Tarrin Wills and Stefanie Gropper (eds) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Hugsvinnsmál 142’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 444-5.
Vel skaltu vinna, ef þú átt í verkum hlut,
ok geraz hölðum hollr;
sinni sýslu týnir slægr maðr;
ilt er verkþjófr at vera.
Ef þú átt hlut í verkum, skaltu vinna vel ok geraz hollr hölðum; slægr maðr týnir sýslu sinni; ilt er at vera verkþjófr.
‘If you take part in work, you must work well and become loyal to men; a sly man forgets his work; it is bad to be a work-thief.’
Lat. parallels: (Dist. IV, 42) Gratior officiis, quo sis mage carior, esto, / ne nomen subeas, quod dicunt, officiperdi ‘Be more gracious in your business dealings to those to whom you may be dearer, so that you will not bear the name of “officiperdus” [lit. one who makes ill use of the favours of others]’.
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.
Vel skalltu vinna ef þu ätt i verkum hlut, og giórast | hóldum hollur. Sinne Sýslu týner slægur madur illt er Verkþiöfur ad vera.
(VEÞ)
Vel skaltu vinna,
ef þú átt í verkum hlut,
ok geraz †hollvr†;
sýslu sinni
gleymir slækinn maðr;
ilt er verkþjófr at vera.
Vel skaltv vínna ef þv att j verkum hlut ok gior | az holldvr syslv sine gleymer slækínn madur jllter verk þio ⸝⸝fur at verꜳ̋ ||
(VEÞ)
vel skaltu vinna ef þu ätt i | verkum hlut, og giorast halldtrür, sijslu sinne | gleimer slækinn madur, Jllt er verk þiöfur ad vera. |
(VEÞ)
Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], [C. E/5]. Hugsvinnsmál 141: AII, 196, BII, 209, Skald II, 109; Hallgrímur Scheving 1831, 34, Gering 1907, 38, Tuvestrand 1977, 148, Hermann Pálsson 1985, 126.
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