> Hann bjó sik við þessum fundi frá því, sem aðrir menn.
> He himself lived by these fights about that, as other men.
> He readied himself against (prepared himself for) this
> meeting (battle) from that [moment, point in time, (of
> that exchange)], as (ie like) the other persons (men)..
He prepared for this battle from that [moment] like [the]
other men.
> Hann tók eina nautshúð hráblauta ok skar á rauf ok fór í
> ok gyrði at sér með reipi, eina öxi mikla í hendi, ok gekk
> út ok inn ok kvað:
> He took a raw cow-hide and cut a hole in (it) and went in
> and girded himself with a rope, a large ox in hand, and
> went outside and inside and said:
> He took one raw cow-hide and cut a hole in [it] and put it
> on (lit: went into [it], cf <fara I klæði>, Z18) and
> fastened a certain large axe (fem acc sg), in hand, to
> himself with a rope, and walked (stepped) out and in and
> declared:
He took one cowhide and cut a hole in [it] and put it on and
girded [it] about himself with a rope, [took] a great axe in
hand and walked outside and [back] in and recited:
> Skalk með skjaldar runni,
> skapaðr erumk aldr, at gunni,
> koma mun geira gjósta,
> ganga fram sem Rósta.
> Okkr þurfut nú, ella
> þeirs oft á mik skella,
> svinnt munk seðja hrafna,
> saman of allt at jafna.
Following GPH I’ve changed the first word in the seventh
line to <svinnt>, which accords better with the ms. evidence.
She discusses the choice and acknowledges that the choice by
some editors to read <sýnt> ‘evidently, certainly’ is
understandable.
> With shield bush I shall,
> my lifetime is fixed, to war,
> I will gush spears,
> go forward as Rosta.
> It was not necessary now for us,
> for them to often strike me,
> I will certainly satisfy the ravens,
> together of all to make equal.
> I-shall with warriors (lit: shield’s-bushes (trees), acc.
> pl.) -
> Lifetime (as in fate or destiny) is assigned (“shaped”)
> for me – to battle -
> A battle (lit: a “gushing” (wind-gust) of spears) will
> come -
> go (step) forward, like Rósta.
> Us (ie Guðmundr and Rósta) need-not (verb + enclitic neg.
> <at>) now,
> Those-who (<þeirs> = <þeir es (er)>) often scold (as
> distinct from scald ) me , -
> Clearly I-will satiate ravens -
> together always (see <of allt> under <of>, Z1) to compare.
I couldn’t quite preserve the lines: I had to interchange
<ella> and <þeirs>.
I shall with shield’s bush —
I am alloted a lifetime — to battle —
a gust of spears will come —
go forth like Rósta.
Us two they need not now, they who
otherwise often scold me —
I shall judiciously sate ravens —
compare in every respect.
<Skjaldar runnr> ‘shield’s bush’ is a kenning for a (warlike)
man, here referring to Hrafn, and <geira gjósta> ‘gust of
spears’ is of course battle. Untangling the syntax a bit
makes it:
Ek skal ganga fram með skjaldar runni sem Rósta at gunni —
skapaðr erumk aldr — koma mun geira gjósta. Þeir es opt
ella skella á mik þurfut nú at jafna okkr saman um allt —
ek mun svinnt seðja hrafna.
I shall go forth with [the] man [= Hrafn] like Rósta to
battle — a lifetime is allotted to me [i.e., my span is
already fixed] — battle will come. They who often
otherwise scold me need not now compare us two [i.e., me
and Rósta] in every respect — I shall judiciously sate
ravens.
GPH notes that the exact force of <ella> ‘otherwise’ here
is doubtful; I’ve followed her in construing it with
<þurfut>. If indeed we have <svinnt>, the sense of the
last clause is perhaps that he will battle intelligently,
not recklessly.
> [Option B]
> Skalk ganga fram með skjaldar runni at gunni sem Rósta.
> Skapaðr erumk aldr. Geira gjósta mun koma. Þurfut nú þeirs
> ella skella oft á mik, at jafna okkur saman of allt. Munk
> sýnt seðja hrafna.
> I shall go forward with shield bush to war as Rosta. My
> lifetime is for me fixed. A gust of spears will come. Now
> it was not necessary for them or to often strike me, that
> we are equally the same too all. I will certainly satisfy
> the ravens.
