The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Riddle 39
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Gewritu secgað þæt seo wiht sy
mid moncynne miclum tidum
sweotol ond gesyne. Sundorcræft hafað
maran micle, þonne hit men witen.
5
Heo wile gesecan sundor æghwylcne
feorhberendra, gewiteð eft feran on weg.
Ne bið hio næfre niht þær oþre,
ac hio sceal wideferh wreccan laste
hamleas hweorfan; no þy heanre biþ.
10
Ne hafað hio fot ne folme, ne
æfre foldan hran,
ne eagena ægþer twega,
ne muð hafaþ, ne wiþ monnum spræc,
ne gewit hafað, ac gewritu secgað
þæt seo sy earmost ealra wihta,
15
þara þe æfter gecyndum cenned wære.
Ne hafað hio sawle ne feorh, ac hio siþas
sceal
geond þas wundorworuld wide dreogan.
Ne hafaþ hio blod ne ban, hwæþre
bearnum wearð
geond þisne middangeard mongum to frofre.
20
Næfre hio heofonum hran, ne to helle mot,
ac hio sceal wideferh wuldorcyninges
larum lifgan. Long is to secganne
hu hyre ealdorgesceaft æfter gongeð,
woh wyrda gesceapu; þæt is
wrætlic þing
25
to gesecganne. Soð is æghwylc
þara þe ymb þas wiht wordum becneð;
ne hafað heo ænig lim, leofaþ
efne seþeah.
Gif þu mæge reselan recene gesecgan
soþum wordum, saga hwæt hio hatte.
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