Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/59

59 (k-d 27)

I am honored among men     both near and far; brought from the groves     and inhabited hills, from vales and from downs.     By day I was borne on wings through the air     and happily wafted to the shelter of roofs.     Then they bathed me in butts. Now I bind and I scourge     and I overthrow the young to the ground     and the elders sometimes, and this he soon finds     who takes me on and attacks me with violence;     he falls on his back unless he flees from his folly.     Robbed of his strength, though strong in speech,     he is deprived of his powers, and control of his mind,     of his feet and his hands. Ask what my name is     who bind men to the ground, the foolish after fighting,     in broad daylight.

10

Ic eom weorð werum     wide funden brungen of bearwum     ⁊ of burghleoþū of denum ⁊ of dunum     dæges mec wægun feþre on lifte     feredon mid liste under hrofes hleo     hæleð mec siþþan baþedan in bydene ·     nu ic eom bindere ⁊ swingere     sona weorpere efne to eorþan     hwilum ealdne ceorl · sona ꝥ onfindeð     se þe mec fehð ongean ⁊ wið mægenþisan     minre genæsteð, þæt he hrycge sceal     hrusan secan gif he unrædes     ær ne geswiceð strengo bistolen     strong on spræce mægene binumen     nah his modes geweald fota ne folma     frige hwæt ic hatte :⁊ ðe on eorþan swa     esnas binde dole æfter dyntum     be dæges leohte

Mead—the blossoming trees, bees, honey, stored to ferment, and then….