> Þegar er þessi sætt var handsöluð, fór Þorvaldr í brott
> með skyndingi, ok er Þorvaldr var skammt í brott farinn,
> þá dreif mikit lið at Hrafni, bæði Seldælir ok margir
> aðrir.
> As soon as this peace was shaken on, Thorvaldr went away
> with haste, and when Thorvaldr had scarcely gone way, then
> many people drifted to Hrafn, both Seldaelir and many
> others.
> As-soon-as this agreement was shaken-hands-on, Þorvaldr
> journeyed away with haste, and when Þorvaldr was (had)
> a-short-distance journeyed away, then a great host
> thronged (<drífa>, Z2) to Hrafn, both [the] Seldælir-clan
> (Selárdalr-folk) and many others.
As soon as this agreement was confirmed by handshake,
Þorvald travelled away with haste, and when Þorvald had
travelled a short distance away, a great crowd flocked to
Hrafn, both men from Selárdal and many others.
> Þeir váru margir vinir Hrafns, er mæltu, at þá skyldi gera
> eftir Þorvaldi ok drepa hann, svá berr sem hann gerðist í
> fjörráðum við Hrafn, er hann vildi brenna hann inni.
> They were many friends of Hrafn, who said that he should
> then go after Thorvaldr and kill him, so clear as happened
> to him in plotting of life against Hrafn, when he
> (Thorvaldr) wanted to burn him inside (his house).
> They were many friends of Hrafn, who spoke, that then
> (one, ie Hrafn) should send for (<göra eptir e-m>, Z13)
> Þorvaldr and kill him, as open (undisguised) as he became
> in [the] plottings-against-Hrafn´s life, when he
> (Þorvaldr) wanted to burn him (Hrafn) inside.
There were many friends of Hrafn’s who said that [he] should
then send for Þorvald and kill him, as open as he became in
[his] attempt [‘attempts’] against Hrafn’s life when he
wanted to burn him to death in his house.
> En þat sýndist oft, at Hrafn var ógrimmr maðr ok hann
> vildi heldr deyja fyrir tryggðar sakir en fyrir ótryggðar.
> But that seemed often, that Hrafn was an un-stern man, and
> he wanted rather to die for the sake of trustiness than
> for un-trustiness.
> But (And) that was-shown often, that Hrafn was a humane
> person and he would-want rather to die for reasons of (ie
> because of) [his] faith than for a lack-of-faith.
But it often seemed that Hrafn was a humane man, and he
would rather die for the sake of loyalty then for
disloyalty.
> Nú vildi hann eigi gera eftir þeim Þorvaldi né drepa hann,
> svá sem hann átti kost, ef hann vildi, því at hann vildi
> eigi vinna þat til fára vetra virðingar, sem oft kunnu
> manna ráð verða, heldr vildi Hrafn hafa svívirðing af
> mönnum í orðlagi fyrir guðs sakir ok hætta svá lífi sínu
> til eilífrar miskunnar almáttigs guðs.
> Now he didn't want to go after Thorvaldr and the others
> nor kill him, so as he had (the) choice, if he wanted,
> because he didn't want to do that to gain false dealings
> winter (this has to be wrong) reputation, as often can
> man's advice comes to pass, rather Hrafn wanted to have
> disgrace of men in report for God's sake and risk so his
> life to God Almighty's eternal life.
> Now he wanted no to send for that-one, Þorvaldr (or could
> be <those, Þorvaldr and co.>) nor to kill him, such as he
> had [the] opportunity, if he wanted, because he wanted not
> to do that for [the] esteem of a few winters (ie
> short-term glory), as often [the] counsels of persons
> (men) were-able (<kunnu>, 3rd person pl, past tense of
> <kunna> + inf, Z10) to happen, rather Hrafn would want to
> have (ie wear) [the] disgrace of persons (men) in [their]
> talk, for God’s sake and so to trust his life to the
> everlasting mercy of almighty God.
Now he wanted neither to send for Þorvald (and his
companions?) nor to kill him, such as he had an opportunity
[to do], because he did not want to do that for a few
years’s honor, as men’s lots could often become [i.e.,
short-term esteem might well be his only gain]; Hrafn would
rather have disgrace from people in [their] speech for God’s
sake and so stake his life on [the] everlasting mercy of
almighty God.
It seems conceivable that <svá sem hann átti kost, ef hann
vildi> is actually something like ‘so [far] as he had a
choice, whether he wanted [to]’.
> Fyrir þessa tryggð Hrafns ámæltu honum margir menn, fyrir
> þat, er hann hafði látit Þorvald undan ganga, svá sem
> Guðmundr skáld Galtason segir Guðrúnu, systur Hrafns, þá
> er hon spurði, hvat hann heyrði rætt um málaferli þeira
> Hrafns.
> Before this good faith of Hrafn, many men blamed him for
> that, when he caused Thorvaldr to escape, so as poet
> Gudmundr Galtson tells Gudrun, Hrafn's sister, when she
> asked, what he heard spoken concerning Hrafn and others'
> lawsuit.
