Arts & Sciences

Riddle 16 (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

Oft ic sceal wiþ wæge winnan ond wiþ winde feohtan,
somod wið þam sæcce, þonne ic secan gewite
eorþan yþum þeaht; me biþ se eþel fremde.
Ic beom strong þæs gewinnes, gif ic stille weorþe;
gif me þæs tosæleð, hi beoð swiþran þonne ic,
ond mec slitende sona flymað,
willað oþfergan þæt ic friþian sceal.
Ic him þæt forstonde, gif min steort þolað
ond mec stiþne wiþ stanas moton
fæste gehabban. Frige hwæt ic hatte.

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

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 16 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/87/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 16 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/87/.

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