The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Riddle 20
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Ic eom wunderlicu wiht, on gewin sceapen,
frean minum leof, fægre gegyrwed.
Byrne is min bleofag, swylce beorht seomað
wir ymb þone wælgim þe me waldend
geaf,
5
se me widgalum wisað hwilum
sylfum to sace. þonne ic sinc wege
þurh hlutterne dæg, hondweorc smiþa,
gold ofer geardas. Oft ic gæstberend
cwelle compwæpnum. Cyning mec gyrweð
10
since ond seolfre ond mec on sele weorþað;
ne wyrneð wordlofes, wisan mæneð
mine for mengo, þær hy meodu drincað,
healdeð mec on heaþore, hwilum læteð
eft
radwerigne on gerum sceacan,
15
orlegfromne. Oft ic oþrum scod
frecne æt his freonde; fah eom ic wide,
wæpnum awyrged. Ic me wenan ne þearf
þæt me bearn wræce on bonan feore,
gif me gromra hwylc guþe genægeð;
20
ne weorþeð sio mægburg gemicledu
eaforan minum þe ic æfter woc,
nymþe ic hlafordleas hweorfan mote
from þam healdende þe me hringas geaf.
Me bið forð witod, gif ic frean hyre,
25
guþe fremme, swa ic gien dyde
minum þeodne on þonc, þæt ic
þolian sceal
bearngestreona. Ic wiþ bryde ne mot
hæmed habban, ac me þæs hyhtplegan
geno wyrneð, se mec geara on
30
bende legde; forþon ic brucan sceal
on hagostealde hæleþa gestreona.
Oft ic wirum dol wife abelge,
wonie hyre willan; heo me wom spreceð,
floceð hyre folmum, firenaþ mec wordum,
35
ungod gæleð. Ic ne gyme þæs compes
<< Previous Page Next
Page >>
© 2004-2007 Northvegr.
Most of the material on this site is in the public domain. However, many people have worked very hard to bring these texts to you so if you do use the work, we would appreciate it if you could give credit to both the Northvegr site and to the individuals who worked to bring you these texts. A small number of texts are copyrighted and cannot be used without the author's permission. Any text that is copyrighted will have a clear notation of such on the main index page for that text. Inquiries
can be sent to info@northvegr.org.
Northvegr™ and the Northvegr symbol are trademarks and service marks
of the Northvegr Foundation.
|