Anon Hsv 122VII
Tarrin Wills and Stefanie Gropper (eds) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Hugsvinnsmál 122’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 433-4.
text and translation
Eigi skaltu hlæja, ef þú vilt horskr vera,
at öldruðum afa;
opt þat ellibjúgr man, sem ungr veit eigi,
ok kennir gott gum*um.
Skaltu eigi hlæja at öldruðum afa, ef þú vilt vera horskr; ellibjúgr man opt þat, sem ungr veit eigi, ok kennir gum*um gott.
‘You must not laugh at an elderly grandfather, if you want to be wise; often one bowed down with age remembers what a young person does not know, and teaches men well.’
notes and context
Lat. parallel: (Dist. IV, 18) Cum sapias animo, noli ridere senectam; / nam † quocumque † sene, puerilis sensus in illo est ‘Since you are wise in mind, do not mock old age; for whoever is growing old, there is a childish mind in him’. The OIcel. version has a much more positive view of old age than the Lat. distich. Concerning the advice not to laugh at elderly people cf. also Hávm 134/5-9 (NK, 39): at három þul | hlæðu aldregi! | opt er gott, | þat er gamlir qveða; | opt ór scǫrpom belg | scilin orð koma ‘at a grey-haired sage you should never laugh! Often what the old say is good; often from a wrinkled bag come judicious words’ (Larrington 1996, 33).
readings
- [1] Eigi skaltu hlæja: skal eigi sá hlægja 624
- [2] ef þú vilt horskr: ef horskr vilt 723aˣ, er vill hoskr 624
- [3] afa: so 723aˣ, veðrafa 1199ˣ, om. 624
- [4] þat: veit þat 723aˣ, om. 624
- [4] man: maðr 723aˣ, veit 624
- [5] sem: þat er 624
- [5] veit: mun 624
- [5] eigi: so 723aˣ, 624, eigi til 1199ˣ
- [6] ok: so 723aˣ, 624, om. 1199ˣ
- [6] gum*um: all
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/16 - 75r/18
imagesEigi skaltu hlæja,
ef þú vilt horskr vera,
at öldruðum veðrafa;
opt þat ellibjúgr man,
sem ungr veit eigi til,
kennir gott .Ei skalltu hlæa | ef þu villt hoskur vera, ad ølldrudum Vedurafa. Opt þad ellibiugur man, | sem ungur veit ei til, kenner gott gumnum.
(VEÞ)
-
AM 723 a 4°x (723ax) — 83/21 - 83/23
imagesEigi skaltu hlæja,
ef horskr vilt vera,
at öldruðum afa;
opt veit þat ellibjúgr maðr,
sem ungr veit eigi,
ok kennir gott .Ei skalltu hlæia ef horskur villt vera ad ólldru|dum afa, oft veit þad ellebiugur madur sem ungur | veit eı̈, og kenner göd räd gumnum.
(TW)
-
AM 624 4° (624) — 146/18 - 146/20
imagesskal eigi sá hlægja ,
er vill hoskr vera,
at öldruðum ;
opt ellibjúgr veit,
þat er ungr mun eigi,
ok kennir gott .Skal | eigi sa hlægia er uill hoskr vera at alldrvdvm oppt ellibívgur veit þat er | ungur mvn eigi ok kener gott gvmnvm
(VEÞ)
-
AM 148 8vox (148x) — 74v/21 - 74v/23
Skala ei sä hlægia er vill hoskur vera, ad ólld | rudum offt, elle lin legur veit þad, er v̈ngur mun ei, | og kenner gott gumnum.
(VEÞ)
editions and texts
Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], [C. E/5]. Hugsvinnsmál 121: AII, 192, BII, 206, Skald II, 108, NN §2344; Hallgrímur Scheving 1831, 29, Gering 1907, 33, Tuvestrand 1977, 138, Hermann Pálsson 1985, 113.
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