Arts & Sciences
Riddle 14 (Old English)
From The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, ed. Krapp and Dobbie, vol. III (1936)
Ic wæs wæpenwiga. Nu mec wlonc þeceð
geong hagostealdmon golde ond sylfore,
woum wirbogum. Hwilum weras cyssað,
hwilum ic to hilde hleoþre bonne
wilgehleþan, hwilum wycg byreþ
mec ofer mearce, hwilum merehengest
fereð ofer flodas frætwum beorhtne,
hwilum mægða sum minne gefylleð
bosm beaghroden; hwilum ic bordum sceal,
heard, heafodleas, behlyþed licgan,
hwilum hongige hyrstum frætwed,
wlitig on wage, þær weras drincað,
freolic fyrdsceorp. Hwilum folcwigan
on wicge wegað, þonne ic winde sceal
sincfag swelgan of sumes bosme;
hwilum ic gereordum rincas laðige
wlonce to wine; hwilum wraþum sceal
stefne minre forstolen hreddan,
flyman feondsceaþan. Frige hwæt ic hatte.
Codex Note
Old English text as in ASPR; hand-keyed e-text via sacred-texts.com.
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 14 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/85/.
Chicago
Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 14 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/85/.
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