[Ads-l] Quote Origin: Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke up the unused path

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The saying in the subject line is often attributed to Ralph Waldo
Emerson. However, I found no substantive evidence that Ralph Waldo
Emerson crafted this saying. He died in 1882, and he received credit
by 1921.

The earliest match I found in English appeared in 1878 within an
article titled "The Ethic Ideas of the Edda" by Karl Blind which was
published in "The University Magazine" of London. Edda designates a
collection of Medieval Icelandic literary works. Blind printed the
following verse from a work called "Hávamál".

[Begin excerpt]
If thou hast a friend whom thou well canst trust:
Go often to him for friendly talk!
For brushwood grows, and very high grass,
On the path which nobody treads.
[End excerpt]

A different translation of the verse by Carolyne Larrington appeared
in the book "The Poetic Edda" from Oxford University Press in 2014

[Begin excerpt]
I advise you, Loddfafnir, to take this advice,
it will be useful if you learn it,
do you good, if you have it:
you know, if you've a friend, one whom you trust well,
go to see him often;
for brushwood grows, and tall grass,
on the road which no man treads.
[End excerpt]

Here is a link to the Quote Investigator article:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2025/07/16/friend-path/

Feedback and illuminating citations would be welcome.
Garson O'Toole
QuoteInvestigator.com

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