> For this faith of Hrafn’s many persons blamed him, for
> that, that (ie because) he had let (allowed) Þorvaldr go
> away (escape), such as Guðmundr [the] scaldic-poet,
> Galti’s-son says to Guðrún, sister of Hrafn, when she
> asked, what he heard spoken concerning [the] lawsuits of
> them, Hrafn [and Þorvaldr].
Many people blamed him [= H.] for this loyalty of Hrafn’s
because he had let Þorvald escape, as Guðmund [the] skald
Galtason says to Guðrún, Hrafn’s sister, when she asked what
he heard said about their litigation, Hrafn’s [and
Þorvald’s].
> Hann sagði ok kvað vísu:
> He spoke and recited a verse:
> He said and recited a verse:
He told [her] and recited a verse:
> Heyrik Hrafni fjarða
> hyrtælendr ámæla,
> þjóð es til lymsk á láði,
> línspöng, of atgöngu.
> Raun mun segja sína
> seimhrjóðandi góða:
> Vígs es Ullr at öllu
> eitrþvengs fyrirleitinn.
> I hear Hrafn firth
> (hyrtælendr?) blame,
> people are wily to land,
> linen-spangle, for the attack.
> I will tell his experience
> Lavishly-cleared good:
> Slaying which Ullr to all
> poisonous thong circumspect.
> Hear-I - Hrafn - of [the] fjords
> [The] generous-men (Lex. Poet., lit: fire
> (gold)-enticed-ones?, ‘gold-lovers’?) blame
> People exist, cunning on land,
> woman (Lex. Poet., lit: linen-spangled-[one]), - over (ie
> for) [the] attack.
> His experience will say
> [The] generous man (Lex. Poet., lit: gold-unloader
> (distributor)) - good
> of battle - is Ullr Ullr (Æsir god of archery, presumably
> here = Hrafn based on MnI translation) in everything
> circumspect about [the] arrow/spear (? Lex. Poet., lit:
> snake (poison-thong (strap)= of battle)
I hear Hrafn by fjords’
fire deceivers blamed —
people on [the] land are [‘is’] too deceitful —
linen-ice-bridge, regarding aggression.
His good experience will tell
[the] gold-dismantler:
In all respects is Ull of battle’
venom-thong prudent.
<Hyrtælendr fjarða> looks like ‘fire-deceivers of fjords’,
but according to GPH it is to be understood as ‘deceivers of
(fire of fjords)’, i.e., ‘deceivers of gold’; these are
‘(generous) men’, here really just ‘men’.
<Línspöng> she glosses as ‘linen-land’, a kenning for
‘lady’. I’m not sure how one gets ‘land’ from <spöng>
‘spangle’; my best guess is that it comes from the secondary
sense ‘ice making a bridge across water’, and I’ve gone with
that idea in the translation above.
The exact sense of <hrjóðandi> in <seimhrjóðandi> isn’t
clear to me; GPH makes it ‘destroyer’, which I suppose
derives more or less from Z2. Here I could also see it as
‘emptier’. In any case we have a kenning for ‘(generous)
man’, here mostly just ‘man’.
In <Ullr eitrþvengs vígs> ‘Ullr of venom-thong of battle’
the theonym <Ullr> is to be understood simply as ‘god’, and
a ‘venom-thong’ is a snake, so we have ‘god of snake of
battle’, i.e., ‘god of sword or spear’, hence ‘(warlike)
man’.
The most troublesome phrase otherwise is <um atgöngu>. I
initially made it ‘concerning the attack’, but this gives
only a barely satisfactory sense. GPH indicates that
<atganga> can be ‘agression’ and makes it ‘for (lack of)
aggression’, which fits very well.
To preserve the lines I converted the clause in the first
two lines from active to passive. ‘Deceitful’ for <lymskr>
is from Baetke.
GPH disentangles it as follows, and I’ve followed this in my
attempt to produce a semi-intelligible translation that
preserves the individual lines; the English is my
modification of hers to bring it a little closer to what we
have from available dictionaries..
Linspǫng, heyri ek hyrtælendr fjarða ámæla Hrafni um
atgǫngu — þjóð á láði er til lymsk. Seimhrjóðandi mun
segja sína raun góða: Ullr eitrþvengs vígs er með ǫllu
fyrirleitinn.
Lady, I hear men blame Hrafn for regarding aggression
[i.e., for lack of it]. People in the country are too
deceitful. The man [= the speaker, Guðmund] will tell
his good experience: the man [= Hrafn] is in all respects
prudent.
This is close enough to Option B that I’ll let it stand for
that as well. It also accords with Option C save in the
interpretation of <um atgöngu>.
> [Option B]
> Heyrik fjarða hyrtælendr ámæla Hrafni of atgöngu. Þjóð es
> til lymsk á láði, línspöng. Seimhrjóðandi mun segja sína
> góða raun: Vígs eitrþvengs Ullr es at öllu fyrirleitinn
> I hear firth (hyrtælendr??) blame Hrafn for the attack.
> People who wily to land, linen-spangle. (???)
> Lavishly-cleared I will tell his good experience: The
> slaying's poisonous-thong of Ullr is at all circumspect.
