Riddles 40 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.3.22.40 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 40
Ece is se scyppend, se þas eorþan nu wreðstuþum wealdeð ond þas world healdeð. Rice is se reccend ond on ryht cyning ealra anwalda, eorþan ond heofones, healdeð ond wealdeð, swa he ymb þas utan hweorfeð. He mec wrætlice worhte æt frymþe, þa he þisne ymbhwyrft ærest sette, heht mec wæccende wunian longe, þæt ic ne slepe siþþan æfre, ond mec semninga slæp ofergongeþ, beoð eagan min ofestum betyned. þisne middangeard meahtig dryhten mid his onwalde æghwær styreð; swa ic mid waldendes worde ealne þisne ymbhwyrft utan ymbclyppe. Ic eom to þon bleað, þæt mec bealdlice mæg gearu gongende grima abregan, ond eofore eom æghwær cenra, þonne he gebolgen bidsteal giefeð; ne mæg mec oferswiþan segnberendra ænig ofer eorþan, nymþe se ana god se þisne hean heofon healdeþ ond wealdeþ. Ic eom on stence strengre micle þonne ricels oþþe rose sy, on eorþan tyrf wynlic weaxeð; ic eom wræstre þonne heo. þeah þe lilie sy leof moncynne, beorht on blostman, ic eom betre þonne heo; swylce ic nardes stenc nyde oferswiþe mid minre swetnesse symle æghwær, ond ic fulre eom þonne þis fen swearte þæt her yfle adelan stinceð. Eal ic under heofones hwearfte recce, swa me leof fæder lærde æt frymþe, þæt ic þa mid ryhte reccan moste þicce ond þynne; þinga gehwylces onlicnesse æghwær healde. Hyrre ic eom heofone, hateþ mec heahcyning his deagol þing dyre bihealdan; eac ic under eorþan eal sceawige wom wraðscrafu wraþra gæsta. Ic eom micle yldra þonne ymbhwyrft þes oþþe þes middangeard meahte geweorþan, ond ic giestron wæs geong acenned mære to monnum þurh minre modor hrif. Ic eom fægerre frætwum goldes, þeah hit mon awerge wirum utan; ic eom wyrslicre þonne þes wudu fula oððe þis waroð þe her aworpen ligeð. Ic eorþan eom æghwær brædre, ond widgielra þonne þes wong grena; folm mec mæg bifon ond fingras þry utan eaþe ealle ymbclyppan. Heardra ic eom ond caldra þonne se hearda forst, hrim heorugrimma, þonne he to hrusan cymeð; ic eom Ulcanus up irnendan leohtan leoman lege hatra. Ic eom on goman gena swetra þonne þu beobread blende mid hunige; swylce ic eom wraþre þonne wermod sy, þe her on hyrstum heasewe stondeþ. Ic mesan mæg meahtelicor ond efnetan ealdum þyrse, ond ic gesælig mæg symle lifgan þeah ic ætes ne sy æfre to feore. Ic mæg fromlicor fleogan þonne pernex oþþe earn oþþe hafoc æfre meahte; nis zefferus, se swifta wind, þæt swa fromlice mæg feran æghwær; me is snægl swiftra, snelra regnwyrm ond fenyce fore hreþre; is þæs gores sunu gonge hrædra, þone we wifel wordum nemnað. Hefigere ic eom micle þonne se hara stan oþþe unlytel leades clympre, leohtre ic eom micle þonne þes lytla wyrm þe her on flode gæð fotum dryge. Flinte ic eom heardre þe þis fyr drifeþ of þissum strongan style heardan, hnescre ic eom micle halsrefeþre, seo her on winde wæweð on lyfte. Ic eorþan eom æghwær brædre ond widgelra þonne þes wong grena; ic uttor eaþe eal ymbwinde, wrætlice gewefen wundorcræfte. Nis under me ænig oþer wiht waldendre on worldlife; ic eom ufor ealra gesceafta, þara þe worhte waldend user, se mec ana mæg ecan meahtum, geþeon þrymme, þæt ic onþunian ne sceal. Mara ic eom ond strengra þonne se micla hwæl, se þe garsecges grund bihealdeð sweartan syne; ic eom swiþre þonne he, swylce ic eom on mægene minum læsse þonne se hondwyrm, se þe hæleþa bearn, secgas searoþoncle, seaxe delfað. Ne hafu ic in heafde hwite loccas wræste gewundne, ac ic eom wide calu; ne ic breaga ne bruna brucan moste, ac mec bescyrede scyppend eallum; nu me wrætlice weaxað on heafde þæt me on gescyldrum scinan motan ful wrætlice wundne loccas. Mara ic eom ond fættra þonne amæsted swin, bearg bellende, þe on bocwuda, won wrotende wynnum lifde þæt he