First, I advise thee
Do no wrong to
Thy kinsmen;
Do not avenge thyself
Though they harm thee.
It is said to be good after death.
Secondly I advise thee,
Swear not an oath,
Unless it be true;
Cruel roots
Strike perjury;
Wretched is the wolf of plighted faith.
Thirdly I advise thee
That thou at a thing
Do not quarrel with fools;
For an unwise man
Often says
Worse words than he knows.
All is difficult
If thou art silent,
Then thou art thought to be born a coward,
Or his (the fool’s) words to be true:
The home-judgment is dangerous
Unless thou gettest a good one.
The next day
Thou shalt slay him (the fool),
And thus reward people for their lie.
Fourthly I advise thee,
If a witch
Full of evil lives on the way,
It is better to walk on
Than lodge there
Though the night overtake thee.
Eyes of foresight
Need the sons of men
In the angry fight;
Often wicked women
Sit near the road,
Who blunt both sword and sense.
Fifthly I advise thee
Though you seest
Fair brides on the benches;
Let not the goddesses of silver
Hinder thy sleep,
Do not entice women to kisses.
Sixthly I counsel thee,
Though among men be
Evil ale-talk;
Thou shalt not quarrel
With drunk battle-trees;
[331]Many a one’s wits wine steals.
Strife and ale
Have caused
Grief of mind to many men,
Death to some,
Curses to others,
Many are the evils of men.
Seventhly I advise thee,
If thou hast to fight
Against fearless men,
It is better to fight
Than to be burnt
In the house.
Eighthly I advise thee
That thou beware of evil
And shun false words;
Do not beguile a maiden,
Nor a man’s wife,
Nor entice them to overmuch pleasure.
[332]
Tenthly I advise thee,
Do thou never believe
The plighted faith of an outlaw’s son,
Whether thou art the slayer of his brother
Or hast killed his father;
There is a wolf in a young son
Though he be cheered (comforted) with gold (wergild).
I think
That strife and hate (are not sleepy),
Nor the grief;
Wisdom and weapons
Are not easy to get
For a chief that would be the foremost among men.
Eleventhly I advise thee
That thou beware of evil
In every way from thy friends;
I think I know
The chief’s (Sigurd’s) life will not be long;
Strong contests have arisen.