Showing posts with label The Foolish Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Foolish Man. Show all posts

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Here's another selection from Old Norse

This is a selection of four stanzas from Hávamal (Sayings of the High One) that I think is full of very good advise:

23. Ósnotr maðr vakir um allar mætr
oc hyggr at hvívetna;
þá er móðr, er at morni kømr,
alr er vil, sem var.

24. Ósnotr maðr hyggr sér alla vera
viðhlæiendr vini;
hitki hann fiðr þótt þeir um hann fár lesi,
ef hann með snotrom stir.

25. Ósnotr máðr hyggr sér alla vera
viðhlæiendr vini
þá þat finnr, er at þingi kømr,
at hann á formælendr fá.

77. Deyr fé, deyia frændr,
deyr siálfr it sama;
ec veit einn, at aldri deyr:
dómr um dauðan hvern.


Here's what it means in idiomatic english:

23. The foolish man wakes all night
and thinks at everything;
then is weary, when it comes to morning,
all trouble is, as it was.

24. The foolish man thinks all are friends to him
who laugh with him;
that he does not notice, even if they speak hostile words about him,
when he sits among the wise

25. The foolish man thinks all are friends to him
who laugh with him
then he finds that, when he comes to the assembly
that he has few advocates.

77. Cattle die, kinsmen die,
the self must also die:
I know one (thing) that never dies:
the reputation of each dead man.