Arts & Sciences

Riddle 2 (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

Hwilum ic gewite, swa ne wenaþ men,
under yþa geþræc eorþan secan,
garsecges grund. Gifen biþ gewreged,
fam gewealcen;
hwælmere hlimmeð, hlude grimmeð,
streamas staþu beatað, stundum weorpaþ
on stealc hleoþa stane ond sonde,
ware ond wæge, þonne ic winnende,
holmmægne biþeaht, hrusan styrge,
side sægrundas. Sundhelme ne mæg
losian ær mec læte se þe min latteow bið
on siþa gehwam. Saga, þoncol mon,
hwa mec bregde of brimes fæþmum,
þonne streamas eft stille weorþað,
yþa geþwære, þe mec ær wrugon.

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

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 2 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/73/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 2 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/73/.

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