> I-shall go (step) forward with warriors (lit:
> shield’s-bushes (trees), acc. pl) to battle like Rósta.
> Lifetime (as in one´s destiny or fate) is assigned to me.
> A battle [lit: wind-gust (“gushing”) of spears] will come.
> Now, those-who (<þeirs> = <þeir es (er)>) often scold (as
> distinct from scald ) me otherwise, need-not to compare
> us (ie Guðmundr and Rósta) (together) always (see <of
> allt> under <of>, Z1). I-will clearly satiate ravens.
<Runni> is dative singular.
> [Option C]
> Eg skal ganga fram með bardagamanninum í orrustunni eins
> og Rósta. Aldur minn er ákveðinn. Bardagi mun koma. Nú
> þurfa þeir ekki, sem kasta annars oft til min orði, að
> jafna okkur saman um alla hluti. Eg mun vissulega vega
> menn.
> I shall go forward with warriors into the battle as Rosta.
> (Z. eins: eins ok = as) My lifetime is fixed. A battle
> will come. Now they do no need, who often throw otherwise
> to my word, that makes us equal together concerning all
> matters. I will certainly kill men.
> I shall go (step) forward with the-warriors into
> the-battle just-like Rósta. My lifetime (as in destiny or
> fate) is fixed. A battle will come. Now they, who address
> (lit: cast) a word (neut dat sg.) otherwise often to me
> (gen sg) (ie who often tell me the complete opposite),
> need not to compare us (ie Guðmundr and Rósta) (together)
> in all respects. I will certainly kill persons (men).
> Þorvaldr kom á Eyri með hundrað manna, ok er hann sér
> viðrbúning Hrafns, bæði virkit ok fjölmenni mikit, þá
> sýndist honum óárenniligr bálkr þeira.
> Thorvaldr arrived at Eyri with 99 men, and when he sees
> Hrafn's dealings with, both the work and many followers,
> then it seemed to him not easy to attack their group.
> Þorvaldr came to Eyrr with a hundred (+ 20 perhaps) (of)
> persons (men), and when he sees [the] preparation of
> Hrafn, both the-stronghold and [the] great many persons
> (men), then their balk (partition, defensive barrier or
> set-up, nominative) seemed to him not easy to attack.
Þorvald came to Eyrr with 120 men, and when he sees Hrafn’s
preparations, both the stronghold and the large number of
men, their wall seemed to him not easy to attack.
> Síðan settist Þorvaldr niðr á brekku einni skammt frá
> virkinu.
> Thorvaldr then sat himself down at a slope a short way
> from the (stone)works.
> After-that Þorvaldr sets-himself down on a certain slope a
> short-distance from the-stronghold.
After that Þorvald sat down on a certain slope a short
distance from the stronghold.
> Eyvindr Þórarinsson hafði safnat liði um Tálknafjörð ok
> Dali í Arnarfirði ok fór skipaliði til Eyrar.
> Eyvindr Thorarinson had gathered troops across Talknafiord
> and Dali in Arnarfirth and a naval force went to Eyrar.
> Eyvindr Þórarinn’s-son had gathered troops throughout
> Tálnafjörðr and Dalr in Arnarfjörðr and journeyed by
> naval-force (lit: troop-of-ships, neut. dat. sg.) to Eyrr.
Eyvind Þórarinsson had gathered troops throughout
Tálknafjörð and Dal in Arnarfjörð and travelled [with] a
naval force to Eyrr.
> Nú er Þorvaldr sá, hvar skipin fóru, þá fór hann ofan til
> sjóvar með flokk sinn ok ætlaði at vera á ströndu fyrir,
> er þeir Eyvindr kæmi at landi.
> Now when Thorvaldr saw where the ships went, then he went
> down to the sea with his body of men and intended to be in
> front at the beach where Eyvindr and company would arrive
> on land.
> Now when Þorvaldr saw, where the-ships journeyed, then he
> journeyed down to [the] sea with his body-of-men (party)
> and intended to be on [the] strand before (ie in advance
> of), when they Eyvindr [and co] would-come to land
> (ashore).
Now when Þorvald saw where the ships were travelling, he
went down to the sea with his company and intended to be
present on [the] beach when Eyvind and his men landed.
> Eyvindr sá, hvar flokkrinn Þorvalds var í fjörunni fyrir.
> Eyvindr saw where Thorvaldr's body of men was on the beach
> before (him).
