> Ámundi var fátækr maðr ok bjó, þó hann ætti mikla ómegð.

> Amundi was a poor man and he had a household, although
> would have an obligation to many helpless people.

> Ámundi was a poor person (man) and kept-house (búa, Z6),
> [even] though he had great helplessness (incapacity to
> support himself)

Ámundi was a poor man and had a household [even] though he
had many dependents.

Baetke says that a colloquial meaning of <ómegð> was ‘the
<ómagar> whom one was to support’, where <ómagar> is plural,
‘people incapable of providing for themselves’, making
<ómegð> a collective noun in this sense. He offers the
example <hann átti fé lítit en ó[megð] mikla>, which
therefore presumably means ‘he had little wealth but many
dependents’. It seems to me likelier that he could maintain
a household, at least for a while, despite having many
dependents than despite being incapable of providing for
himself.

> Hann var Þorkelsson ok þingmaðr Hrafns.

> He was Thorkel's son and Hrafns liegeman.

> He was [the] son of Þorkell, and a liegeman of Hrafn.

He was Þorkel’s son and Hrafn’s þingman.

> Þorvaldr mælti svá við Kolbein ok hans förunauta, at þeir
> skyldi beiða Ámunda at fara at Hrafni með þeim, en ef hann
> vildi eigi fara, þá mælti Þorvaldr, at þeir skyldi vega
> hann.

> Thorvaldr spoke thus with Kolbein and his companions, that
> they should ask Amundi to go to Hrafn with them, but if he
> didn't want to go, then Thorvaldr (mæki?) that they should
> slay him.

> Þorvaldr spoke with Kolbeinn and his travelling-companions
> such, that they should ask Ámundi to attack (lit: go at,
> <fara at e-m>, Z18) Hrafn with them, but if he wanted not
> to go, then Þorvaldr spoke (presumably typo for <mælti>)
> that they should kill him.

Þorvald spoke thus to Kolbein and his companions: that they
should ask Ámundi to attack Hrafn with them, and if he did
not want to go, then Þorvald said that they should kill him.

I’ve corrected <mæki> to <mælti>; this again looks like an
OCR error.

> Þeir Kolbeinn fundu hann á heyteigi, er hann sló, en kona
> hans rakaði ljá eftir honum ok bar reifabarn á baki sér,
> þat er hon fæddi á brjósti.

> Kolbeinn and company found him at a strip of a hayfiled,
> which he was mowing, and his wife was raking (the)
> new-mown grass after him and was carrying an infant in
> swaddling bands on her back, the one that she was feeding
> at her breast. (Z. brjóst 2: fœða barn á brjósti, to feed
> a child at the breast)

> They, Kolbeinn [and co] found him in a
> strip-of-a-hayfield, when he cut [the grass], but (and)
> his wife raked [the] freshly-cut-grass behind him and
> carried a child-swaddling-bands on her back, that-one
> which she breast-fed (lit: fed by breast).

Kolbein and his companions found him at a strip of hay field
that he was mowing, and his wife was raking new-mown grass
behind him and carrying an infant in swaddling bands on her
back, the one that she fed at [her] breast.

> Þeir Kolbeinn beiddu Ámunda, at hann færi með þeim á Eyri
> til Hrafns, en Ámundi kveðst í engri þeiri ferð vera
> mundu, er Hrafni væri til óþykktar.

> Kolbeinn and company asked Amundi that he should go with
> them to Eyri to Hrafn, bet Amundi said for himself (that
> he) would not be on their journey when it would be discord
> to Hrafn.

> They, Kolbeinn [and co] asked Ámundi, that he journey with
> them to Eyrr to Hrafn, but (and) Ámundi
> declared-of-himself [that he] would be in no (dat sg fem
> of <engi>) such (dat sg fem of <sá>, Z2) journey, which
> was for-the-purpose of ill-will to Hrafn.

Kolbein and his companions requested of Ámundi that he
travel with them to Eyrr to Hrafn, and Ámundi said that he
would be in no such journey of theirs as would be in enmity
towards Hrafn.

> Þá hljópu þeir at honum ok vágu hann.

> Then they lept at him a slew him.

> Then they attacked (lit: ran at) him and killed him.

Then they attacked him and killed him.

> Síðan fóru þeir til fundar við Þorvald ok sögðu honum
> vígit, en hann lastaði eigi verkit.

> Then they went to meet with Thorvaldr and told him about
> the slaying, and he didn't blame the deed.

> After-that they journeyed to a meeting with (ie to see)
> Þorvaldr, and said (related] the-slaying to him, but (and)
> he spoke-not-ill of the-deed.

After that they travelled to meet with Þorvald and told him
[of] the killing, and he did not speak ill of the deed.

> Þá er þeir Þorvaldr kómu í Dýrafjörð, þá fór kona nökkur
> með skyndingi á Eyri til Hrafns ok sagði honum til fara
> þeira Þorvalds.

> When Thorvaldr and company arrived in Byrafiord, then some
> woman went with haste to Eyr to Hrafn and told him about
> Thorvaldr and company's travels.

