11. A better burden | may no man bear
For wanderings wide than wisdom;
Worse food for the journey | he brings not afield
Than an over-drinking of ale.
12. Less good there lies | than most believe
In ale for mortal men;
For the more he drinks | the less does man
Of his mind the mastery hold.
13. Over beer the bird | of forgetfulness broods,
And steals the minds of men;
With the heron's feathers | fettered I lay
And in Gunnloth's house was held.
14. Drunk I was, | I was dead-drunk,
When with Fjalar wise I was;
'Tis the best of drinking | if back one brings
His wisdom with him home.
15. The son of a king | shall be silent and wise,
And bold in battle as well;
Bravely and gladly | a man shall go,
Till the day of his death is come.
[12. Some editors have combined this stanza in various ways with the last two lines of stanza it, as in the
manuscript the first two lines of the latter are abbreviated, and, if they belong there at all, are presumably
identical with the first two lines of stanza 10.]
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11. Byrði betri
berr-at maðr brautu at
en sé mannvit mikit; vegnest verra
vegr-a hann velli at en sé ofdrykkja öls.
12. Er-a svá gótt
sem gótt kveða
öl alda sona, því at færa veit,
er fleira drekkr síns til geðs gumi.
13. Óminnishegri heitir
sá er yfir ölðrum þrumir,
hann stelr geði guma; þess fugls fjöðrum
ek fjötraðr vark í garði Gunnlaðar.
14. Ölr ek varð,
varð ofrölvi
at ins fróða Fjalars; því er ölðr bazt,
at aftr of heimtir hverr sitt geð gumi.
15. Þagalt ok hugalt
skyli þjóðans barn
ok vígdjarft vera; glaðr ok reifr
skyli gumna hverr, unz sinn bíðr bana.
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