Aumr maðr telr sér einskis vant,
ef sér atvinnu á,
en inn fégjarni sýtir, þótt fullsælu hafi,
ok þykkiz válaðr vera.
Aumr maðr telr sér einskis vant, ef á sér atvinnu, en inn fégjarni sýtir, þótt hafi fullsælu, ok þykkiz vera válaðr.
A poor man thinks he lacks nothing if he has means of subsistence for himself, but the avaricious person complains even if he has great wealth, and thinks he is poverty-stricken.
[2-3] so 723aˣ, 624, ef sér atvinnu á telr sér einskis vant 1199ˣ [3] á: fær 723aˣ
[2-3]: These ll. are reversed in 1199ˣ, which produces an unmetrical reading.
Verbs: Preterite-present verbs
The present tense of these verbs is like the past tense of strong verbs, and their past tense is weak.
eiga | mega | kunna | skulu | munu | muna | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
indic. pres. | sing. pl. | 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd | á átt á eigum eiguð eigu | má mátt má megum meguð megu | kann kannt kann kunnum kunnuð kunnu | skal skalt skal skulum skuluð skulu | mun munt mun munum munuð munu | man mant man munum munið muna |
indic. past stem subj. pres. stem subj. past stem | átt- eig- ætt- | mátt- meg- mætt- | kunn- kunn- kynn- | skyld- skyl- skyld- | mund- myn- mynd- | mund- mun- mynd- |