> Skúli hét sá maðr er þá tók forráð yfir liðinu.

> Skuli was the name of the man who took charge over the
> troops.

> Skuli was the name of that man who took over management
> for the company.

> That man was-called Skúli, who then took charge over
> the-troops.

The man who then took command over the company was called
Skúli.

> Sigldu þeir síðan heim í Garðaríki, ok sögðu konungi slík
> tíðindi sem orðit höfðu í þeira ferðum.

> They next sailed home to Gardariki, and told the king such
> news as had come to pass on their voyage.

> They sailed home afterwards to Gardariki, and told the
> king such tidings as had happened on their journey.

> They sailed after-that home to Garðaríki, and said to
> (the) king such tidings as had happened in their travels
> (plural).

After that they sailed home to Kievan Rus’ and told the king
such events as had occurred in their journeys.

> Konungr lét sér fátt um finnast en Sigrgarðr var mörgum
> manni harmdauði.

> The King disapproved, but Sigrgardr was (for) many men a
> sorrowful death.

> The king disapproved that Sigrgardr was (among) many
> lamented dead men.

> (The) king paid little heed to (it) (finnast, Z9, ie
> didn´t appear to be overly concerned by the news) but
> Sigraðr was to many a person (man) a sorrowful-death (ie
> Sigrgarðr’s death was a great sorrow).

The king showed little reaction, but Sigrgarð[’s] was to
many people a sorrowful death.

The translation of the first clause is based on Baetke; Z9
is the closest match in Zoëga. It suits the second clause
better than any of the other possibilities.

> Fréttust þessi tíðindi nú víða.

> This news was now reported widely.

> These tiding were reported now widely.

> These tidings were now reported widely.

This news was now widely reported.

> Þessi tíðindi komu austr í Tartaría til eyrnanna
> meykonunginum en hon brosti við ok kvað margt skrökvat þó
> at skemmra væri at spyrja en þó sáu menn þá at hagl hraut
> ór augum henni rautt sem blóð.

> This news arrived east in Tartaria to the ears of the
> maid-king, but she smiled in reply, and said many invented
> stories although it would soon to find out and yet men
> then saw that hail fell out of her eyes (as) red as blood.

> These tidings came east to Tartaria to the ears of the
> maiden king and she was upset with (the news) and said it
> was much fake news even though sooner was it to learn then
> still people saw then that hail flew out of her eyes, red
> as blood.

> These tidings came east to Tartaría to the-ears (eyra, gen
> pl + def art) of the-maiden-king but (and) she
> smiled-in-response and declared many (a tale) invented
> even-though (one) was to be-informed of (them) (spyrja,
> Z4) in a shorter-time (comparative, skemmr) (ie even in
> cases of more recent events or more immediate/direct
> reporting) but nevertheless people (men) saw then that
> hail flew out of her eyes, red like blood.

This news came east to Tartary to the maiden king’s ears,
and she smiled in response and declared many [a tale]
invented even if [one] were to hear nearer [i.e., not as
distant rumor], and yet people saw then that hail fell from
her eyes, red as blood.

Like Hall, I think that the <skemmra> is more likely here to
refer to space than to time.

> Annat sumar eptir at áliðnu sumri sigldi Knútr inn knappi
> austr í Tartaría.

> The next summer at the appearance of summer, Knutr "the
> quick" sailed east to Tartaria.

> The next summer after near the end of summer, Knutr sailed
> in a little east of Tartaria.

> (The) following summer after at (the) passing of summer,
> Knútr the brisk (knob) sailed east to Tartaría.

The next summer at summer’s end [‘at the drawing to a close
of summer’] Knút inn knappi sailed east to Tartary.

> Hann rataði strauma stóra ok storma mikla, ok leysti
> skipin undir þeim.

> He met with great currents and great storms, and the ships
> broke up under them.

> He traveled great tides and huge storms and the ships
> broke up under them.

> He met-with (rata, Z2) strong currents (lit: large
> streams) and great storms, and the ships broke-up under
> them (leysta, Z2, impers).

He met with strong currents and great storms, and the ships
broke up under them.

> Komst Knútr einskipa undir Tartaría, ok braut skipit í
> lending ok misti menn alla nema tólf eina.

> Knutr reached with a single ship under Tartaria, and the
> ship broke open upon landing, and all men were lost except
> just 12.

> Knutr arrived with only one ship below Tartaria and the
> ship broke up on landing and all but only twelve men were
> lost.

> Knútr made-his-way with-a-single-ship under Tartaría and
> the-ship broke (apart) at (the) landing-place and (they)
> lost people (men) all except twelve only.

Knút made it to the waters off Tartary with [just] one ship,
and the ship was wrecked at the landing-place and [they]
lost all of the men save only twelve.

> Fjárhlut rak á land allan.

> Valuables drove all to land. (??)

> All the valuables were washed ashore.

> (The) entire (masc acc sg) property (masc acc sg)
> was-tossed (reka, Z7, impers) on to land (shore)

The entire cargo was washed ashore.

> Spurðu menn hann hvað ráðs skyldi taka.

> Men asked him what advice should (be) take(n).

> Men asked what decision should be taken.

> People (men) asked him what (sort) of plan (they) should
> adopt (take)

The men asked him what sort of plan [they] should adopt.

> Knútr sagði ekki annat til enn at reyna á drengskap
> meykonungsins.

> Knutr didn't say some other until yet to try the courage
> of the maid-king.

> Knutr said not other than to test the courage of the
> maiden king.

> Knútr told (them) nothing other than to make a trial on
> (the) high-mindedness (seems to fit the context better
> than ‘courage’ here) of the-maiden-king.

