Riddle 3*
I am the lone wood in the warp
Ic eom anhaga iserne wund,
of battle,
bille gebennad, beadoweorca Wounded by iron, broken by
sd, blade,
ecgum werig. Oft ic wig
Weary of war. Often I see
seo,
frecne feohtan. Frofre ne Battle-rush, rage, fierce fight
wene, flaring--
t me geoc cyme 5 5
I hold no hope for help to come
gugewinnes,
r ic mid ldum eal Before I fall finally with
forwure, warriors
ac mec hnossia homera Or feel the flame. The hard
lafe, hammer-leavings
heardecg heoroscearp, Strike me; the bright-edged,
hondweorc smia, battle-sharp
bita in burgum; ic abidan Handiwork of smiths bites in
sceal battle.
laran gemotes. Nfre 10 Always I must await the harder 10
lcecynn encounter
For I could never find in the
on folcstede findan meahte,
world any
ara e mid wyrtum wunde Of the race of healers who heal
gehlde, hard wounds
ac me ecga dolg eacen With roots and herbs. So I
weora suffer
urh deaslege dagum ond Sword-slash and death-wound
nihtum. day and night.
Riddle 4*
Mec gesette so sigora The culminant lord of victories,
waldend Christ,
Crist to compe. Oft ic cwice Created me for battle. Often I
brne, burn
Countless living creatures on
unrimu cyn eoran getenge,
middle-earth,
nte mid nie, swa ic him Treat them to terror though I
no hrine, touch them not,
onne mec min frea feohtan 5 When my lord rouses me to 5
hate. wage war.
Hwilum ic monigra mod Sometimes I lighten the minds
arete, of many,
hwilum ic frefre a ic r Sometimes I comfort those I
winne on fought fiercely
feorran swie-- hi s fela Before. They feel this high
eah, blessing
swylce s ores, onne ic As they felt that burning, when
eft hyra over the surge
ofer deop gedreag drohta 10 And sorrow, I again grace their 10
bete. going.
Riddle 14
Oft ic sceal wi wge winnan ond wi In battle I rage against wave and
winde feohtan, wind,
somod wi am scce, onne ic secan Strive against storm, dive down
gewite seeking
eoran yum eaht; me bi se eel A strange homeland, shrouded by the
fremde. sea.
Ic beom strong s gewinnes, gif ic In the grip of war, I am strong when
stille weore; still;
gif me s tosle, hi beo swiran 5 5
In battle-rush, rolled and ripped
onne ic,
ond mec slitende sona flyma, In flight. Conspiring wind and wave
Would steal my treasure, strip my
willa ofergan t ic friian sceal.
hold,
Ic him t forstonde, gif min steort
But I seize glory with a guardian tail
ola
ond mec stine wi stanas moton As the clutch of stones stands hard
1 1
Against my strength. Can you guess
fste gehabban. Frige hwt ic hatte. 0 0
my name?
Riddle 31
With cwom fter wege wrtlicu
An awesome beauty angled the wave;
lian;
cymlic from ceole cleopode to The deep-throated creature called to
londe, land,
hlinsade hlude-- hleahtor ws
Laughed loud-lingering, struck terror
gryrelic,
egesful on earde Ecge wron Home to men. Her blades honed
scearpe. sharp,
5 5
Ws hio hetegrim, hilde to sne, She was slow to battle but battle-grim,
biter beadoweorca Bordweallas Savage wound-worker. The
grof, slaughterer
heardhiende. Heterune bond! Struck ship-walls, carried a curse.
sgde searocrftig ymb hyre
The cunning creature said of herself:
sylfre gesceaft:
"My mother, who comes from the kind
"Is min modor mga cynnes
of women
10 Dearest and best, is my daughter 10
s deorestan, t is dohtor min
grown
Eacen uploden, swa t is ldum Great and pregnant; so is it known to
cu, men
Firum on folce, t seo on foldan
On earth that she shall come and stand
sceal
on ealra londa gehwam lissum Gracefully on the ground in every
stondan." land."
Riddle 30
Middle-earth is made lovely in
Is es middangeard missenlicum
unmatched ways
wisum gewlitegad, wrttum Rich and rare. I saw a strange creature
gefrtwad.
