Stanza 27

Original Old Norse:

Ósnotr maðr

er með aldir kømr

þat er bazt at hann þegi

engi þat veit

at hann ekki kann

name hann mæli til mart

veita maðr

hinn er vætki veit

þótt hann mæli til mart

Auden & Taylor:

The ignorant booby had best be silent 

When he moves among other men, 

No one will know what a nit-wit he is 

Until he begins to talk;

No one knows less what a nit-wit he is 

Than the man who talks too much.

Bellows:

A witless man, | when he meets with men,

Had best in silence abide;

For no one shall find | that nothing he knows,

If his mouth is not open too much.

(But a man knows not, | if nothing he knows,

When his mouth has been open too much.)

Bellow's Note:  The last two lines were probably added as a commentary on lines 3 and 4.

Bray:

For the unwise man 'tis best to be mute 

when he come amid the crowd, 

for none is aware of his lack of wit 

if he wastes not too many words; 

for he who lacks wit shall never learn 

though his words flow ne'er so fast.

Chisholm:

When the fool fares among folk

it is best he stay quiet.

No one knows that he knows nothing

unless he talks too much.

Hollander:

The unwise man amongst others who comes,

let him be sparing of speech;

for no one knows that naught is in him,

but he opens his mouth too much.

Terry:

When a stupid man comes into company

he'd better be silent;

no one will notice that he knows nothing

unless he talks a lot.

(And if he talks to men of like talent

it's safe for him to speak.)

Thorpe:

A foolish man,

who among people comes,

had best be silent;

for no one knows

that he knows nothing,

unless he talks to much.

He who previously knew nothing

will still know nothing

talk he ever so much.

DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF STANZA 27

Lines 1 and 2 express the idea that a foolish or witless man is better off just shutting up and being silent when he is among other people.

Lines 3 and 4 go further and explain that no one will know the fool is a fool, or that the witless man is witless, unless he opens his mouth and shows them with his words how foolish he is.

Bellows suggests that lines 5 and 6 were a later addition, probably added by a skald wanting to add further explanation to lines 3 and 4.  And we can see that some of the translators choose to leave lines 5 and 6 off altogether.

Lines 5 and 6 are translated many different ways here.  I prefer Auden and Taylors suggestion that the man who talks too much, is exactly the guy who is clueless about how big a fool he is.  Some of the other translations sort of suggest that talking a bunch doesn't make you any smarter, and a couple of the translations are pretty convoluted.  It makes me think that lines 5 and 6 in the Old Norse must have been difficult to translate into English...or that they were one of those Old Norse sayings that just has no real parallel in English.  But, who knows?  Not me.  I don't know Old Norse.