Sacred Texts
Legends and Sagas
WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site]
Index
Previous
Next
Riddle 40
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
-
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,
- 5
-
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,
- 10
-
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
- 15
-
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;
- 20
-
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,
- 25
-
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
- 30
-
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,
- 35
-
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;
- 40
-
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
- 45
-
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.
- 50
-
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,
- 55
-
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;
- 60
-
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
- 65
-
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;
- 70
-
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
- 75
-
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,
- 80
-
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,
- 85
-
wrætlice gewefen wundorcræfte.
Nis under me ænig oþer
wiht waldendre on worldlife;
ic eom ufor ealra gesceafta,
þara þe worhte waldend user,
- 90
-
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,
- 95
-
swylce ic eom on mægene minum læsse
þonne se hondwyrm, se þe hæleþa bearn,
secgas searoþoncle, seaxe delfað.
Nu hafu ic in heafde hwite loccas
wræste gewundne, ac ic eom wide calu;
- 100
-
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.
- 105
-
Mara ic eom ond fættra þonne amæsted swin,
bearg bellende, þe on bocwuda,
won wrotende wynnum lifde
þæt he