Arts & Sciences
Riddle 60 (Old English)
From The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, ed. Krapp and Dobbie, vol. III (1936)
Ic wæs be sonde, sæwealle neah,
æt merefaroþe, minum gewunade
frumstaþole fæst; fea ænig wæs
monna cynnes, þæt minne þær
on anæde eard beheolde,
ac mec uhtna gehwam yð sio brune
lagufæðme beleolc. Lyt ic wende
þæt ic ær oþþe sið æfre sceolde
ofer meodubence muðleas sprecan,
wordum wrixlan. þæt is wundres dæl,
on sefan searolic þam þe swylc ne conn,
hu mec seaxes ord ond seo swiþre hond,
eorles ingeþonc ond ord somod,
þingum geþydan, þæt ic wiþ þe sceolde
for unc anum twam ærendspræce
abeodan bealdlice, swa hit beorna ma
uncre wordcwidas widdor ne mænden.
Codex Note
Old English text as in ASPR; hand-keyed e-text via sacred-texts.com.
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 60 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/140/.
Chicago
Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 60 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/140/.
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