Stanza 63

Original Old Norse:

Fregna ok segja

skal fróðra hverr

sá er vill heitinn horskr

einn vita

né annarr skal

þjóð veit ef þrír ro

Auden & Taylor:

It is safe to tell a secret to one, 

Risky to tell it to two, 

To tell it to three is thoughtless folly, 

Everyone else will know.

Bellows:

To question and answer | must all be ready

Who wish to be known as wise;

Tell one thy thoughts, | but beware of two,--

All know what is known to three.

Bray:

Each man who is wise and would wise be called 

must ask and answer aright. 

Let one know thy secret, but never a second, --

if three a thousand shall know.

Chisholm:

Each shall ask and answer

who is wise and wishes to be called wise.

Let none know, not even a second.

All will know, if three know.

Hollander:

Both ask and answer let everyone

who wishes to be deemed wise;

let one know it, nor none other;

if three know, thousands will.

Terry:

A man will ask and answer questions

if he wants to be called wise;

one man can know something but two should not,

the whole world knows if three do.

Thorpe:

Inquire and impart

should every man of sense,

who will be accounted sage.

Let one only know, 

a second may not;

if three, all the world knows.

Wisdom is highly prized: we have seen several verses on that topic. But being able to hold your own counsel is also important, the poet tells us. You should avoid sharing secrets with others if you can help it. If you tell someone and they tell a third, then the secret will not be kept and everyone shall know. How many times have you told someone a thing, only to hear it from someone else later?