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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 71 OF THE HAVAMAL
Auden and Taylor:
The halt can manage a horse,
the handless a flock,
The deaf be a doughty fighter,
To be blind is better than to burn on a pyre:
There is nothing the dead can do.
Bellows:
The deaf in battle is bold;
The blind man is better | than one that is burned,
No good can come of a corpse.
Bray:
The lame can ride horse, the handless drive cattle,
the deaf one can fight and prevail,
'tis happier for the blind than for him on the bale-fire,
but no man hath care for a corpse.
Chisholm:
A halt man can ride a horse. The handless
can be herdsmen. The deaf can fight bravely,
a blind man is better than a burned man,
and a dead man is of no use.
Hollander:
May the halt ride a horse, and the handless be herdsman,
the deaf man may doughtily fight;
a blind man is better than a burned one, ay:
of what good is a good man dead?
Terry:
The lame ride horseback, the handless drive herds,
the deaf may be dauntless in battle;
better to be blind than burned on a pyre,
dead men do no deeds.
Thorpe:
The halt can ride on horseback,
the one-handed drive cattle;
the deaf fight and be useful:
to be blind is better
than to be burnt:
no ones gets good from a corpse.
Original Old Norse:
Haltr ríðr hrossi, hjörð rekr handar vanr,
daufr vegr ok dugir,
blindr er betri en brenndr séi,
nýtr manngi nás.
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF STANZA
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