Arts & Sciences

Riddle 41 (Old English)

by Anonymous (Old English) c. 7th–11th century

From The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, ed. Krapp and Dobbie, vol. III (1936)

Arts & Sciences

edniwu;
þæt is moddor monigra cynna,
þæs selestan, þæs sweartestan,
þæs deorestan þæs þe dryhta bearn
ofer foldan sceat to gefean agen.
Ne magon we her in eorþan owiht lifgan,
nymðe we brucen þæs þa bearn doð.
þæt is to geþencanne þeoda gehwylcum,
wisfæstum werum, hwæt seo wiht sy.

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Old English text as in ASPR; hand-keyed e-text via sacred-texts.com.

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 41 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/112/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 41 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/112/.

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