Geta má þess, er gengit hefr;
gerir sá betr, er annan svefr;
veitkat víst, hvat verða kann;
villa er dælst of heimskan mann.
Fláráðum má trautt of trúa;
til sín skyldi inu betra snúa;
hugga skal, þann er harm hefr beðit;
hølzti mjǫk er at flestu kveðit.
Má geta þess, er hefr gengit; sá gerir betr, er svefr annan; veitkat víst, hvat kann verða; er dælst villa of heimskan mann. Má trautt of trúa fláráðum; skyldi snúa inu betra til sín; skal hugga, þann er hefr beðit harm; hølzti mjǫk er at flestu kveðit.
What has passed can be related; he does better who soothes another; I know not for certain what can happen; it is easiest to lead astray a foolish man. One can scarcely trust the deceitful; one should turn what is better toward oneself; one must console him who has suffered sorrow; exceedingly much is decreed about most.
[5] trautt: ‘sistz’ R
[5] trautt ‘scarcely’: Lit. ‘unwillingly, reluctantly’. Jón Sigurðsson emended ms. ‘sistz’ to restore the alliteration; the scribe may have been influenced by the three non-alliterating words beginning with s- in the next line. The emendation is conjectural.