Sium sellic ic seah searo hweorfan, Riding the road, weird craft and power
From the workshops of men. She came
grindan wi greote, giellende faran.
sliding
5 Up on the shore, shrieking without 5
Nfde sellicu wiht syne ne folme,
sight,
exle ne earmas; sceal on anum fet Eyes, arms, shoulders, hands
searoceap swifan, swie feran, Sailed on one foot over smooth plains
Treasure and haul. Her mouth in the
faran ofer feldas. Hfde fela ribba;
middle
mu ws on middan. Moncynne nyt, Of a hoard of ribs, she carries corn
10 10
fere foddurwelan, folcscipe dreoge, Gold, grain-treasure, wine-wealth.
wist in wige, ond werum gielde
The feast-floater brings in her belly
food
gaful geara gehwam s e guman For rich and poor. Let the wise who
bruca, catch
rice ond heane. Rece, gif u cunne, The drift of this riddle say what I mean.
wis worda gleaw, hwt sio wiht sie.
Riddle 27
I saw a wonderful creature
Ic wiht geseah wundorlice
carrying
hornum bitweonum hue
Light plunder between its horns.
ldan,
lyftft leohtlic, listum Curved lamp of the air, cunningly
gegierwed, formed,
hue to am ham of am It fetched home its booty from the
heresie; day's raid
walde hyre on re byrig 5 And plotted to build in its castle if 5
bur atimbran, it could,
searwum asettan, gif hit swa
A night-chamber brightly adorned.
meahte.
a cwom wundorlicu wiht Then over the east wall came
ofer wealles hrof, another creature
seo is eallum Well known to earth-dwellers.
cu eorbuendum, Wonderful as well,
ahredde a a hue ond to It seized back its booty and sent
ham bedraf the plunderer home
1 1
wreccan ofer willan-- gewat Like an unwilling wanderer. The
0 0
hyre west onan wretch went west,
Moved morosely and murderously
fhum feran, for onette.
on.
Dust stonc to heofonum, deaw Dust rose to the heavens, dew fell
feol on on earth--
niht for gewat. Nnig Night moved on. Afterwards no
sian one
wera gewiste re wihte In the world knew where the
si. wanderer had gone.
Riddle 59
Oft mec fste bileac freolicu
Sometimes a lady, comely and proud,
meowle,
ides on earce, hwilum up ateah Locks me up, boxes me tight--
folmum sinum ond frean sealde, Sometimes draws me out on demand
holdum eodne, swa hio haten And hands me over to her pleasing
ws. prince
Sian me on hrere heafod 5
Who shoves his hard head in my hole,
5
sticade,
nioan upweardne, on nearo
Slides up while I slip down--
fegde.
A tight squeeze. If the man who seizes
Gif s ondfengan ellen dohte,
me
Presses with power, something
mec frtwedne fyllan sceolde
shaggy
ruwes nathwt. Rd hwt ic Will fill me up, muscle me out--
mne.
10
A precious jewel. Say what I mean.
Riddle 66
Ic a wiht geseah on weg feran; I saw a creature wandering the way:
heo ws wrtlice wundrum She was devastating-beautifully
gegierwed. adorned.
Wundor wear on wege; wter On the wave a miracle: water turned
wear to bane. to bone.
[K-D 68-69]
Riddle 87
Min heafod is homere My head is struck by a forging
geuren, hammer,
searopila wund, sworfen Sheared close by a shaping
feole. blade,
Oft ic begine t me ongean
Honed smooth by a fierce file.
stica,
onne ic hnitan sceal, Sometimes I swallow my
hringum gyrded, tempered foe,
hearde wi heardum, hindan 5 When bound by rings, I heave 5
yrel-- from behind,
Thrust a long limb through a
for ascufan t mines frean
hard hole,
mod W freoa Catch hard the keeper of the
middelnihtum. heart's pleasure,
Hwilum ic under bc bregde Twist with my tongue and turn
nebbe, back
hyrde s hordes, onne min The midnight guardian of my
hlaford wile lord's treasure
lafe icgan ara e he of life 10 When the conquering warrior 10
het comes to hold
wlcrfte awrecan willum The gift of slaughter, the joy of
sinum. gold.
