Tarrin Wills and Stefanie Gropper (eds) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Hugsvinnsmál 98’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 419.
Góðra dæma leiti gumna hverr,
sá er vill hyggindi hafa;
annars víti láti sér at varnaði,
ok geriz svá góðum líkr.
Hverr gumna, sá er vill hafa hyggindi, leiti góðra dæma; láti víti annars sér at varnaði, ok geriz svá líkr góðum.
Every man who wants to have wisdom, should look for good examples; he should let the punishment of another [be] a warning to him and thus become like good people.
Mss: 1199ˣ(74r), 624(145)
Readings: [2] leiti: leiti sér 624 [3] sá: om. 624 [4] annars: vánds manns 624 [5] láti: lætr 624; varnaði: varnaði verða 624 [6] geriz svá: verðr 624
Editions: Skj AII, 187, Skj BII, 202, Skald II, 105; Hallgrímur Scheving 1831, 24, Gering 1907, 26, Tuvestrand 1977, 126, Hermann Pálsson 1985, 97.
Notes: [All]: Lat. parallel: (Dist. III, 13) Multorum disce exemplo quae facta sequaris, / quae fugias, vita est nobis aliena magistra ‘Learn from the example of many what deeds you should emulate and which to avoid; the life of others is a teacher to us’.
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