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Hovamol

His pride will wax,  but his wisdom never, Straight forward he fares in conceit.
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81.[1] Give praise to the day at evening,  to a woman on her pyre,To a weapon which is tried,  to a maid at wedlock,To ice when it is crossed,  to ale that is drunk.
82. When the gale blows hew wood,  in fair winds seek the water;Sport with maidens at dusk,  for day's eyes are many;From the ship seek swiftness,  from the shield protection,Cuts from the sword,  from the maiden kisses.
83. By the fire drink ale,  over ice go on skates;Buy a steed that is lean,  and a sword when tarnished,
  1. ↑ With this stanza the verse-form, as indicated in the translation, abruptly changes to Malahattr. What has happened seems to have been something like this. Stanza 80 introduces the idea of man's love for woman. Consequently some reciter or compiler (or possibly even a copyist) took occasion to insert at this point certain stanzas concerning the ways of women. Thus stanza 80 would account for the introduction of stanzas 81 and 82, which, in turn, apparently drew stanza 83 in with them. Stanza 84 suggests the fickleness of women, and is immediately followed—again with a change of verse-form—by a list of things equally untrustworthy (stanzas 85-90). Then, after a few more stanzas on love in the regular measure of the Hovamol (stanzas 91-95), is introduced, by way of illustration, Othin's story of his

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