Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/69

69 (k-d 42)

I saw there     two beautiful creatures openly playing     the game of love. If the affair prospered,     the fair-haired one proudly arrayed,     received her due fulness. Now I can tell     the assembled bookmen the names of both     in runic letters. There shall be NEED,     two of these, and the bright ASH tree,     one on the line, and then two OAKS     and two HAILS likewise. Whoever has unlocked     with the power of the key the clasps of the chest     which held the riddle cunningly hidden     from the learned in runes— now is revealed to them     here as they drink how those two of low minds     are called by name.

N N Æ A A  H H 10

Ic seah wyhte     wrætlice twa undearnunga     ute plegan hæmedlaces     hwitloc anfeng wlanc under wædum     gif þæs weorces speop fæmne fyllo     Ic on flette mæg þurh runstafas     rincum secgan þā þe bec witan     bega ætsomne naman þara wihta     þær sceal nyd wesan twega oþer     ⁊ se torhta æsc an an linan     acas twegen hægelas swa some     hwylc wæs hordgates cægan cræfte     þa clamme onleac þe þa rædellan     wið rȳne menn hygefæste heold     heortan bewrigene orþoncbendum     nu is undyrne werum æt wine     hu þa wihte mid us heanmode twa     hatne sindon ·

This is, as the author says, self-explanatory, if you recognize the runes: HANA (cock) and HÆN (hen).