HervH Lv 4VIII (HjǪ 27)/3 — þágu ‘have received’
Gef þú auð, jöfurr, ef þú örr þykkiz;
þágu gull gumar, ok geraz þér vel hollir.
En, ef maðr metnaz við mildings síðu,
sýn leiðum þitt lyndi ok láttu hann sneypu hljóta.
Gef þú auð, jöfurr, ef þú þykkiz örr; gumar þágu gull, ok geraz þér vel hollir. En, ef maðr metnaz við síðu mildings, sýn leiðum lyndi þitt ok láttu hann hljóta sneypu.
Give riches, prince, if you would be thought open-handed; [if] men have received gold and then they become very loyal to you. But if a man at the ruler’s side puffs himself up, show the loathsome one your temper and let him have disgrace as his portion.
readings
[3] þágu: þáðu all
notes
[3] þágu ‘have received’: An emendation from all mss’ þáðu ‘you (sg.) received’, adopted by most eds from FSN onwards, with the exception of Valdimar Ásmundarson (1885-9), who has þiggja ‘receive’. The 2nd pers. sg. form cannot fit the syntax unless gumar ‘men’ is emended, and does not make good sense in context.