37. Better a house, | though a hut it be,
A man is master at home;
His heart is bleeding | who needs must beg
When food he fain would have.

38. Away from his arms | in the open field
A man should fare not a foot;
For never he knows | when the need for a spear
Shall arise on the distant road.

39. If wealth a man | has won for himself,
Let him never suffer in need;
Oft he saves for a foe | what he plans for a friend,
For much goes worse than we wish.

40. None so free with gifts | or food have I found
That gladly he took not a gift,
Nor one who so widely | scattered his wealth
That of recompense hatred he had.

[36. The manuscript has "little" in place of "a hut" in line I, but this involves an error in the initial-rhymes, and the emendation has been generally accepted.

37. Lines I and 2 are abbreviated in the manuscript, but are doubtless identical with the first two lines of stanza 56.

39. In the manuscript this stanza follows stanza 40.]

37. Bú er betra, þótt lítit sé,
halr er heima hverr;
blóðugt er hjarta, þeim er biðja skal
sér í mál hvert matar.

38. Vápnum sínum skal-a maðr velli á
feti ganga framar,
því at óvíst er at vita,
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs of þörf guma.

39. Fannk-a ek mildan mann eða svá matar góðan,
at væri-t þiggja þegit,
eða síns féar
svági [glöggvan], at leið sé laun, ef þægi.

40. Féar síns, er fengit hefr,
skyli-t maðr þörf þola;
oft sparir leiðum, þats hefr ljúfum hugat;
margt gengr verr en varir.