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.
[6] við síðu mildings ‘at the ruler’s side’: Kock (NN §124) contests this interpretation, suggesting instead ‘according to the king’s behaviour’, postulating an unrecorded Old Norse noun cognate with Gmc *sið- ‘behaviour, conduct’.