Anon Hsv 42VII
Tarrin Wills and Stefanie Gropper (eds) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Hugsvinnsmál 42’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 386.
text and translation
Fláráðs manns orði, þótt fagrt mæli,
þarftu eigi þeim at trúa;
glyslig orð lát þú í gegn koma,
ok gjalt svá líku líkt.
Þarftu eigi at trúa þeim orði fláráðs manns, þótt fagrt mæli; lát þú í gegn koma glyslig orð, ok gjalt svá líku líkt.
‘You need not believe the word of a deceitful man, even though he may speak fair; let specious words counter them, and thus repay like with like.’
notes and context
Lat. parallel: (Dist. I, 26) Qui simulat verbis nec corde est fidus amicus, / tu qui fac simile: sic ars deluditur acte ‘Whoever dissimulates in words and is not a faithful friend at heart, treat him the same way: thus artifice is deluded by action’. The advice to be sceptical if somebody praises you too much is quite common in ON-Icel. poetry. Usually the adj. flár is used to denote untruthful or false speech. Cf. for instance Anon Mhkv 28III. Parallels in phrasing occur in Hávm 45 (NK, 24): Ef þú átt annan, | þannz þú illa trúir, | vildu af hánom þó gott geta: | fagrt scaltu við þann mæla, | en flátt hyggia | oc gialda lausung við lygi ‘if you’ve another, whom you don’t trust, but from whom you want nothing but good, speak fairly to him but think falsely and repay treachery with lies’ (Larrington 1996, 20). Cf. also the phrasing in Sól 19, although the st. deals with a different topic.
readings
- [1] Fláráðs manns orði: Fláráðs manns orðum 723aˣ, 624, ‘Flara[...]’ 696XV, Fláráðr maðr 401ˣ
- [2] þótt fagrt: þótt hann fagrt 723aˣ, 401ˣ, 624, ‘[...]’ 696XV
- [3] þarftu: ‘[...]’ 723aˣ, ‘þarf[...]v’ 401ˣ
- [3] þeim: so 723aˣ, 624, til honum 1199ˣ, honum 696XV, því 401ˣ
- [5] í gegn koma: ‘j [...]’ 723aˣ
- [6] ok gjalt svá: ‘[...]’ 723aˣ, ‘[...]tu’ 696XV, gjaltu 401ˣ, gjaltu svá 624
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) — 73r/5 - 73r/6
imagesFláráðs manns orði,
þótt fagrt mæli,
þarftu eigi til honum at trúa;
glyslig orð
lát þú í gegn koma,
ok gjalt svá líku líkt.Flärads mans orde þo ad fagurt mæli, þarftu | eigi til honum ad Trua glisleg ord lät þu i gegn koma, og gialld so lijku lijkt: |
(VEÞ)
-
AM 723 a 4°x (723ax) — 79/23 - 79/25
imagesFláráðs manns orðum ,
þótt hann fagrt mæli,
†[...]† eigi þeim at trúa;
glyslig orð
lát þú †j [...]† ,
†[...]† líku líkt.fläräds manns ordum, þö hann fagurt mæle [...] | ei þeim ad trua, glysleg ord lättu j [...] | su liku likt.
(TW)
-
AM 696 XV 4° (696XV) — 1v/23 - 1v/25
images†Flara[...]† ,
†[...]† mæli,
þarftu eigi honum at trúa;
glyslig orð
lát þú í gegn koma,
†[...]tu† líku líkt.Flara | [...]mælí þarftu ecki honum at trua glysleg ord lattu | [...]tu liku likt
(VEÞ)
-
JS 401 4°x (401x) — 1v/3 - 1v/4
Fláráðr maðr ,
þótt hann fagrt mæli,
†þarf[...]v† eigi því at trúa;
glyslig orð
lát þú í gegn koma,
gjaltu líku líkt.Flaradr madr þoṫt̋ hann fagurt mæle þarf | [...]v ei þvi at trva glyslig ord lattv j gegn koma gialltv liku likt
(VEÞ)
-
AM 148 8vox (148x*) — 245r/21 - 245r/22 [1-3]
flätt skapadur þött fagurt | mæle, þarfftu þvij eckj fastlega ad trüa·
(VEÞ)
-
AM 624 4° (624) — 142/20 - 142/22
imagesFláráðs manns orðum ,
þótt hann fagrt mæli,
þarftu eigi þeim at trúa;
glyslig orð
lát þú í gegn koma,
gjaltu svá líku líkt.flarads | manns ordvm þott hann fagurt mæli þarftv eigi þeim at trua · Glyslig ord la | ttv j gegnn koma gialltu suo liku ligt ·
(VEÞ)
-
AM 148 8vox (148x*) — 71r/15 - 71r/17
fladurz mannz ordum þött hann fagurt mæle, | þarfftu ei þeim ad trüa, glisleg ord lättu i gegnn | koma gialltu so lijku lijkt.
(VEÞ)
editions and texts
Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], [C. E/5]. Hugsvinnsmál 42: AII, 177, BII, 192, Skald II, 100; Hallgrímur Scheving 1831, 14, Konráð Gíslason 1860, 550, Gering 1907, 12, Tuvestrand 1977, 94, Hermann Pálsson 1985, 55.
Stanza/chapter/text segment
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
Information tab
- text: if the stanza has been published, the edited text of the stanza and translation are here; if it hasn't been published an old edition (usually Skj) is given for reference
- sources: a list of the manuscripts or inscriptions containing this stanza, with page and line references and links (eye button) to images where available, and transcription where available
- readings: a list of variant manuscript readings of words in the main text
- editions and texts: a list of editions of the stanza with links to the bibliography; and a list of prose works in which the stanza occurs, allowing you to navigate within the prose context
- notes and context: notes not linked to individual words are given here, along with the account of the prose context for the stanza, where relevant
Interactive tab
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.
Full text tab
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
Chapter/text segment
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.