ she says, ‘that you want to
increase your dishonor?

I agree with Alan on the interpretation of <dulinn>. In
fact Baetke’s first gloss is <unwissend>, which is ‘unaware;
ignorant; clueless; benighted’.

> Þá máttu freista enn eina nótt ef þú vilt.”

> Then you can try yet a(nother) night if you wanted."

> Then might you try yet one (more) night if you want.”

> Then you can try yet one (more) night if you want.”

Then you can try one more [‘yet one’] night if you wish.’

> Hann lét sér þat vel líka, ok tekr nú at gleðjast ok svá
> bæði þau.

> He caused himself to be well pleased with that, and begins
> now to be glad, and so both of them.

> He was well pleased at that and becomes now most happy and
> also both of them.

> He expressed (láta, Z10) that to well please himself, and
> takes now (ie begins) to be-glad and so they both (do).

He said that that pleased him well and now begins to be
glad, and they both [did] so.

The man who started the local ON group likes to translate
this sense of <láta> as ‘allowed’: He allowed that ... . Or
colloquially: He allowed as how ... .

> Líðr nú á daginn, ok er nú slíkt í fyrra lagi til sængr
> gengit.

> The day now draws to a close, and it is now such in
> previous companionship gone to bed.

> (It) passes now in the-day (ie the day draws to a close,
> líðr á e-t, líða, Z6), and now in-such-wise (it) is rather
> early (í fyrri lagi, lag, Z9) gone to bed (ie they go to
> bed rather early).

The day now draws to a close, and folks now go to bed [‘it is now
gone to bed’] just as before [‘in earlier fashion’].

Despite Z’s glosses ‘rather early, among the earliest’ for
<í fyrra lagi>, I think that after <slíkt> it makes more
sense to take it literally, ‘in earlier manner’; modern
Icelandic supports this sense of <lag>.

> Sigrgarðr gengr í kastala konungsdóttur, ok liggr hon þar
> ok breiðir móti honum faðminn.

> Sigrgardr goes in the castle of the princess, and she lies
> there and spreads out her arms towards him.

> Sigrgardr goes into the castle of the king’s daughter and
> she lies there and opened her arms to him.

> Sigrgarðr goes to (the) castle of the king’s-daughter and
> she lies there and stretches the-embracing-arms towards
> him.

Sigrgarð goes into the keep of the king’s daughter, and she
lies there and stretches her arms towards him.

> Hann stígr nú upp í sængina, ok jafnskjótt sem hann þar
> kemr þá grípr hann í burtu koddann undan höfðinu á sér ok
> áklæðit af sænginni, ok slítr niðr fortjaldit frá
> sænginni.

> He now gets up in the bed, and as soon as he gets there,
> then he seizes away the pillow from under his head and the
> bed-coverings from the bed, and pulls down the bed curtain
> away from the bed.

> He climbs up in the bed and as soon as he comes there he
> seizes away the pillow under his head and bedcovering from
> the bed and slices down the bed-curtain from the bed.

> He steps (climbs) up into the bed and as-soon-as he comes
> there then he seizes away the-pillow from-under his head
> and the-counterpane from the-bed, and tears down
> the-bed-curtain from the-bed.

He now climbs [‘steps up’] into the bed, and as soon as he
gets there he snatches the pillow away from under his head
and the coverlet from the bed and tears down the curtain
from the bed.

> Snýst síðan at brúðinni vakrt ok fimliga, en hon hefr
> hendr við honum.

> Then he faced about to the bride alertly and nimbly, but
> she has a hand against him.

> The bride turned afterwards watchful and nimble and she
> has him in hand??

> (He) turns after-that to the-bride (dative), alertly and
> nimbly (adverbial), but she has (her) hands (plural)
> against him.

After that he turns alertly and nimbly to the bride, and she
raises her hands to him.

I’m taking <hefr> to be from <hefja>, not from <hafa>. If
it is from <hafa>, then I agree with Alan’s version, but I
don’t see any way to decide definitely between the two
readings. On my interpretation she’s playing along until
the thralls (in the next passage) enter; in Alan’s she’s
holding him off until they enter. Hall’s translation is
ambiguous, perhaps deliberately. His ‘puts’ better matches
<hefja>, while his ‘on’ better matches <hafa>.

Brian