Sæmundr Sigfússon

“ At a hoary speaker laugh thou never; often is good that which the aged utter, oft from a shriveled hide discreet words issue; from those whose skin is pendent and decked with scars, and who go tottering among the vile. ”

“ To his friend a man should be a friend, and gifts with gifts requite. Laughter with laughter men should receive, but leasing with lying.
43. To his friend a man should be a friend; to him and to his friend; but of his foe no man shall the friend's friend be.
44. Know, if thou hast a friend whom thou fully trustest, and from whom thou woulds't good derive, thou shouldst blend thy mind with his, and gifts exchange, and often go to see him. ”

“ When the prudent and taciturn come to a dwelling, harm seldom befalls the cautious; for a firmer friend no man ever gets than great sagacity.
7. A wary guest, [2] who to refection comes, keeps a cautious silence, with his ears listens, and with his eyes observes: so explores every prudent man.
8. He is happy, who for himself obtains fame and kind words: less sure is that which a man must have in another's breast.
9. He is happy, who in himself possesses fame and wit while living; for bad counsels have oft been received from another's breast. ”

“ Cattle know when to go home, and then from grazing cease; but a foolish man never knows his stomach's measure.
22. A miserable man, and ill-conditioned, sneers at every thing: one thing he knows not, which he ought to know, that he is not free from faults.
23. A foolish man is all night awake, pondering over everything; he then grows tired; and when morning comes, all is lament as before.
24. A foolish man thinks all who on him smile to be his friends; he feels it not, although they speak ill of him, when he sits among the clever. ”

“ I have never found a man so bountiful, or so hospitable that he refused a present; or of his property so liberal that he scorned a recompense.
40. Of the property which he has gained no man should suffer need; for the hated oft is spared what for the dear was destined. Much goes worse than is expected. ”

“ It is better to live, even to live miserably; a living man can always get a cow. I saw fire consume the rich man's property, and death stood without his door.
71. The halt can ride on horseback, the one-handed drive cattle; the deaf fight and be useful: to be blind is better than to be burnt: [5] no one gets good from a corpse. ”

“ Little are the sand-grains, little the wits, little the minds of [some] men; for all men are not wise alike: men are everywhere by halves.
54. Moderately wise should each one be, but never over-wise: of those men the lives are fairest, who know much well. ”

“ For a gazing-stock no man shall have another, although he come a stranger to his house. Many a one thinks himself wise, if he is not questioned, and can sit in a dry habit.
31. Clever thinks himself the guest who jeers a guest, if he takes to flight. Knows it not certainly he who prates at meat, whether he babbles among foes.
32. Many men are mutually well-disposed, yet at table will torment each other. That strife will ever be; guest will guest irritate.
33. Early meals a man should often take, unless to a friend's house he goes ”

“ A son is better, even if born late, after his father's departure. Gravestones seldom stand by the way-side unless raised by a kinsman to a kinsman.
73. Two are adversaries: the tongue is the bane of the head: under every cloak I expect a hand. ”

“ If thou hast another, whom thou little trustest, yet wouldst good from him derive, thou shouldst speak him fair, but think craftily, and leasing pay with lying.
46. But of him yet further, whom thou little trustest, and thou suspectest his affection; before him thou shouldst laugh, and contrary to thy thoughts speak: requital should the gift resemble.
47. I was once young, I was journeying alone, and lost my way; rich I thought myself, when I met another. Man is the joy of man.
48. Liberal and brave men live best, they seldom cherish sorrow; but a base-minded man dreads everything ”

“ An early sown field let no one trust, nor prematurely in a son: weather rules the field, and wit the son, each of which is doubtful;
89. A brother's murderer, though on the high road met, a half-burnt house, an over-swift horse, (a horse is useless, if a leg be broken) , no man is so confiding as to trust any of these. ”

“ With thy friend be thou never first to quarrel. Care gnaws the heart, if thou to no one canst thy whole mind disclose.
124. I counsel thee, etc. Words thou never shouldst exchange with a witless fool;
125. For from an ill-conditioned man thou wilt never get a return for good; but a good man will bring thee favour by his praise.
126. There is a mingling of affection, where one can tell another all his mind. Everything is better than being with the deceitful. He is not another's friend who ever says as he says. ”

“ He thinks himself wise, who can ask questions and converse also; conceal his ignorance no one can, because it circulates among men.
29. He utters too many futile words who is never silent; a garrulous tongue, if it be not checked, sings often to its own harm. ”

“ A better burthen no man bears on the way than much good sense; that is thought better than riches in a strange place; such is the recourse of the indigent.
11. A worse provision on the way he cannot carry than too much beer-bibbing; so good is not, as it is said, beer for the sons of men.
12. A worse provision no man can take from table than too much beer-bibbing: for the more he drinks the less control he has of his own mind.
13. Oblivion's heron 'tis called that over potations hovers; he steals the minds of men. With this bird's pinions I was fettered in Gunnlods dwelling. ”

“ Such are riches; as is the twinkling of an eye: of friends they are most fickle.
79. A foolish man, if he acquires wealth or woman's love, pride grows within him, but wisdom never: he goes on more and more arrogant.
80. Then 'tis made manifest, if of runes thou questionest him, those to the high ones known, which the great powers invented, and the great talker [7] painted, that he had best hold silence.
81. At eve the day is to be praised, a woman after she is burnt, a sword after it is proved, a maid after she is married, ice after it has passed away, beer after it is drunk. ”

“ My garments in a field I gave away to two wooden men: heroes they seemed to be, when they got cloaks: exposed to insult is a naked man.
50. A tree withers that on a hill-top stands; protects it neither bark nor leaves: such is the man whom no one favours: why should he live long? ”

“ He [only] knows not who knows nothing, that many a one apes another. One man is rich, another poor: let him not be thought blameworthy.
76. Cattle die, kindred die, we ourselves also die; but the fair fame never dies of him who has earned it. ”

“ Taciturn and prudent, and in war daring, should a king's children be; joyous and liberal every one should be until his hour of death.
16. A cowardly man thinks he will ever live, if warfare he avoids; but old age will give him no peace, though spears may spare him. ”