Arts & Sciences

Riddle 15 (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

Hals is min hwit ond heafod fealo,
sidan swa some. Swift ic eom on feþe,
beadowæpen bere. Me on bæce standað
her swylce swe on hleorum. Hlifiað tu
earan ofer eagum. Ordum ic steppe
in grene græs. Me bið gyrn witod,
gif mec onhæle an onfindeð
wælgrim wiga, þær ic wic buge,
bold mid bearnum, ond ic bide þær
mid geoguðcnosle, hwonne gæst cume
to durum minum, him biþ deað witod.
Forþon ic sceal of eðle eaforan mine
forhtmod fergan, fleame nergan,
gif he me æfterweard ealles weorþeð;
hine berað breost. Ic his bidan ne dear,
reþes on geruman, (nele þæt ræd teale),
ac ic sceal fromlice feþemundum
þurh steapne beorg stræte wyrcan.
Eaþe ic mæg freora feorh genergan,
gif ic mægburge mot mine gelædan
on degolne weg þurh dune þyrel
swæse ond gesibbe; ic me siþþan ne þearf
wælhwelpes wig wiht onsittan.
Gif se niðsceaþa nearwe stige
me on swaþe seceþ, ne tosæleþ him
on þam gegnpaþe guþgemotes,
siþþan ic þurh hylles hrof geræce,
ond þurh hest hrino hildepilum
laðgewinnum, þam þe ic longe fleah.

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

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 15 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/86/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 15 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/86/.

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