Arts & Sciences

Riddle 21 (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

Neb is min niþerweard; neol ic fere
ond be grunde græfe, geonge swa me wisað
har holtes feond, ond hlaford min
woh færeð weard æt steorte,
wrigaþ on wonge, wegeð mec ond þyð,
saweþ on swæð min. Ic snyþige forð,
brungen of bearwe, bunden cræfte,
wegen on wægne, hæbbe wundra fela;
me biþ gongendre grene on healfe
ond min swæð sweotol sweart on oþre.
Me þurh hrycg wrecen hongaþ under
an orþoncpil, oþer on heafde,
fæst ond forðweard. Fealleþ on sidan
þæt ic toþum tere, gif me teala þenaþ
hindeweardre, þæt biþ hlaford min.

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

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 21 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/92/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 21 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/92/.

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