> I-hear [the] generous-men (Lex. Poet., lit:
> fire-enticed-ones?, ‘gold-lovers’?) of [the] fjords blame
> Hrafn over (for) [the] attack. People exist, cunning on
> land, woman (Lex. Poet., lit: linen-spangled-[one]). [The]
> generous man (Lex Poet, lit: gold-unloader (distributor))
> will say from his good experience: Ullr (Æsir god of
> archery) is completely (lit: in everything) circumspect
> about [the] arrow/spear (? Lex. Poet. lit: snake
> (poison-thong (strap)= of battle).
> [Option C]
> Eg heyri menn ámæla Hrarfni fyrir atgönguna. Fólkið á
> jörðinni er mjög undirförult, kona. Eg mun segja frá minni
> góðu reynslu: Hrafn er að öllu leyti gætinn.
> I hear men blame Hrafn for the attack. The people on the
> earth are very false, woman. I will relate good memory
> experience: Hrafn is to all a share heedful.
> I hear people (men) blame Hrafn for the-attack. The-folk
> on the ground are very disingenuous, woman. I will say
> from my good experience: Hrafn is in every respect
> cautious.
> Þá er Þorvaldr kom í Ísafjörð, þá sagði hann allt annat um
> fundi þeira ok hver sætt verit hafði en var.
> When Thorvaldr arrived in Isafiord, then he told all
> others concerning their meeting and what agreement had
> been than was (?).
> When Þorvaldr came to Ísafjörðr, then he said ‘all
> different than was’ (ie he told complete porkies) about
> their meeting (confrontation) and what agreement had been
> (reached, ie what the terms of the settlement were).
When Þorvald came to Ísafjörð, he told everything otherwise
than [it] was about their encounter and what [the] agreement
had been.
> Of sumarit eftir riðu þeir Hrafn ok Þorvaldr með miklu
> fjölmenni báðir til alþingis.
> In the next summer, both Hrafn and Thorvaldr rode with
> many followers to the general assembly.
> In the-summer after, they, Hrafn and Þorvaldr both rode
> with a great many-people to [the] Althing.
The next summer Hrafn and Þorvald both rode with a great
many people to the Alþing.
> Á þingi var kníat mál þeira Þorvalds ok Hrafns.
> At the assembly the Thorvaldr's and Hrafn's case was
> debated.
> At [the] assembly was debated [the] case of them, Þorvaldr
> and Hrafn.
[The] matter of Þorvald and Hrafn was considered at the
þing.
> Váru í fyrstu öll vitni borin í hag Hrafni, svá sem
> málaefni váru til.
> First all the witnesses testified in favor of Hrafn, such
> who were circumstantial to the case.
> Firstly, all testimonies to the advantage of Hrafn were
> testified (given), such as [the]
> circumstances-and-nature-of-the-case existed.
At first all testimonies were given in favor of Hrafn,
according as matters had been [i.e., they were accurate].
> En er Þorvaldr knokaði sína menn til ljúgvitna ok
> eftirmælis við sik, þá drógust þeir í málinu ok mæltu þá
> eftir Þorvaldi allir nema einn maðr.
> But when Thorvaldr forced his men to (be) false witnesses
> and compliance against him (=Hrafn), then they drew
> themselves in the case and then took their part for
> Thorvaldr all except one man.
> But (And) when Þorvaldr thumped (used physical force on)
> his people (men) for the purpose of false-testimony and
> compliance with him (Þorvaldr), then they drew-themselves
> into the-case and took the part of (lit: spoke behind)
> Þorvaldr, all except one person (man).
But when Þorvald [physically] forced his men to perjury and
compliance with himself, they drew themselves into the case
and all save one man then took Þorvald’s part.
> Sá hét Vermundr.
> That one was named Vermundr.
> That-one (ie he) was-called Vermundr.
That one was called Vermund.
> Hann var sonr Þórðar Halldórssonar.
> He was the son of Thordr Halldorson's.
> He was [the] son of Þórðr, Halldórr’s-son
He was [the] son of Þórð Halldórsson.
> Hann bar öll vitni eftir því, sem Hrafnsmenn báru ok verit
> hafði.
> He testified completely in favor after that as Hrafn's men
> testified and had been.
> He testified (gave) all testimony behind (ie in line with)
> that, which Hrafn’s-people (men) testified and [which] had
> been (ie the truth)
He gave all testimonies according to that which Hrafn’s
people gave and [what] had been [the case].
> Þar varð ekki gert um mál þeira Hrafns ok Þorvalds, því at
> Þorvaldr helt ekki þat, er þeir höfðu á sætzt sín í milli.
> Hrafn's and Thorvaldr's case was not arbitrated there,
> because Thorvaldr didn't consider (I am assuming that
> "helt" should be "hélt") that, that they had reconciled
> between themselves.
> There (it) became not judged concerning their case,
> Hrafn’s and Þorvaldr’s because Þorvaldr observed not (ie
> disregarded) that, which they had come-to-agreement on
> between themselves.
No judgement was made there in the matter of Hrafn and
Þorvald, because Þorvald did not observe that which they had
agreed between themselves.
Brian