Ten Commandments for a Young Man Who Wants to Get Ahead

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Ten Commandments for a Young Man Who Wants to Get Ahead (1963)
Translated by Esther Greenleaf Mürer

I
The first commandment's easy, quite:
The majority is always right.

II
Always think what folk will say.
Side with the strongest, day by day.

III
When in doubt, just shut your trap
Until you see for whom they clap.

IV
Think what opinions you should hold.
Alone, you'll be out in the cold.

V
Don't give your lofty instincts rein,
But stick to what will bring you gain.

VI
Tell people what they want to hear;
Move quietly through every sphere.
(For truth brings sorrow on your head,
While daily lies earn daily bread.)

VII
Never walk upright. Sidle forth
And warm yourself at every hearth.

VIII
Praise everybody to the skies;
A flock of friends will be your prize.
(This in-group paradise will be
Your best insurance policy.)

IX
Of gossip save up every bit
For your superiors' benefit.
(But not a hint from the consumer
Should reach the subject of the rumor.)

X
If you this last commandment heed,
Then your future's guaranteed:
Boldly espouse each cause in season,
But always act with prudent reason.
Stride bravely forward in life's war
One hour before your time—no more!

Jens Bjørneboe,
“Ti bud til en ung mann som vil frem i verden”.
Samlede Dikt, ©1977, 1995 by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag A/S.
(Originally published in Dagbladet, 1963; reprinted in Politi og Anarki,
1972.) English translation ©1998 by Esther Greenleaf Mürer