Arts & Sciences

Riddle 4 (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 sceal þragbysig þegne minum,
hringum hæfted, hyran georne,
min bed brecan, breahtme cyþan
þæt me halswriþan hlaford sealde.
Oft mec slæpwerigne secg oðþe meowle
gretan eode; ic him gromheortum
winterceald oncweþe. Wearm lim
gebundenne bæg hwilum bersteð;
se þeah biþ on þonce þegne minum,
medwisum men, me þæt sylfe,
þær wiht wite, ond wordum min
on sped mæge spel gesecgan.

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

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 4 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/75/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 4 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/75/.

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