At the beginning of this year,
I posted some of my favorite sayings from Hávamál.
Well, here are some more good ones:
23. Ósviðr maðr
vakir um allar nætr
ok hyggr at hvívetna;
þá er móðr
er at morgni kemr,
allt er víl sem var.
"A stupid man stays awake all night
pondering his problems;
he's worn out when morning comes
and whatever was, still is."
35. Ganga skal,
skal-a gestr vera
ey í einum stað;
ljúfur verðr leiðr,
ef lengi sitr
annars fletjum á.
"Don't stay forever when you visit friends,
know when it's time to leave;
love turns to loathing if you sit too long
on someone else's bench."
43. Vin sínum
skal maðr vinr vera,
þeim ok þess vin;
en óvinar síns
skyli engi maðr
vinar vinr vera.
"A man should be faithful to a friend
and to the friends of a friend;
it is unwise to offer friendship
to a foe's friend."
52. Mikit eitt
skal-a manni gefa;
oft kaupir sér í litlu lof,
með halfum hleif
ok með höllu keri
fékk ek mér félaga.
"You don't have to give large gifts always,
small things often suffice;
half a loaf and a lifted goblet
have found me friends."
57. Brandr af brandi
brenn, unz brunninn er,
funi kveikisk af funa;
maðr af manni
verðr at máli kuðr
en til dælskr af dul.
"Flames from one log leap to another,
fire kindles fire;
a man's wit shows in his words,
stupidity is silent."
59. Ár skal rísa
sá er á yrkjendr fáa
ok ganga síns verka á vit;
margt of dvelr
þann er um morgun sefr,
hálfur er auðr und hvötum.
"Get up early if you have few men,
and attend to your tasks yourself;
much slips by while you lie in bed--
work is half of wealth."
63. Fregna ok segja
skal fróðra hverr,
sá er vill heitinn horskr,
einn vita
né annarr skal,
þjóð veit, ef þrír ro.
"A man will ask and answer questions
if he wants to be called wise;
one man can know something but two should not
the whole world knows if three do."
74. Nótt verðr feginn
sá er nesti trúir,
skammar ro skips ráar;
hverf er haustgríma;
fjölð of viðrir
á fimm dögum
en meira á mánuði.
"Night is friendly if you have enough food.
A ship has small cabins.
Don't trust the autumn night.
The weather seldom stays five days the same,
but it changes more in a month."
78. Fullar grindr
sá ek fyr Fitjungs sonum,
nú bera þeir vonar völ;
svá er auðr
sem augabragð,
hann er valtastr vina.
"I saw the full-stocked fields of Fitjung's sons
who now bear beggars' staves.
Don't trust wealth-- in the twinkling of an eye
it can prove a fickle friend."
95. Hugr einn þat veit
er býr hjarta nær,
einn er hann sér um sefa;
öng er sótt verri
hveim snotrum manni
en sér engu að una.
"Only you can know what lives near your heart,
see clearly into yourself;
for the wise man, no sickness is worse
than nothing left to love."
119. Ráðumk þér, Loddfáfnir,
en þú ráð nemir, -
njóta mundu ef þú nemr,
þér munu góð, ef þú getr -:
veistu, ef þú vin átt
þann er þú vel trúir,
far þú at finna oft,
því at hrísi vex
ok hávu grasi
vegr, er vættki treðr.
"Heed my words, Loddfafnir, listen to my counsel;
you'll be better off if you believe me,
follow my advice, and you'll fare well:
if you have faith in a friend of yours,
go to find him often;
brushwood and grass will soon grow high
on a road no travelers take."
124. Sifjum er þá blandat,
hver er segja ræðr
einum allan hug;
allt er betra
en sé brigðum at vera;
er-a sá vinr öðrum, er vilt eitt segir.
"True bonds are formed where men keep faith
and don't hide their hearts.
Anything is better than a breach of friendship--
a real friend will say what you'd rather not hear."
131. Ráðumk þér, Loddfáfnir,
en þú ráð nemir, -
njóta mundu, ef þú nemr,
þér munu góð, ef þú getr -:
varan bið ek þik vera
ok eigi ofvaran;
ver þú við öl varastr
ok við annars konu
ok við þat it þriðja
at þjófar né leiki.
"Heed my words, Loddfafnir, listen to my counsel;
you'll be better off if you believe me,
follow my advice, and you'll fare well:
I bid you be careful, but don't overdo it;
watch out for ale or another man's wife,
and don't let theives play you tricks."
133. Oft vitu ógörla
þeir er sitja inni fyrir
hvers þeir ro kyns, er koma;
er-at maðr svá góðr
at galli né fylgi,
né svá illr, at einugi dugi.
"Those already arrived are often unable
to tell a newcomer's kin;
you'll never find a man without a fault
or one so evil he's no use at all."