Arts & Sciences

Riddle 88 (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 weox þær ic s...
ond sumor mi...
...me wæs min ti...
......
...d ic on staðol...
...um geong, swa
seþeana
oft geond ...fgeaf,
ac ic uplong stod, þær ic ......
ond min broþor; begen wæron hearde.
Eard wæs þy weorðra þe wit on stodan,
hyrstum þy hyrra. Ful oft unc holt wrugon,
wudubeama helm wonnum nihtum,
scildon wið scurum; unc gescop meotud.
Nu unc mæran twam magas uncre
sculon æfter cuman, eard oðþringan
gingran broþor. Eom ic gumcynnes
anga ofer eorþan; is min agen bæc
wonn ond wundorlic. Ic on wuda stonde
bordes on ende. Nis min broþor her,
ac ic sceal broþorleas bordes on ende
staþol weardian, stondan fæste;
ne wat hwær min broþor on wera æhtum
eorþan sceata eardian sceal,
se me ær be healfe heah eardade.
Wit wæron gesome sæcce to fremmanne;
næfre uncer awþer his ellen cyðde,
swa wit þære beadwe begen ne onþungan.
Nu mec unsceafta innan slitað,
wyrdaþ mec be wombe; ic gewendan ne mæg.
æt þam spore findeð sped se þe se...
sawle rædes.

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

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 88 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/170/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 88 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/170/.

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