Anon Hsv 118VII
Tarrin Wills and Stefanie Gropper (eds) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Hugsvinnsmál 118’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 430-1.
text and translation
Upptekna sýslu ef þú eigi
orka mátt einsamall,
tryggvan vin bið þú ténaðar;
vel kveða dyggva duga.
Ef þú eigi mátt orka einsamall upptekna sýslu, bið þú tryggvan vin ténaðar; kveða dyggva duga vel.
‘If you cannot manage alone a job [you have] started, ask a loyal friend for help; they say that reliable people help well.’
notes and context
Lat. parallel: (Dist. IV, 13) Auxilium a notis petito si forte labores; / nec quisquam melior medicus quam fidus amicus ‘Ask for aid from your associates when you are having difficulties; no one is a better doctor than a faithful friend’. — [1-3]: Line 2 is too short. Skj B and Skald have an alternative, metrically sound w.o. deriving from Hallgrímur Scheving’s text: Upp tekna sýslu | ef þú eigi mátt | orka einn saman.
readings
- [2] eigi: om. 723aˣ
- [3] orka mátt einsamall: einn saman orka mátt 720a IV, eigi orkat getr 723aˣ
- [6] kveða: munu 723aˣ
- [6] dyggva: dyggvir 723aˣ
- [6] duga: so 720a IV, 723aˣ
- [einn sam] dugaz 1199ˣ
sources
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
-
Lbs 1199 4°x (1199x) — 75r/3 - 75r/4
imagesUpptekna sýslu
ef þú eigi
orka mátt einsamall,
tryggvan vin
bið þú ténaðar;
vel kveða dyggva dugaz.Vpptekna Sijslu ef þu eigi or | ka mätt einsamall, triggvann vin bid þu tienadar, vel qveda diggua dugast. |
(VEÞ)
-
AM 720 a IV 4° (720a IV) — 2r/19 - 2v/2
imagesUpptekna sýslu
ef þú eigi
einn saman orka mátt ,
tryggvan vin
bið þú ténaðar;
vel kveða dyggva duga.Wpp tekna syslu ef || þu ey einnsamann orka mꜳtt· trygguann w|in bid þu tienadar wel kueda dyggua duga |
(TW)
-
AM 723 a 4°x (723ax) — 82/17 - 82/19
imagesUpptekna sýslu
ef þú
eigi orkat getr ,
tryggvan vin
bið þú ténaðar;
vel munu dyggvir duga.Upptekna syslu ef þu einsaman, ei orkad | getur, tryggvann vin bid þu tienadar, vel munu dygg|ver duga.
(TW)
editions and texts
Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], [C. E/5]. Hugsvinnsmál 117: AII, 191, BII, 205, Skald II, 107; Hallgrímur Scheving 1831, 28, Gering 1907, 32, Tuvestrand 1977, 136, Hermann Pálsson 1985, 111.
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