sumt af waru mali

[llama_nom]

A passage from Guta saga, first in Old Gutnish, then my very 
speculative attempt at putting saying the same thing in Gothic, then 
Old Icelandic, no doubt making mistakes in both!  English version 
third.

Siþan af þissum þrim aucaþis fulc i gutlandi som mikit um langan 
tima et land elpti þaim ai alla fyþa.  Þa lutaþu þair bort af landi 
huert þriþia þiauþ so at alt sculdu þair aiga oc miþ sir bort hafa 
som þair vfan iorþar attu... so fierri foru þair at þair quamu til 
griclanz... oc enn byggia oc enn hafa þair sumt af waru mali.

* Framuh þan þaim þrim þiuda in Gutlanda lagga hveila aiauk swa 
filu, ei ni mahta land ins allans fodjan.  Hlautam þan fairra landa 
gawalidedun hvanoh þridja mannan, swaei allata aihan skuldun jah at 
sis gahaban jah in wig niman, þatei ufar airþai aihtun... swa fairra 
galiþun, ei at Krekalanda qemun... jah nauh bauand jah nauh hva 
haband razdos unsaraizos.

* Síðan af þessum þrim aukuðusk fólk í Gotlandi svá mikit um langan 
tíma at land efldi þeim eigi alla fœða.  Þá hlutuðu þeir bort af 
landi hvern þriðja mann svá at allt skuldu þeir eiga ok með sér í 
bort hafa, sem þeir ofan jarðar áttu... svá fjarri fóru þeir at þeir 
kómu til Grikklands... ok enn byggja ok enn hafa þeir sumt af váru 
máli.

Then from these three [the three sons of the first inhabitants, 
Hafþi and Huitasteirna] the population of Gotland increased so much 
over a long time that the land couldn't feed them all.  Every third 
person they chose by lots to leave the land, allowing them to have 
and to keep with them when they left all that they owned above the 
earth [that is, all their moveable possessions]... so far did they 
go that they came to the Byzantine Empire... and dwell there still, 
and still have something of our speech.
_____________________________________________________________

Notes & head-scratchings

(1) et land elptj þaim ai alla fyþa.  If 'efla' is taken to mean "to 
be able", and 'alla' is the accusative object of 'fyþa', what is the 
role of 'þaim' in this sentence?  Is 'þaim' just something like "for 
them", "for their sakes", "to their benefit"?

(2) Had to make a lot of arbitrary choices at to word order in the 
Gothic.  Idiom-wise it's a mish-mash of Gothic usages supplemented 
by Old Gutnish phrasing.  I'm sure it would look very peculiar to 
and actual Goths.  All suggestions, questions, criticisms and 
queries welcome.  In particular, I'm curious to know how natural the 
Old Icelandic attempt sounds or whether there there are any idioms 
that seem out of place; unlike the Gothic, it's pretty much a 
straight transliteration into the standardized spelling.





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