Arts & Sciences

Riddle 22 (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

ætsomne cwom LX monna
to wægstæþe wicgum ridan;
hæfdon XI eoredmæcgas
fridhengestas, IIII sceamas.
Ne meahton magorincas ofer mere feolan,
swa hi fundedon, ac wæs flod to deop,
atol yþa geþræc, ofras hea,
streamas stronge. Ongunnon stigan þa
on wægn weras ond hyra wicg somod
hlodan under hrunge; þa þa hors oðbær
eh ond eorlas, æscum dealle,
ofer wætres byht wægn to lande,
swa hine oxa ne teah ne esna mægen
ne fæthengest, ne on flode swom,
ne be grunde wod gestum under,
ne lagu drefde, ne on lyfte fleag,
ne under bæc cyrde; brohte hwæþre
beornas ofer burnan ond hyra bloncan mid
from stæðe heaum, þæt hy stopan up
on oþerne, ellenrofe,
weras of wæge, ond hyra wicg gesund.

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

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 22 (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/93/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). “Riddle 22 (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/93/.

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