Deyr fé, deyja frændur, deyr sjálfur ið sama; en orðstír deyr aldregi hveim er sér góðan getur.

“Cattle die, kinsmen die, and you yourself will die; but the good name of a man never dies, if he has earned it well.”

A person's reputation and good name outlast wealth, family, and life itself.

At kveldi skal dag leyfa, kvinnu, er brennd er, mæki, er reyndur er, mey, er gefin er, ís, er yfir kemur, öl, er drukkið er.

“Praise the day at evening, a wife when she is cremated, a sword when it is tried, a maiden when she is married, ice when it is crossed, and ale when it has been drunk.”

Judge things only by their outcome, not by how they begin or appear.

Bú er betra, þótt lítið sé, halur er heima hver.

“A house of one's own is better, though it be small; every man is somebody at home.”

Owning even a modest home of one's own brings a dignity and independence that nothing else replaces.

Byrði betri berr-at maður brautu að en sé mannvit mikið.

“No better burden can a man carry on the road than much common sense.”

Wisdom and good sense are the most valuable things a person can carry through life.

Meðalsnotur skyli manna hver, æva til snotur sé.

“A man should be moderately wise, never too crafty; the fairest life is led by those who know much, but not too much.”

Excessive cleverness invites trouble; balanced, modest wisdom leads to the happiest life.

Eldur er bestur með ýta sonum og sólar sýn.

“Fire is best among the sons of men, and the sight of the sun, if a man can keep his health, and live a life free of shame.”

The simplest gifts — warmth, light, health, and a clean conscience — matter more than riches.