Riddles 20 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.3.22.20 Distributed by the University of Oxford under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Library of Congress Subject Headings English, Old (ca. 450-1100) Poems Riddles 20
Ic eom wunderlicu wiht, on gewin sceapen, frean minum leof, fægre gegyrwed. Byrne is min bleofag, swylce beorht seomað wir ymb þone wælgim þe me waldend geaf, se me widgalum wisað hwilum sylfum to sace. þonne ic sinc wege þurh hlutterne dæg, hondweorc smiþa, gold ofer geardas. Oft ic gæstberend cwelle compwæpnum. Cyning mec gyrweð since ond seolfre ond mec on sele weorþað; ne wyrneð wordlofes, wisan mæneð mine for mengo, þær hy meodu drincað, healdeð mec on heaþore, hwilum læteð eft radwerigne on gerum sceacan, orlegfromne. Oft ic oþrum scod frecne æt his freonde; fah eom ic wide, wæpnum awyrged. Ic me wenan ne þearf þæt me bearn wræce on bonan feore, gif me gromra hwylc guþe genægeð; ne weorþeð sio mægburg gemicledu eaforan minum þe ic æfter woc, nymþe ic hlafordleas hweorfan mote from þam healdende þe me hringas geaf. Me bið forð witod, gif ic frean hyre, guþe fremme, swa ic gien dyde minum þeodne on þonc, þæt ic þolian sceal bearngestreona. Ic wiþ bryde ne mot hæmed habban, ac me þæs hyhtplegan geno wyrneð, se mec geara on bende legde; forþon ic brucan sceal on hagostealde hæleþa gestreona. Oft ic wirum dol wife abelge, wonie hyre willan; heo me wom spreceð, floceð hyre folmum, firenaþ mec wordum, ungod gæleð. Ic ne gyme þæs compes