> Then when they, Þorvaldr [and co] came to Dýrafjörðr, then
> a certain womanjourneyed with haste to Eyrr to Hrafn and
> informed him of [the] journeys of those, Þorvaldr [and
> co].

When Þorvald came to Dýrafjörð, a certain woman travelled
with haste to Eyrr to Hrafn and told him of [the] journeys
of Þorvald and his companions.

> Ok er Hrafn heyrði þau tíðendi, þá sendi hann menn til
> Selárdals til fundar við Eyvind ok bað hann safna liði ok
> fara til fundar við sik.

> And when Hrafn heard the news, then he sent men to
> Selardale to a meeting with Eyvind and asked him to gather
> troops and go to meet with him.

> And when Hrafn heard those tidings, then he sent persons
> (men) to Selárdalr to a meeting with (to see) Eyvindr and
> bade him gather troops and journey to a meeting with (to
> see) him.

And when Hrafn heard those tidings, he sent men to Selárdal
to meet with Eyvind and asked him to gather troops and
travel to meet with him [= Hrafn].

> Hrafn sendi ok menn til Barðastrandar til fundar við
> Steinólf prest Ljótsson ok Gelli Þorsteinsson ok bað þá
> koma til liðveizlu við sik.

> Hrafn also sent men to Bardastrand to meet with priest
> Steinolf Ljotson and Gellin Thorsteinson and asked them to
> come to support him.

> Hrafn also sent persons (men) to Barðaströnd to a meeting
> with (ie to see) priest Steinófr Ljótr’s-son and Gellir
> Þorsteinn’s-son and bade them come in support of him.

Hrafn also sent men to Barðaströnd to meet with Steinólf
[the] priest Ljótsson and Gellir Þorsteinsson and asked them
to come in support of him.

> Þeir Gellir kómu á Eyri með þá menn, er þeir fengu til.

> Gellir and the others arrived in Eyri with the men, whom
> they got.

> They, Gellir [and Steinólf] came to Eyrr with those men,
> which they got-hold-of.

Gellir [and Steinólf] came to Eyrr with those men whom they
got.

I suspect that there’s a connotation of ‘such men as they
were able to get’.

> Hrafn hafði gert virki mikit ok gott ór grjóti um bæ sinn.

> Hrafn had done a great and good deed out of stones
> concerning his farm. (huh?)

> Hrafn had built a great stronghold and good out of stones
> around his farmstead.

Hrafn had built a large and good stronghold out of stones
around his farm.

> Heimamenn Hrafns bjuggust við kvámu Þorvalds eftir öllum
> slíkum föngum sem til váru.

> Hrafn's servants prepared for Thorvaldr's arrival
> according to all such means as existed.

> [The] members-of-the-household of Hrafn readied-themselves
> against [the] coming of Þorvaldr by all such means as were
> available (existed)

[The] members of Hrafn’s household prepared for Þorvald’s
arrival by all such means as were available.

> Þeir menn, er eigi höfðu bolhlífar aðrar, skáru sér stakka
> ór þófum.

> The men, who didn't have other coverings for the body, cut
> short cloaks for themselves out of felt.

> Those persons (men), who had not other
> coverings-for-the-body, cut for themselves capes out-of
> felt.

Those men who had no other body covering cut themselves
short cloaks of saddle cloth.

> Þá kvað Sturla Bárðarson vísu:

> Then Sturla Bardarson recited a verse:

> Then Sturla Bárðr’s-son recited a verse.

Then Sturla Bárðarson recited a verse:

> Hlífðu hamri þæfðar
> hjaldrborðs viðum forðum,
> þjóð bjósk Þróttar klæðum
> þings, gráskyrtur hringa.
> Nú skerr margr í morgin
> mótrunnr of sik spjóta,
> mjótt verðr mér at hitta
> mitt hóf, söðulþófa.

> To a hammer they protected
> battle-table's masts previously,
> People made strength clothes
> assembly's, gray-shirt rings'.
> Many slaughter in morning
> against-tree of his spear,
> moderation becomes me to find
> my slim, saddle-felt.

> warriors (lit: trees of shields (boards-of-battle)) –
> formerly -
> Folk dressed themselves – of strength (or valour) - in
> clothes -
> of a battle – grey-shirts of rings.
> Now cuts many – this morning -
> a meeting-tree over himself – of spears,
> Narrow becomes for me to hit
> Middle-judgement (moderation) – saddle-felt.

By hammer pounded protected
battle-board’s trees in days of old —
people dressed themselves in clothes of Þrótt’s
þing — grey shirts of rings.
Now cuts this morning many a
spears’ moot-bush around himself —
it becomes hard [‘narrow’] for me to strike [the]
middle measure — saddle-felt.

<Hjaldrborðs viðir> ‘battle-board’s trees’ = ‘shield’s
trees’ are (warlike) men. <Klæði Þróttar þings> ‘clothes of
Þrótt’s assembly’ = ‘clothes of battle’ is armor: <Þróttr>
is one of Óðin’s names. <Gráskyrtur hringa> ‘grey shirts
[made] of rings’ are mail coats. And <mótrunnr spjóta>
‘moot-bush of spears’ is, according to GPH, to be
interpreted as if it were <runnr móts spjóta> ‘bush of
moot of spears’ = ‘bush of battle’, a (warlike) man.

