51. Hotter than fire | between false friends
Does friendship five days burn;
When the sixth day comes | the fire cools,
And ended is all the love.
52. No great thing needs | a man to give,
Oft little will purchase praise;
With half a loaf | and a half-filled cup
A friend full fast I made.
53. A little sand | has a little sea,
And small are the minds of men;
Though all men are not | equal in wisdom,
Yet half-wise only are all.
54. A measure of wisdom | each man shall have,
But never too much let him know;
The fairest lives | do those men live
Whose wisdom wide has grown.
55. A measure of wisdom | each man shall have,
But never too much let him know;
For the wise man's heart | is seldom happy,
If wisdom too great he has won.
[55. The first line is abbreviated in the manuscript.]
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51. Eldi heitari brennr
með illum vinum friðr fimm daga,
en þá sloknar, er inn sétti kemr,
ok versnar allr vinskapr.
52. Mikit eitt skal-a manni gefa;
oft kaupir sér í litlu lof,
með halfum hleif ok með höllu keri
fekk ek mér félaga.
53. Lítilla sanda lítilla sæva
lítil eru geð guma;
því allir menn urðu-t jafnspakir;
half er öld hvar.
54. Meðalsnotr skyli manna hverr;
æva til snotr sé;
þeim er fyrða fegrst at lifa,
er vel margt vitu.
55. Meðalsnotr skyli manna hverr,
æva til snotr sé;
því at snotrs manns hjarta
verðr sjaldan glatt,
ef sá er alsnotr, er á.
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