Arts & Sciences
Riddle 58 (Old English)
From The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, ed. Krapp and Dobbie, vol. III (1936)
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.
Codex Note
Old English text as in ASPR; hand-keyed e-text via sacred-texts.com.
Cite this poem
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/.
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