Tarrin Wills and Stefanie Gropper (eds) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Hugsvinnsmál 52’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 392-3.
Fyrir öðrum vægja samir þér iðugliga,
þótt þú meira megir;
friðsamr við annan skyldi fyrða hverr,
sá er vill hæstan tír hafa.
Samir þér iðugliga vægja fyrir öðrum, þótt þú megir meira; hverr fyrða, sá er vill hafa hæstan tír, skyldi friðsamr við annan.
It often befits you to yield to others, although you may be capable of more; every man who wants to have the highest renown must [be] peaceful with another.
Mss: 1199ˣ(73r), 723aˣ(80) (ll. 1-2), 401ˣ(1v) (ll. 1-3), 624(143) (ll. 1-3)
Readings: [1] Fyrir: ‘[...]’ 401ˣ; vægja: vægum 624
Editions: Skj AII, 179, Skj BII, 194, Skald II, 101; Hallgrímur Scheving 1831, 15, Gering 1907, 14, Tuvestrand 1977, 100, Hermann Pálsson 1985, 64.
Notes: [All]: Lat. parallels: (Dist. I, 34) Vincere cum possis, interdum cede sodali, / obsequio quoniam dulces retinentur amici ‘When you are able to win, now and again give in to a friend, since good friends are kept by giving in’; (Dist. I, 38) Quem superare potes, interdum vince ferendo, / maxima enim morum semper patientia virtus ‘Conquer the one you can overcome now and again with tolerance, for the greatest virtue in behaviour is always patience’. The first two ll. echo Hsv 28.
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