> 1. Frá Sigurði ok Illuga

> Concerning Sigurdi and Illuga

> 1. About Sigurðr and Illugi.

Of Sigurð and Illugi

> Sá konungr hefir ráðit fyrir Danmörku, er Hringr hét.

> The king, who was named Hringr, has ruled over Denmark.

> That king,, who was-call Hringr, has ruled (had authority,
> ráða fyrir e-u, Z1) over Denmark.

That king ruled [‘has ruled’] over Denmark who was called
Hring.

> Hann var Skjaldarson, Dagssonar.

> He was the son of Skjaldar, (who in turn was) the sone of
> Dags.

> He was [the] son of Skjöldr, son of Dagr.

He was the son of Skjöld, son of Dag.

> Þessi Skjöldr barðist við Hermann, sem segir í sögu þeira.

> This Skjaldar fought with Herman, as is told in their
> saga.

> This Skjöldr fought against Hermann, as [it] says in their
> saga.

This Skjöld fought against Herman, as [it] says in their
saga.

> Hringr konungr var vitr maðr ok vinsæll ok mildr af fé ok
> inn mesti bardagamaðr.

> King Hringr was a wise and popular man and liberal with
> money and the most warrior.

> King Hringr (it does have a ring to it) was a wise person
> (man) and popular and liberal of wealth and the greatest
> warrior

King Hring was a wise man and popular and generous with
wealth and the greatest warrior.

He belongs in a nursery rhyme; it might start <Hringr
konungr syngr á þingi>.

> Hann átti drottningu, er Sigríðr hét.

> He married the queen, who was named Sigridr.

> He had a queen, who was called Sigríðr.

He was married to a queen who was called Sigríð.

> Hún var dóttir Vilhjálms konungs ór Vallandi.

> She was the daughter of King Vilhjalm's from Valland.

> She was [the] daughter of King Vilhjálmr (William) out-of
> Valland (part of romano-celtic Europe, possibly Aquitaine,
> according to one source, Normandy to another)

She was the daughter of king Vilhjálm of Valland
[Romano-Celtic Europe or some part thereof, e.g., Normandy].

> Við henni átti hann þann son, er Sigurðr hét.

> With her they had the son who was named Sigurdr.

> With her he had that son, who was-called Sigurðr.

By her he had that son who was called Sigurð.

> Hann var allra manna fríðastr ok at íþróttum bezt búinn.

> He was of all men the most handsome and at sports the best
> prepared. (Z. bezt: bezt búinn = best equipped)

> He was of all persons (men) most-handsome and best endowed
> (<búinn>, Z2) with accomplishments (skills).

He was the handsomest of all men and the most accomplished
[‘best endowed with accomplishments’].

> Hann var blíðr við vini sína, örr af fé, en grimmr sínum
> óvinum.

> He was pleasant with his friends, open-handed with money,
> but dire to his enemies.

> He was friendly towards his friends, liberal of money, but
> grim (stern) with his enemies.

He was pleasant towards his friends, liberal with money, and
fierce to his enemies.

> Sviði hefir karl nefndr verit.

> A man has been named Svidi.

> An old-man has been named Sviði.

A man was [‘has been’] named Sviði.

I don’t think that <karl> and <kerling> in this and the next
sentence but one necessarily imply advanced age: I think
that they’re used to emphasize that Sviði and his wife are
commoners.

> Hann átti eitt garðshorn, harðla skammt frá
> konungshöllunni.

> He owned a cottage, a very short distance from the king's
> palace.

> He had a certain nook (corner)-of-a-courtyard (?), a very
> short-distance from the-king’s-hall

He owned a certain cottage [CV; literally ‘yard-nook’] a
very short distance from the king’s hall.

> Hann átti kerlingu, er hét Hildr.

> He married a woman who was named Hildr.

> He had (ie was married to) an old-woman, who was called
> Hildr.

He was married to a woman who was called Hild.

> Við henni átti hann einn son, er Illugi hét.

> With her he had a son, who was named Illugi.

> With her he had one son, who was-called Illugi.

By her he had one son, who was called Illugi.

> Hann var mikill vexti ok sterkr at afli, fimr var hann á
> alla leika.

> He was large in stature and great in physical strength, he
> was agile in all sports.

> He was large in stature and great of physical-strength (ie
> strong), agile was he at all sports.

He was great in stature and physical strength, [and] he was
agile at all games.

> Faðir hans var kallaðr Sviði inn sókndjarfi.

> His father was called Svidi the valiant.

> His father was called Sviði the valiant.

His father was called Sviði the martial [‘fight-bold’].

> Sigurðr konungsson ok Illugi lögðu leika með sér.

> Prince Sigurdr and Illugi made games with one another.

> Sigurðr [the] king´s-son and Illugi arranged [?] games
> amongst themselves.

Sigurð [the] king’s son and Illugi organized games with each
other.

I suspect that the actual sense is simply that they played
together.

> Átti Sigurðr marga leiksveina, ok bar hann langt af þeim,
> hvat sem þeir skyldu reyna, en Illugi vann hann í öllu.

> Sigurdr had many playmates, and he far surpassed them,
> however they should try, but Illugi beat him in
> everything. (Z. bera 11: b. af e-m, to surpass)

> Sigurðr had many playmates, and he far surpassed them,
> whatever they should try (put-to-the-test), but Illugi
> got-the-better of him in everything.

Sigurð had many playmates, and he far surpassed them,
whatever they might try [i.e., no matter what they were
playing], but Illugi beat him at everything.