Knút said that nothing [was] at hand other than to test the
maiden king’s chivalry.

Baetke offers a definition whose most natural English
translation is ‘chivalry’; presumably this is subsumed under
Z’s ‘high-mindedness’.

> Hörðr segir at væri gæfuraun, en Stígandi segir at ekki
> dygði ófreistað, at einum degi gengu þeir fyrir
> meykonunginn.

> Hordr says that it would be a trial of luck, but Stigandi
> says nothing ventured nothing gained, that some die before
> the maid-king.

> Hordr says it would be lucky, but Stigandi says that not
> virtuously courageous? that one day they go before the
> maiden king.

> Hörðr says that (it) was a trial-of-luck, but Stígandi
> says that nothing sufficed (duga) untested (ú + pp of
> freista) (doing nothing proved nothing, “nothing ventured
> nothing gained”), (so) that on one day they went before
> the-maiden-king.

Hörð says that it would be a trial of luck, but Stígand says
that nothing would help untried [‘nothing ventured, nothing
gained’], so one day they went before the maiden king.

I’m taking the last <at> to be more or less equivalent to
<svá at>; I see no way to make sense of it otherwise.

> Sat hon þá yfir borðum.

> She then sat at table.

> She sat at the table.

> She sat then at table.

She was then sitting at table.

> Knútr kvaddi hana virðuliga sem henni sæmdi.

> Knutr spoke to her respectfully as honored her.

> Knutr greeted her worthily as befitted her honor.

> Knútr greeted her respectfully as (one) should-honour her.

Knút greeted her respectfully, as befitted her.

I think that it’s impersonal <sæma>, as in modern <það sæmir
þér ekki> ‘it does not befit you, it ill befits you’.

> Hon tók ei kveðju hans en spurði þó hvat manni hann væri.

> She didn't accept his greeting, but yet asked what man he
> would be.

> She did not accept his greeting, but asked what man he
> was.

> She accepted not his greeting but asked nevertheless what
> (sort of) person (man, dat sg) he was.

She did not acknowledge his greeting [and] indeed asked
what sort of man he might be [instead of giving a normally
courteous response].

> Hann kvaðst Knútr heita, “ok er ek kominn hér á yðrar
> náðir.

> He said for himself to be called Knutr, "and it is I
> (have) come here to your protection.

> He said he was called Knutr “and I am come here to your
> grace.

> He declared-of-himself to be-called Knútr, “and I am
> (have) come here for your protection.

He said that he was called Knút, ‘and I have come here for
your protection.

> Hefir oss tekist heldr slysliga, misst skip vár öll, en
> tókum land með skipbroti, ok vildum vér gjarnan þiggja hér
> vetrvist.

> We have come off rather badly, all (our) ships were
> missing, and we reached shore by shipwreck, and we
> willingly wanted to receive winter quarters here. (Z.
> slysliga: takast s., to come off badly)

> We have been brought to rather unfortunate
> (circumstances), all our ships were lost and (as we)
> landed the ship broke up and we would gladly receive here
> winter visit.

> (it) has happened to us rather unfortunately, lost all our
> ships, but (and) (we) reached land with a shipwreck, and
> we wanted eagerly (lit: willingly, gjarnan, CV) to receive
> here winter-abode.

We have come off rather badly, lost all of our ships and
reached land with a shipwreck, and we would gladly receive
winter quarters here.

> Skortir oss ei fé fyrir oss at leggja, eðr aðra þjónustu
> ef þér vilit.”

> We are not in want of money to be paid for us or other
> service if you wanted."

> We are not short of wealth to lay out or other homage if
> you wish.”

> (It) lacks not for us (ie we are not lacking) money to pay
> for ourselves, or other service if you want.”

We do not lack wealth to pay for ourselves [‘us’], or other
service if you wish.’

> Hon horfði á hann lengi ok þagði, en litlu síðar mælti
> hon: “ertu sá Knútr er drepit hefr Sigrgarð inn frækna?”

> She turned to him long and was silent, a little while
> later she said: "Are you the Knutr who has killed
> Sigrgardr the brave?"

> She turned towards him for a long time and was silent, but
> a little later she spoke, “Are you that Knutr who had
> slain Sigrgardr the valiant?”

> She was turned to (ie faced) him for a long time and
> was-silent, but a little later she spoke: “Are-you that
> Knútr who has killed Sigrgarðr the brave?”

She was turned towards him for a long time and was silent,
but a little later she said: ‘Are you that Knút who has
slain Sigrgarð inn frœkni [‘the brave’]?’

> “Ei mun ek þess þræta sem aðrir menn kenna mér; vænti ek
> þar helst fyrir sæmda af yðr er ek réði af yðr þann
> ófrið.”

> "I will not contradict that as other men know me; I expect
> there most for redress for loss by you when I discuss with
> you that ugly (event)."

> “I will not deny this as other men know me, I expect there
> rather for honor of you when I leave off your hostility
> then?”

> “I will not deny that which other people (men) attribute
> to me (charge me with, kenna, Z3, Z4); I hoped (vænta)
> most-rather for honour there-for (for that), when I
> did-away-with (ráða af, Z16) that hostility (úfríðr, noun)
> to you.”

‘I will not deny that which other people attribute to me; I
expected above all honor from you in that [<þar ... er>
‘there where’] I rid you of that enemy.

<Sæmda> is genitive plural, but singular ‘honor’ seems a
better translation. <Réði> is the modern 1st sing. past
subj., replacing <réða>; I’m not sure why it’s in the
subjunctive, unless it’s because it’s in the scope of
<vænti>. It’s possible that he intended the weaker sense
‘hoped for’.

Brian