Tarrin Wills and Stefanie Gropper (eds) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Hugsvinnsmál 140’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 443-4.
Heiptarorða gerz þú eigi hefnisamr;
heldr skaltu væginn vera;
af þeiri gæzku máttu þér gera
vísa fjándmenn at vinum.
Gerz þú eigi hefnisamr heiptarorða; heldr skaltu vera væginn; af þeiri gæzku máttu gera þér vísa fjándmenn at vinum.
Do not become vengeful because of words; of hate you must rather be yielding; from this kindness you can make certain enemies into friends for yourself.
Mss: 1199ˣ(75v), 624(147)
Readings: [6] fjándmenn: fjándr 624
Editions: Skj AII, 179-80, Skj BII, 194, Skald II, 101; Hallgrímur Scheving 1831, 34, Konráð Gíslason 1860, 37, Tuvestrand 1977, 147, Hermann Pálsson 1985, 125.
Notes: [All]: Lat. parallel: (Dist. IV, 39) Cede loco laesus, fortunae cede potenti: / laedere qui potuit, poterit prodesse aliquando ‘Give way to fortune when hurt, give way to the powerful; whoever was able to harm might now and again be able to help’. Lines 4-6 are reminiscent of Egill St 24/5-8V: ... ok þat geð | es gerðak mér | vísa fjándr | af vélundum ‘... and that temper with which I made certain enemies out of tricksters’.
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