Arts & Sciences

Riddle 58 (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

Ic wat anfete ellen dreogan
wiht on wonge. Wide ne fereð,
ne fela rideð, ne fleogan mæg
þurh scirne dæg, ne hie scip fereð,
naca nægledbord; nyt bið hwæþre
hyre mondryhtne monegum tidum.
Hafað hefigne steort, heafod lytel,
tungan lange, toð nænigne,
isernes dæl; eorðgræf pæþeð.
Wætan ne swelgeþ ne wiht iteþ,
foþres ne gitsað, fereð oft swa þeah
lagoflod on lyfte; life ne gielpeð,
hlafordes gifum, hyreð swa þeana
þeodne sinum. þry sind in naman
ryhte runstafas, þara is Rad foran.

✦ ✦ ✦

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

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 58 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/129/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 58 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/129/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Anonymous (Old English)