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The
discussion and analysis presented after these
translated stanzas is our
opinion. Read the translations for yourself and our analysis, but also seek
out varied sources and come to your own conclusions.
STANZA 7 OF THE
HAVAMAL
Auden and Taylor:
A guest should be courteous When he comes
to the table And sit in wary silence, His ears attentive,
his eyes alert: So he protects himself,
Bellows:
The knowing guest | who goes to the
feast, In silent attention sits; With his ears he hears, |
with his eyes he watches, Thus wary are wise men all.
Bray:
Let the wary stranger who seeks refreshment
keep silent with sharpened hearing; with his ears let him
listen, and look with his eyes; thus each wise man spies out the
way.
Chisholm:
The wary guest who comes to the
feast listens in silence, casts his eyes about and pricks up
his ears. Thus the wise ward their ways.
Hollander:
The wary guest to wassail who
comes listens that he may learn, opens his ears, casts his
eyes about; thus wards him the wise man 'gainst harm.
Terry:
The careful guest comes to a meal and sits
in wary silence; with his eyes and ears wide open, every wise
man keeps watch.
Thorpe:
A way guest who to refection
comes, keeps a cautious silence, (Or/Wit is needful to him
who travels far: harm seldom befalls the wary;) with his hears
listens, and with his eyes observes: so explores every prudent
man.
Original Old Norse:
Inn vari gestur er til verğar
kemur şunnu hljóği şegir, eyrum hlığir, en augum skoğar.
Svo nısist fróğra hver
fyrir.
DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS OF STANZA 7
This is also one of a number of stanzas in
the Havamal, that basically say, "Sit down, shut up, watch and
observe."
The stanza labels its target audience in the
first line, by stating that it is advice for the wary or careful
guest.
It then goes on to say that the wary guest
should sit in silence, watch and listen, and that this will keep the
wise guest safe. Bray and Chisholm versions differ just a
little bit, with last lines that suggest the wise man "finds his
way," or "wards his way" by watching and listening. But, this
is just a slightly more poetic way of saying that the guest remains
safe or protects himself/herself in this way.
Observing in silence and being carefull
allows the cautious guest to learn about those that surround him or
her. What are their interests? What are their areas
of expertise? What sort of people are they, and can the guest
trust them with his or her own thoughts? The information
you learn by cautious observation allows a guest to fit in
better over time and choose those with who he or she should
build bonds of friendship.
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