Kapituli þrjá: Boris þattr ok hlynur konungs [Chapter Three: The Tale of Boris and the King´s maple tree]

The third chapter tells a tale of Boris kol-skegg after he got his own trading vessel. It is loosely based on a story that is told around the camp-fires at War.  This is Part One of this þáttr.  Part Two will be up tomorrow.

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Það kom þegar Boris Þorvaldarson sigldi til Trondheim í viðskiptum. Eftir að þeir land, tók hann áhöfn hans á skytnings-sofa. Þar drukku fylla þeirra. Þegar tíminn var að snúa aftur til skips þeirra, voru þeir miklu drykkjurútar. Sem þeir gengu, söng þau hávær lög ok lenti oft. Fundu þeir að stystu leiðin til baka til skips var að komast yfir í gegnum búi konungs.

Sem skáld segir:

Gjögrað kol-skeggr

þremr skautum -

hlæja skipa ok

syngur stúlkna.

Skella-hlægja

ok vísa hlóa

Það var á land konungs er lundi af trjám. það að kol-skeggr hljóp inn í tré sem var að minnsta kosti fætií ummál.

Boris sagði, 'Færa til hliðar þannig að ék kemst!

Tréð var hljóður

Boris öskraði, 'Færa! Ék er Boris kol-skeggr!

Tréð stóð hljóður.

Boris vafði öflugur  armleggr bjarnar hans í kringum tré ok tók á það. Áhöfn skipsins féll á jörðina hlæja að fyrirliði þeirra.Boris vann hart á trénu fyrr en dönsuðu með honum. Hann morðingi það frá grunni með rótum. Hann bartrénu að forsal konungs ok setti það þar.

Þá gall Boris:

Konung heyrðu

slarkarí kol-skeggr -

frið-maðr máttkir

drótinn mildi.

óvinnar þinn

ék mun upp-ræta

sem blað-rauði

rô Þorrs rífa apt

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There came a time when Boris Thorvaldarson sailed to Trondheim to trade. He took his crew with him when they landed and found the taverns. There they drank their fill. When time was to return to their ship, they were great drunkards. As they walked, they sang loud songs and stumbled often. They found that the shortest way back to their ship was to cross through the King's estate.

As the skald says:

staggers black-beard

three-sheets -

they laugh of the ship

and sing of girls.

He laughs at jokes

and verses bellows

There was on the King's land a grove of trees. It happened that black-beard ran into a tree which was a good foot around.

Boris said, ´move aside so I can pass!

The tree was silent

Boris yelled, ´Move! I am Boris kol-skeggr!

The tree stood silent.

Boris wrapped his powerful arms around the tree and pulled at it. The ship´s crew fell on the ground laughing at their captain. Boris worked hard at the tree until it danced with him. He ripped it from the ground by its roots. He carried the tree to the King´s porch and placed it there.

Then Boris yelled:

King, hear

drunkard black-beard

Might ally of

generous lord -

enemies thine

I will up-root

as the red-leaved

Thor´s yard-arm I tear up.

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