Tarrin Wills and Stefanie Gropper (eds) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Hugsvinnsmál 23’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 374-5.
Blíðr þú vert en stundum bráðskapaðr,
ef geraz þarfir þess;
vel má þat verða at skipti vitr maðr geði,
þótt hann lastvarr lifi.
Vert þú blíðr en stundum bráðskapaðr, ef geraz þarfir þess; þat má vel verða, at vitr maðr skipti geði, þótt hann lifi lastvarr.
‘Be friendly but sometimes of hasty disposition if it becomes necessary; it can well happen, that a wise man becomes angry, although he lives virtuously.’
Lat. parallel: (Dist. I, 7) Clemens et constans, ut res expostulat, esto: / temporibus mores sapiens sine crimine mutat ‘Be constant and kind, as the case demands; the wise man changes his ways without fault as the times require’.
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.
Blijdur þu vert enn stundum brädskapadur ef giórast þarfir þess. Vel ma þad | verda ad skipti Vitur madur gedi, þott hann lastvar life.
(VEÞ)
B lijdr þu wert enn stundum brꜳdskapadr ef gi|orast þarfir þess· wel mꜳ þath werda ath | Skifti witur madr giedi þott hann last war lifí |
(TW)
Blíðr þú vert
en stundum bráðskapaðr,
ef geraz þarfir þess;
vel má þat verða
at vitr maðr skipti geði,
þó lastvarr lifi.
Blydur þu vert enn stundum brädskapadur | ef giörast þarfer þess, vel mä þad verda, ad vitur | madur skifte, gede þö lastvar life.
(TW)
Blíðr þú vert
en stundum bráðskapaðr,
ef geraz þarfir þess;
vel †ma verd[...]†
at skipti vinr geði,
þó hann lastvarr lifi.
Blidr þv vertt en stvndum bradskapra⸌a⸍dʀ ef gioraz þarfer þess· vel ma verd[...] | at skipte vinr gede· þo hann last uar life =
(VEÞ)
Blijdur þü vert, enn brädskapadur stundum, | ef giórast þarfer þess, þvij vel mä þad vera ad | skiffte vitur madur gede, þö hann lastvar liffe. |
(VEÞ)
Blíðr þú vert
en stundum bráðskapaðr,
ef geraz þarfir þess;
vel þat þykkir
þó skipti vitr reiði,
þótt hann lastvarr lifi.
blidr þu vert enn stundum bradskapadvr | ef gioraz þarfer þess vel þat þicir þo skipti uitur ʀeidi þott hann lastvar | lifi
(VEÞ)
blij | dur þu vert, enn stundum brädskapadur ef | giorast þarfer þess, vel þad þiker þö skiffte | vitur reide, þött hann lastvar life.
(VEÞ)
Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], [C. E/5]. Hugsvinnsmál 23: AII, 173, BII, 189, Skald II, 98-9; Hallgrímur Scheving 1831, 10, Gering 1907, 7, Tuvestrand 1977, 83, Hermann Pálsson 1985, 39-40.
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.