SIGRDSIFA'8 COUNSELS. 



413 



Sixthly I counsel thee, 

 Though among men be 

 Evil ale-talk ; 

 Thou shalt not quarrel 

 With drunk battle-trees ; ' 

 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 

 sure. 2 



plea- 



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 fore- 

 most among men. 



Eleventhly I advise thee 



That thou beware of evil 



In every way from thy friends ; 



I think I know 



The chiefs (Sigurd's) life will not be 



long ; 

 Strong contests have arisen. 



Men. 



2 Two stanzas missing, see vol. i. p. 322. 



Fig. 1350. Roman gold coin (solidus) of 5th Century (Libyus Severus), found with 

 many Byzantine and Roman coins. Real size Oland, Sweden. 



Fig. 1351. Coin from Tyre. 



Fig. 1352. Coin from Sidon with Greek 

 and Phoenician inscriptions. Gotland, 

 Sweden. 



