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| The poem is conventionally divided into sections, indicated by the Roman numerals: I (1-83) Gestaþáttr or Guest's Section II (84-102): On women's faithlessness and advice for seduction III (103-10): a version of the story of Óðin's dealings with Gunnlǫð to win the mead of poetry. This and the story of Billing's daughter at the end of the previous section are sometimes classed together as Óðin's Examples or Óðin's Love Quests. IV (111-37): Loddfáfnismál or Lay of Loddfáfnir V (138-45 ) Rúnatal or Rune Poem VI (146-64): Ljóðatal | ||
| I. | |||
| 1. Gáttir allar, áðr gangi fram, um skoðask skyli, um skyggnast skyli, því at óvíst er at vita, hvar óvinir sitja á fleti fyrir. | All entrances, before going forward, should be looked for all around, should be examined all around, because it cannot be known for sure where enemies sit in the room beyond. | ||
| 2. Gefendr heilir! Gestr er inn kominn, hvar skal sitja sjá? Mjök er bráðr, sá er á bröndum skal síns of freista frama. | Hail to the givers! A guest has come in, Where should he sit? He is extremely eager, he who must sit by the logs,1 try for his advancement. | ||
| 3. Elds er þörf, þeims inn er kominn ok á kné kalinn; matar ok váða er manni þörf, þeim er hefr um fjall farit. | There is need of fire for the one who has come in and [is] chilled to the knee; food and clothing are needed by a person who has travelled over the fell. | ||
| 4. Vatns er þörf, þeim er til verðar kemr, þerru ok þjóðlaðar, góðs of æðis, ef sér geta mætti, orðs ok endrþögu. | There is need of water for him who has come to dinner, a towel and a generous invitation, in good will, if he might receive that, a word and a listening ear.2 | ||
| 5. Vits er þörf, þeim er víða ratar; dælt er heima hvat; at augabragði verðr, sá er ekki kann ok með snotrum sitr. | There is need of wits for him who fares far; things are simple at home; but will have eyebrows raised at him he who knows nothing3 and sits with the wise. | ||
| 6. At hyggjandi sinni skyli-t maðr hræsinn vera, heldr gætinn at geði; þá er horskr ok þögull kemr heimisgarða til, sjaldan verðr víti vörum, því at óbrigðra vin fær maðr aldregi en mannvit mikit. | About his wisdom A person should not be boastful, rather heedful in attitude;4 When, experienced and of few words, he comes back to his homestead, there will seldom be a claim against the circumspect one, because a more faithful5 friend a person never gets than great good sense.6 | ||
| 7. Inn vari gestr, er til verðar kemr, þunnu hljóði þegir, eyrum hlýðir, en augum skoðar; svá nýsisk fróðra hverr fyrir. | The wary guest who comes to a meal with sharpened hearing keeps silent, listens with his ears and looks with his eyes; thus every wise one spies out for himself what is ahead. | ||
| 8. Hinn er sæll, er sér of getr lof ok líknstafi; ódælla er við þat, er maðr eiga skal annars brjóstum í. | Happy is he who garners for himself praise and soothing words7; less straightforward are matters concerning what a person should own in another's breast. | ||
| 9. Sá er sæll, er sjalfr of á lof ok vit, meðan lifir; því at ill ráð hefr maðr oft þegit annars brjóstum ór. | Thus happy is he who himself is in possession of praise and wits, while he lives; because bad advice a person has often drawn from out of another's breast. | ||
| 10. Byrði betri berr-at maðr brautu at en sé mannvit mikit; auði betra þykkir þat í ókunnum stað; slíkt er válaðs vera. | No better burden bears any person on the road than is great good sense; better than wealth that is held to be, in an unfamiliar place; such is poor people's existence. | ||
| 11. Byrði betri berr-at maðr brautu at en sé mannvit mikit; vegnest verra vegr-a hann velli at en sé ofdrykkja öls. | No better burden bears any person on the road than is great good sense; no worse kit does he tote on the plain than is over-drinking of ale. | ||
| 12. Er-a svá gótt sem gótt kveða öl alda sona, því at færa veit, er fleira drekkr síns til geðs gumi. | Is not so good as it is said to be good ale for the sons of men, because the man knows less, the more he drinks, his own mind.8 | ||
| 13. Óminnishegri heitir sá er yfir ölðrum þrumir, hann stelr geði guma; þess fugls fjöðrum ek fjötraðr vark í garði Gunnlaðar. | It is called the heron of forgetfulness9 that hangs over ale-drinking, it steals men's minds; with this fowl's feathers I was fettered In Gunnlǫð's garth.10 | ||
| 14. Ölr ek varð, varð ofrölvi at ins fróða Fjalars; því er ölðr bazt, at aftr of heimtir hverr sitt geð gumi. | Ale-besotted I became, became the worse for drink at wise Fjalar's dwelling; therefore as regards ale the best thing is that afterwards every person gets back his mind. | ||
| 15. Þagalt ok hugalt skyli þjóðans barn ok vígdjarft vera; glaðr ok reifr skyli gumna hverr, unz sinn bíðr bana. | Sparing of speech and thoughtful a chieftain's child must be, and doughty in battle; glad and cheerful must every person be, until it comes to his death. | ||
| 16. Ósnjallr maðr hyggsk munu ey lifa, ef hann við víg varask; en elli gefr hánum engi frið, þótt hánum geirar gefi. | A man who is lacking11 thinks he will live forever if he guards himself against battle; but age gives him no peace,12 even though spears do. | ||
| 17. Kópir afglapi er til kynnis kemr, þylsk hann um eða þrumir; allt er senn, ef hann sylg of getr, uppi er þá geð guma. | A fool gapes when he visits someone he knows, mumbles or mopes; if he gets hold of a drink, at once it's all up with the person's wits. | ||
| 18. Sá einn veit er víða ratar ok hefr fjölð of farit, hverju geði stýrir gumna hverr, sá er vitandi er vits. | He only knows who ranges widely and has been through much what kind of a mind each person has at their disposal, he who is knowledgeable about knowing. | ||
| 19. Haldi-t maðr á keri, drekki þó at hófi mjöð, mæli þarft eða þegi, ókynnis þess vár þik engi maðr, at þú gangir snemma at sofa. | Let a person not hold onto the bowl, but rather drink mead in moderation, speak usefully or hold his peace, for unsociability no one [will] blame13 you, if you go early to bed. | ||
| 20. Gráðugr halr, nema geðs viti, etr sér aldrtrega; oft fær hlægis, er með horskum kemr, manni heimskum magi. | A greedy man, unless he knows his mind,14 eats himself into deadly sorrow; often his belly gets him mocked, the foolish man, when he comes among wise people. | ||
| 21. Hjarðir þat vitu, nær þær heim skulu, ok ganga þá af grasi; en ósviðr maðr kann ævagi síns of mál maga. | Herds know it when they should go home and then they leave the grass; but the unwise human never knows the measure of his stomach. | ||
| 22. Vesall maðr ok illa skapi hlær at hvívetna; hittki hann veit, er hann vita þyrfti, at hann er-a vamma vanr. | A wretched person15 and bad-tempered mocks everything; He does not know it, what he needed to know, that he is not lacking in flaws. | ||
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