Stanza 68

Original Old Norse:	Auden & Taylor:	Bellows:	Bray:
Eldr er beztr með ýta sonum ok sólar sýn heilyndi sitt ef maðr hafa náir án við löst at lifa	These things are thought the best: Fire, the sight of the sun, Good health with the gift to keep it, And a life that avoids vice.	Fire for men | is the fairest gift, And power to see the sun; Health as well, | if a man may have it, And a life not stained with sin.	Most dear is fire to the sons of men, most sweet the sight of the sun; good is health if one can but keep it, and to live a life without shame.
Chisholm:	Hollander:	Terry:	Thorpe:
Fire is better for the sons of men and the sight of the sun. Good health also, if a man can keep it and live without shame.	A bonny fire is a blessing to man, and eke the sight of the sun; his hearty health, if he holds it well, and to live one's life without shame.	For human beings the best things are fire, and the sight of the sun, and to be granted good health and to live a blameless life.	Fire is best among the sons of men, and the sight of the sun, if his health a man can have, with a life free from vice.
Once more the poet returns to more general remarks; the juxtaposition suggests that there might be reasons one becomes an ‘unwelcome guest’ perhaps. The warmth of the fire has a practical effect especially in the depths of winter; the sun, too. The sight of it after a long dark winter brightens the northern spirit particularly. In the Pacific Northwest of the US, there are many cases of a newer disorder called SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and going away during the spring and summer. THis is because of our dependance on the sun, and how it affects us emotionally.