406 



THE CONDUCT OF LIFE THE HAVAMAL. 



Sniffs and hangs with its head, 

 When it comes on the sea, 

 The eagle on the old ocean ; 

 So is the man 

 Who comes among many 

 And has few spokesmen. 



Ask and answer 



Should every sage man 



Who wants to be called wise ; 



One may know 



But not another ; 



All know if three know. 



His power 



Should every foresighted man 



Use moderately ; 



He will feel 



When he comes among the skilled 



That no one is the best. 



* * * * 

 For the words 



That a man says to another 

 He has often to pay the penalty. 



Much too early 

 Came I to many places 

 And too late to some ; 

 The ale was drank 

 Or it was unbrewed ; 

 An unwelcome man seldom finds the 

 ale. 



Here and there 



Might I be invited home 



If I needed not food for a meal 



Or if two hams hung 



At my trusty friend's 



Where I had eaten one. 



Fire is the best thing 

 Among the sons of men, 

 And the sight of the sun, 

 His good health 

 If a man can keep it, 

 And a blameless life. 



A man is not utterly unhappy 

 Though he be in ill-health ; 

 Some are happy in sons, 

 Some in kinsmen, 

 Some in much wealth, 

 Some in good deeds. 



Better is it to live 



Than not to live ; 



A living man (may) always get a cow; 



I saw fire blaze 



Before a wealthy man 



And outside was death at the door. 



The lame may ride a horse, 

 The handless may drive a herd, 

 The deaf may fight and do well ; 

 A blind man is better 

 Than a burnt one ; 

 The dead are of no use. 



A son is belter 

 Though he be late born, 

 After a man's death; 

 Seldom memorial stones 

 Stand near the road 

 Unless kinsman raise 

 Them after kinsman. 



Two are of one host 



The tongue is the head's bane ; 



Under every fur-coat 



I expect a hand. 2 



He who trusts to his knapsack 



Is glad when night comes; 



The ship's corners are small ; 



The autumn night is changeable; 



There are many weathers 



In five days 3 



And more in a month. 



He who nothing knows 

 Knows not this ; 

 Many are made fools by wealth ; 

 One man is wealthy, 



1 The text of part of this verse is 



2 The sense of this stanza is most diffi- 

 cult ; the meaning of first part seems to 

 be that tongue and head are of one host, 

 and nevertheless the tongue may be the 



head's bane. The latter part probably 

 means : the hand of a foe or friend may 

 be hidden under any cloak. 



3 Here we see the custom of counting 

 weeks by five. 



