Traditional Iceland Wisdom

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.

Gáttir allar, áður gangi fram, um skoðask skyli, um skyggnast skyli.

“A wary guest, before stepping through the doors, should look about and listen well, for he never knows where enemies may sit within the hall.”

Stay alert and observant when entering any new or unfamiliar situation.

Sjaldan er ein báran stök.

“Seldom does one wave come alone.”

Troubles and events tend to arrive in groups rather than singly.

Glöggt er gests augað.

“The guest's eye is sharp.”

An outsider often notices things that people too close to a situation overlook.

Margur er knár þótt hann sé smár.

“Many are strong though they are small.”

Size is no measure of strength or worth; small things and people can be mighty.

Margt smátt gerir eitt stórt.

“Many small things make one big thing.”

Small contributions accumulate steadily into something significant.

Svo bregðast krosstré sem önnur tré.

“Even a cross made of trusted wood can fail, like any other tree.”

Even the people or things we trust most completely can still let us down.

Betra er heilt en vel gróið.

“Better whole than well-healed.”

Preventing harm in the first place is better than repairing the damage afterward.

Sá veit hvað átt hefur, þá misst hefur.

“One knows what one had, only once it is lost.”

People often fail to appreciate something's value until after it is gone.

Betri er krókur en kelda.

“Better a detour than a bog.”

A longer, safer path is wiser than a shortcut that leads to trouble.

Það þarf sterk bein til að þola góða daga.

“It takes strong bones to bear good days.”

Prosperity and success test a person's character just as much as hardship does.

Enginn er annars bróðir í leik.

“No one is another's brother in a game.”

In competition, self-interest tends to override friendship or kinship.

Svo lengi lifir sem lærir.

“One lives as long as one learns.”

Learning and curiosity should continue throughout a person's whole life.

Oft veltir lítil þúfa þungu hlassi.

“A small tussock often tips a heavy load.”

Small, overlooked obstacles can bring down even the largest undertakings.

Betra er autt en illa skipað.

“Better empty than badly filled.”

It is better to leave a task or position undone than to fill it poorly.

Kemur tíð og kemur ráð.

“The time will come, and the answer will come with it.”

Patience allows solutions to reveal themselves naturally over time.

Margar hendur vinna létt verk.

“Many hands make light work.”

A task shared among many people becomes far easier for everyone.

Sá er vinur, sem í raun reynist.

“A friend is the one who proves true in need.”

True friendship is revealed by how a person acts when times are hard, not in easy times.

Hver er sinnar gæfu smiður.

“Everyone is the smith of their own fortune.”

A person's fate is largely shaped by their own choices and effort.

Blindur er bóklaus maður.

“A man without books is blind.”

Without reading and learning, a person cannot truly see or understand the world.

Fall er fararheill.

“A fall can be a lucky start.”

A small stumble or setback at the beginning of a journey is sometimes taken as a good omen rather than a bad one.

Margt er skrýtið í kýrhausnum.

“Many strange things are found in the cow's head.”

The world and life are full of odd, unexplainable things.

Sjaldan launar kálfur ofeldi.

“A calf rarely repays being overfed.”

Excessive indulgence or spoiling someone rarely earns gratitude in return.

Ekki er allt gull sem glóir.

“Not all that glitters is gold.”

Appearances can deceive; something attractive on the surface is not always genuinely valuable.

Margur verður af aurum api.

“Many a man becomes an ape on account of money.”

The pursuit of wealth can make even sensible people behave foolishly.