> Eyvindr saw, where the-body-of-men of Þorvaldr was on
> the-foreshore before (ie already, in advance of himself).
Eyvind saw where Þorvald’s company was on the beach first.
> Hann mælti við sína förunauta, at þeir skyldi eigi at
> landi leggja skipin.
> He spoke with his companions that they should not land the
> ships on the land. (Z. leggja 10: Leggja at, to land)
> He spoke with his travelling-companions, that they should
> not land the-ships (lit: lay the-ships to land).
He said to his companions that they should not land the
ships.
> Þorvaldr kallaði á skipamennina ok spurði, hverr fyrir
> réði, en honum var sagt, at Eyvindr Þórarinsson réði
> fyrir.
> Thorvaldr called to the seamen and asked who would
> command, and he was told that Eyvindr Thorarinson
> commanded.
> Þorvaldr called to the-seamen (lit: persons of ships), and
> asked, who was-in-command but (and) to him [it] was said,
> that Eyvindr Þórarinn’s-son was-in-command.
Þorvald called to the seamen and asked who was in command,
and he was told that Eyvind Þórarinsson was in command.
> Þorvaldr kallaði á Eyvind ok mælti, at hann skyldi leggja
> at landi skipin, — "því at ek vil tala við þik."
> Thorvaldr called to Eyvindr and sais that he should land
> his ships "because I want to talk with you."
> Þorvaldr called to Eyvind and spoke, that he should land
> the-ships (lit: lay the-ships to land), - “because I want
> to talk with you.’
Þorvald called to Eyvind and said that he should land the
ships — ‘because I want to talk to you.’
> Eyvindr svarar: "Ef þú átt nökkut vanmælt við mik, þá mæl
> þú þaðan, sem nú ertu kominn, en ek mun heðan svara, sem
> ek er kominn, því at ek á ekki vanmælt við þik."
> Eyvindr answers: "If you have something to say to me, then
> speak from there, where you have now arrived, and I will
> answer from this place, where I have arrived, because I
> don't have anything to say to you."
> Eyvindr answers: “If you have anything to say (lit:
> left-unsaid) with me, then speak-you from-there, where now
> you are (have) come, but (and) I will answer from-here,
> where I am (have) come, because I have not nothing to say
> (lit: left-unsaid) with you.”
Eyvind replies: ‘If you have anything to say to me, then
speak from there where you have come, and I will answer from
here, where I have come, because I have nothing to say to
you.’
> Þá svaraði Þorvaldr engu.
> Then Thorvaldr didn't answer anything.
> Then Þorvaldr answered nothing
Then Þorvald gave no answer [‘answered [with] nothing’].
> Þá sá þeir, er í virkinu váru, flokk Þorvalds ok
> skipamennina, hvar þeir kölluðust á.
> Then they saw those who were in the stronghold,
> Thorvaldr's body of men and seamen, where they called to.
> Then those, who were in the-stronghold, saw
> the-body-of-men of Þorvaldr and the-seamen (lit: persons
> (men)-of-[the]-ships), where they called to each-other.
Then those who were in the stronghold saw Þorvald’s company
and the seamen where they called to each other.
> Í virkinu váru bræðr Eyvindar tveir, Tómas ok Halldórr, ok
> er þeir sá, hvar Eyvindr var kominn skipum sínum, þá ganga
> þeir ór virkinu með miklum flokki á móti Eyvindi, ok er
> Þorvaldr sá för þeira, þá gengr hann á braut ór fjörunni.
> In the stronhold were two of Eyvindr's brothers, Tomas and
> Halldor, and when they saw that, where his ships had
> arrived, then they go out of the stronghold with a great
> boyd of men towards Eyvindr, and when Thorvaldr and
> company saw their movement, then he went away off of the
> beach.
> In the-stronghold were two brothers of Eyvindr, Tómas and
> Halldórr, and when they say, where Eyvindr was (had) come
> with his ships, then the walk out-of the-stronghold with a
> large body-of-men to a meeting with (ie to meet) Eyvindr,
> and when Þorvaldr saw their journey, then he walks away
> out-of the-foreshore.
In the stronghold were two of Eyvind’s brothers, Tómas and
Halldór, and when they saw where Eyvind had come [with] his
ships, they went out of the stronghold against Eyvind with a
large company, and when Þorvald saw their journey, he walks
away from the beach.
Brian