Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1959, Blaðsíða 144
130
These mistakes are all due to cultural differences between the French
and the Norsemen. But in other cases the translator has not understood
the meaning of a verse. The strange translation of v. 36,
En France, ad Ais, s’en deit ben repairer.
Kms: ok åtti hann nu at fara til Frakklands, f>ar er hann i hoglifi miklu
(p. 485^-8),
has been explained by Stengel21: the translator has read ad A is as ad aise.
The translator does not seem to understand what the name Ais refers to;
only once, in v. 52 (at Eis kapellu sinni, p. 48518-19), has the name been
retained; in vv. 135, 188, 435, 478, and 2556 he has “in France” only22.
Vv. 351-52,
En la cort al rei mult i avez ested,
Noble vassal <vos i solt hom clamer,
are translated:
Mjok erum <vér hér til virSir af Karlamagnusi konungi fyrir sakir låvarSs vårs
Guineluns jarls (p. 4939-10).
Apparently the translator thought that the verses applied to Ganelon’s
men, not to himself. He may have read nos for vos in v. 352, and taken
noble vassal as a plural rather than a singular: there are other instances
which show that the translator did not quite understand the French case
system.
Strange also is the translation of v. 621,
Entre les helz ad plus de mil manguns,
Kms: En å Jm sverSi var merkt as jona Makons (p. 4989-10),
and that of v. 1933,
Ki plus sunt neirs que nen est arrement,
Kms: ok var hundraS hlutum svartara en aSrir menn (p. 5207"8).
In both cases the translation is nonsensical23.
borgarveggr and thought it had something to do with the city of Nobles, mentioned
in vv. 1775-76.
The Welsh translator, too, has misunderstood the word Munjoie, v. Stengel’s ed.,
notes to vv. 1260 and 1378: “And then he gave them a shout, as loud as they (sic)
could, from the mount of joy —”, (see also the ed. of the Welsh version, p. 50514).
21 In his critical edition, note to v. 36.
22 In branch I of Kms the city of Aix is frequently mentioned.
23 Cp. also Rol. Bor. p. 32-33, and Unger’s introduction, p. xxxil.