The first four lines comprise two clauses. One is placed
parenthetically within the other; it is the syntactically
straightforward <þjóð bjósk Þróttar klæðum þings> ‘people
dressed themselves in armor’. The actual subject of the
other is <gráskyrtur hringa>: ‘Mail coats, by hammer
pounded, protected warriors in days of old’.

The second four lines also comprise two clauses, and again
the one placed parenthetically is syntactically pretty
straightforward: <mjótt verðr mér at hitta mitt hóf> ‘it
becomes hard for me to strike the middle measure’. I’ll
come back to the sense. The surrounding clause isn’t *too*
bad once one realizes that <spjóta> modifies <mótrunnr>:
‘Now this morning many a man cuts saddle-felt [to fit]
around himself’. The poet is apparently contrasting the
mail coats of the old days with the mere saddle-felt jackets
of his present and finding it hard to strike a happy medium
between them.

Putting it all together, with the kennings resolved:

In days of old mail coats, pounded by [the] hammer,
protected warriors; people dressed themselves in armor. Now
this morning many a man cuts saddle-felt [to fit] around
himself. It becomes hard for me to strike the middle
measure.

This is close enough to our Options B and C that I didn’t
bother with them this time.

> [Option B]

> Hamri þæfðar hringa gráskyrtur hlífðu forðum hjaldrborðs
> viðum.

> To a hammer stamps rings gray-shirt formerly defended
> battle-table's masts.

> Grey-shirts of rings fulled (ie pleated, folded, pp of
> <þoefa>, Z) by hammer (ie coats of ring-mail) protected
> formerly [the] warriors (lit: trees of boards-of-battle
> (ie shields)).


> Þjóð bjósk Þróttar þings klæðum.

> People made themselves ready strength assembly's clothes.

> Folk dressed-themselves with armour (byrnie-mail or
> helmet, lit: clothing of a battle (<þing>, Lex Poet 6) of
> strength (or valour)).


> Nú skerr margr spjóta mótrunnr í morgin söðulþófa of sik.

> Many spears now slaughter in morning saddle-felt of
> oneself.

> Now many a warrior (lit: meeting-tree (<mótruðr>, Lex
> Poet) of spears) this morning cuts saddle-felt over
> himself.


> Mjótt verðr mér mitt hóf at hitta

> My moderation becomes slim for me to find.

> Middle (<miðr>)-judgement (ie moderation, middle ground)
> becomes for me narrow (mjór, Z3) to hit (ie hard to
> strike)


> [Option C]

> Hringabrynjur hlífðu forðum bardagamönnunum.

> Coats-of-ring-mail formerly protected the warriors.

> Coats-of-ring-mail protected formerly [the] warriors.


> Menn færðu sig í brynjur.

> Men presented themselves in coats-of-mail.

> Persons (men) conveyed themselves in coats-of-mail.


> Nú sker margur maður í dag söðulþófa sér til hlífðar.

> Many a man now slaughters today saddle-felt onself to
> defence.

> Now many a person (man) today cuts saddle-felt for
> protection.


> Mér verður vandratað meðalhófið.

> It becomes for me a hard to find the right meed and
> measure. (CV vand-rataðr, part. difficult to find, of a
> road)

> The middle-course becomes for me hard-to-follow.


> Þá var með Hrafni Guðmundr Galtason.

> Gudmundr Galtason then stayed with Hrafn.

> Then (ie at that time) Guðmundr Galti’s-son was (ie
> stayed) with Hrafn.

Guðmund Galtason was then staying with Hrafn.

> Hann var skáld gott ok ódæll maðr ok heldr óargr
> viðskiptis.

> He was a good poet and a quarrelsome man and rather
> un-cowardly dealings.

> He was a good scaldic-poet and a quarrelsome person (man)
> and rather wild to deal with (lit: of dealings,
> <viðskipti>, Z1).

He was a good skald and a difficult man and rather savage in
his [‘of’] dealings.

> Þat hafði Hrafn mælt, at honum þótti þat líkast í hýbýlum
> Guðmundr skáld og hundr sá, er Rósta hét, og því reiddist
> Guðmundr.

> Hrafn had said that: that it seemed to him most likely in
> household poet Gudmundr and that dog, named Rosta, and
> Gudmundr got angry.

> Hrafn had spoken that, that that seemed to him most-likely
> [that] Guðmundr [the] scaldic-poet and that dog, which
> was-called Rósta [were] in [the] homestead, and Guðmundr
> got-angry at that.

Hrafn had said that he thought Guðmund [the] skald most like
[amongst those] in [the] household the dog that was called
Rósta [‘brawl, riot, tumult’], and Guðmund got angry at
that.

That is, he said that he thought that no one in the
household was as much like Rósta as Guðmund was, and Guðmund
took offence.

Brian