> Ok svá kom, at þeir sórust í stallbræðralag ok skyldi
> hvárr annars hefna, ef þeir væri með vápnum vegnir.

> And it came to pass, that they swore in fellowship and
> each other should avenge, if they were slain with weapons.

> And so [it] came [about], that they swore brotherhood by
> mutual oath (swore one another into fellowship, <sverja>,
> Z2), and each should avenge [the] other, if they were
> slain with weapons.

And it came about that they swore fellowship by mutual oath
and would avenge each other if they were killed with
weapons.

> Var nú allkært þeira á milli.

> It was now very fond between them.

> Now [it] was very-dear between them (ie they were the best
> of pals).

There was now great affection between them.

> 2. Illugi banaði kveldriðu

> Illugi killed a witch.

> 2. Illugi killed a night-hag.

Illugi killed a night hag

> Björn hét maðr.

> There was a man named Bjorn.

> [There) was a person (man) called Björn.

There was a man called Björn.

> Hann var ráðgjafi konungs.

> He was the king's counsellor.

> He was a counsellor of [the] king.

He was the king’s counsellor.

> Honum var allt illa gefit, er honum var sjálfrátt.

> He was a bad man in everything of his own making. (CV gefa
> C: at henni hafi allt verit ílla gefit þat er henni var
> sjálfrátt, i. e. that she was a bad woman in everything of
> her own making (but well gifted by nature))

> To him all was badly given, which was within his power
> (either: (1) ‘Everything that was within his power was
> badly given (delivered) BY him (ie he was a untrustworthy
> adviser for the king)’ or, possibly: (2) ‘All power or
> authority invested in him was badly (ie ill-advisedly)
> given TO him’ (it was a mistake to make him the king’s
> adviser). (On the other hand, CV´s interpretation would
> be, I think, that ‘It was his own fault, that he proved
> himself bad.’ (close to my option 1) but I see that
> Lavender (2015) has a different translation again, but he
> is using a slightly different text.)

To him everything was badly given that was in his power.

This is the one really sticky bit in an otherwise pleasantly
straightforward selection. I’m inclined to think that it
means that everything that he chose to do [i.e., that was
under his control, in his power] worked out badly for him,
almost as if we had <gefizk> instead of <gefit>. For what
it’s worth, this interpretation is reasonably consistent
with the text of the ms. that Lavender used.

> Hann var lyginn ok lymskr at öllu, en þó eigi at síðr var
> hann inn mesti kappi ok varði land konungs fyrir víkingum,
> ok því mat konungr hann mikils.

> He was untruthful and cunning to all, yet he was not less
> the most zealous and was aware of the king's land for
> Vikings, and that the king estimated him highly. (CV
> lyginn = ying, untruthful)

> He was deceitful (<lyginn>, CV) and cunning in all
> [respects], but still not [none-the-] less was he the
> greatest man-of-valour, and defended (<verja>, Z1) [the]
> land of [the] king against pirates (vikings) and for that
> [reason] [the] king valued him greatly.

He was untruthful and wily in everything, but yet no less
was he the greatest champion and defended the king’s land
against freebooters, and therefore the king valued him
greatly.

I.e., he was no less a champion than he was a liar and a
schemer.

> Björn öfundaði þat mjök, at Illugi var svá kærr Sigurði
> konungssyni, ok svá kom, at hann rægði hann við þá feðga
> ok sagði Illuga vera ótrúan konungssyni.

> Bjorn very much envied that, that Illugi was so fond of
> Prince Sigurdi, and it came to pass, that he slandered him
> the father and son and said Illugi was the faithless
> king's son.

> Björn envied that greatly, that Illugi was so dear to
> Sigurðr [the] king’s-son (dative), and so [it] came
> [about], that he slandered him directed-to those, [the]
> father-and-son and said Illugi to be unfaithful (disloyal)
> to [the] king’s-son.

Björn much begrudged it that Illugi was so dear to Sigurð
[the] king’s son, and it came about that he slandered him to
the father and son [i.e., Hring & Sigurð] and said that
Illugi was faithless to the king’s son.

> Konungr hlýddi á þetta, en Sigurðr trúði því ekki.

> The king gave ear to this, but Sigurdr did not believe it.

> [The] king listened to (heeded) this, but Sigurðr believed
> that not.

The king heeded [‘listened to’] this, but Sigurð did not
believe it.

> Ferr nú svá fram um nokkura tíma, at Sigurðr konungsson er
> heima hjá föður sínum í mikilli sæmd ok virðingu.

> It now went thus forward for a certain time, that Prince
> Sigurdr is at home beside his father, also in much honor.

> [It] goes (present) now thus forward for some time, that
> Sigurðr [the] king’s-son is at-home with his father in
> great honour and esteem.

It now goes on thus for some time: that Sigurð [the] king’s
son is at home with his father in great honor and esteem.

> Einn tíma bað Sigurðr föður sinn at fá sér skip ok menn ok
> segist vilja ór landi at afla sér fjár ok frægðar.

> One time Sigurdr asked his father to get him a ship and
> men, and said for himself (that he) would (go) away from
> Iceland and earn for himself fame and wealth. (CV afla I)

> One time Sigurðr bade his father to get him a ship[s] and
> persons (men) and said-of-himself to want [to go] out of
> [the] land (Denmark)to earn for himself wealth and renown.

On one occasion Sigurð asked his father to give him a ship
and men and says that he wanted to [travel] away from the
country to earn wealth and fame for himself.

Here <skip> could also be plural.

Brian