Original Old Norse: | Auden & Taylor: | Bellows: | Bray: |
akri ársánum trúi engi maðr né til snemma syni veðr ræðr akri en vit syni hætt er þeira hvárt |
A brother's killer encountered upon The highway a house half-burned, A racing stallion who has wrenched a leg, Are never safe: let no man trust them. |
In a brother's slayer, | if thou meet him abroad, In a half-burned house, | in a horse full swift-- One leg is hurt | and the horse is useless-- None had ever such faith | as to trust in them all. |
sickly calf or self-willed thrall, witch's flattery, new-slain foe, brother's slayer, though seen on the highway, half burned house, or horse too swift -- be never so trustful as these to trust. (Bray has this as stanza 86) |
Chisholm: | Hollander: | Terry: | Thorpe: |
Early sown acres should no man trust, nor too soon a son. Weather ruins the acres, and stupidity the son. Each of these is a risk. |
Thy brother's banesman, though it be on the road, a half-burned house, a speedy hose-- worthless the steed if one foot he breaks-- so trusting be no one to trust in these! |
your brother's murderer, though met on the road, a half-burned house or a horse too swift (if he breaks his leg you've lost your mount) -- a man's too trusting who takes a chance on these. |
an early sown field let no one trust, nor prematurely in a son: weather rules the field, and wit the son, each of which is doubtful; |
Stanzas 85-88 are a pretty comprehensive list of things not to be trusted in life. All are things that may harm you. |
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Stanza 88
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