Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/11
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11 (k-d 40)
| Eternal is the Creator who controls this earth now on its foundations … [and] holds the world. Strong is the Ruler and King by right, mighty over all. The earth and the heavens He holds and wields as He encircles them about. Me he wondrously made at the beginning when at the first he established this universe. He bade me to live long unsleeping that I slumber not forever after. And me suddenly sleep overcomes; both my eyes are quickly closed. All this world the mighty Lord moves with mastery in all its parts; so that I at the world of the mighty ruler all this universe encircle about. I am so timid that a fleeting phantom terribly can fill me with fright; and I am everywhere bolder than a boar when swollen with fury it stands at bay. No banner-bearer can overcome me throughout the world save God alone who holds and rules this high heaven. My fragrance is stronger . . . . than any incense or any rose in the field of earth . . . . beautifully blooms; I am stronger than that. Although the lily is precious to men, and bright of blossom I am better than it; thus the odor of nard I (quite) overcome with my very sweetness ever and everywhere. And I am fouler than this black fen that here evilly smells of filth. And I govern under heaven’s expanse as the beloved Father taught me at the start, that I must rule with right justice over thick and thin, and everywhere hold the form and feature of every thing. I am brighter than heaven; the high King bids me to hold and cherish his secret treasures. I scan all things also under the earth, the dirty dens of evil spirits. I am very much older than this universe or this middle-world could ever be. I was yesterday born, a child begotten to the glory of man, from my mother’s womb. Fairer I am than ornaments of gold, although they be covered with delicate work. I am filthier too than this foul wood or this seaweed that lies cast up here. I am wider than the world any and everywhere and extend farther than this green meadow. A hand can seize me and three fingers can easily embrace me all round about. I am harder and colder than the hard frost; the grim rime when it comes on the ground. [I am] hotter than Vulcan’s up-ascending fire and brightly shining flame. I am on the palate of men sweeter than the honeycomb when filled with honey. Just so am I bitterer than wormwood is that darkly stands here in the forest. Feed I can even more mightily and eat just as much as an old giant, and I always can live a happy life though I see no food my whole life long. I can fly more boldly than the pernex[2] can or eagle or hawk ever could. There is no Zephyrus, that rapid wind, that can anywhere so boldly move. The snail is swifter than I, the earthworm faster, the swamp frog more active in movement and the offspring of dung is quicker in stirring, which we call “beetle,” when we give it a name. I am heavier far than the gray stone or a lump of lead which is not small. I am much lighter than this little bug which walks on the water with dry feet; than the flint I am harder which drives this fire from this strong, this hard, steel. I am softer far than the downy feather that here in the wind flutters on the air. I am everywhere broader than all the earth and farther extend than this green meadow.[3] I encircle … all round about wondrously woven with wonderful skill. Under me there is no other more powerful wight among living things. I am above the creatures all which our Lord did create who can me alone by His eternal power restrain by force from exceeding my bounds. I am greater and stronger than the large whale which looks on the bottom of the sea-deeps with dim vision; I am mightier than he even as I am less in my own strength than the handworm which the sons of men in skilful manner dig out with a knife. I have on my head no white locks, cunningly curled, but I am quite bald; nor could I enjoy eyelids or eyebrows. But me the Creator deprived of them all. Now wondrously grow on my head so that they may shine on my shoulders, full wondrously, curly locks. I am bigger and fatter than the masty swine, the grunting boar in the beech forest that dark and rooting happy lives, so that he … . . . . |
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Ece is se scyppend se þas eorþan nu wreðstuþum ⁊ þas world healdeð ric is se reccend ⁊ on ryht cyning ealra anwalda eorþan ⁊ heofones healdeð ⁊ wealdeð swa he ymb þas utan hweorfeð he mec wrætlice worhte æt frymþe þa he þisne ymbhwyrft ærest sette heht mec wæccende wunian longe þæt ic ne slepe siþþan æfre · ⁊ mec semninga slæp ofergongeþ beoð eagan mīn ofestum betyned þisne middangeard meahtig dryhten mid his onwalde æghwær styreþ swa ic mid waldenes worde ealne þisne ymbhwyrft utan ymb clyp pe · Ic eom to þon bleað þæt mec bealdlice mæg gearu gongende grima abregan ⁊ eofore eom æghwær cenra þōn he gebolgen bidsteal giefeð · nemæg mec oferswiþan segnberendra ænig ofer eorþan nymþe se ana god se þisne hean heofon healdeþ ⁊ wealdeþ · Ic eom on stence strengre þōn ricels oþþe rose sy . . . . on eorþan tyrf wynlic weaxeð ic eom wræstre þōn heo þeah þe lilie sy leof moncynne beorht on blostman ic eom betre þōn heo · swylce ic nardes stenc nyde oferswiþe mid minre swetnesse symle æghwær ⁊ ic fulre eom þōn þis fen swearte ꝥ her yfle adelan stinceð · eal ic under heofones hwearfte recce swa me leof fæder lærde æt frymþe þæt ic þa mid ryhte reccan moste þicce ⁊ þynne þinga gehwylces onlicnesse æghwær healde hyrre Ic eom heofone hateþ mec heahcyning his deagol þing dyre bihealdan · eac ic under eorþan eal sceawige wom wraðscrafu wraþra gesta · Ic eom micle yldra þōn ymbhwyrft þæs oþþe þes middangeard meahte geweorþan · ⁊ Ic giestron wæs geong acenned mære to monnum þurh minre modor hrif · Ic eom fægerre frætwum goldes þeah hit mon awerge wirum utan · Ic eom wyrslicre þōn þes wudu fula oððe þis waroð þe her aworpen ligeð Ic eorþan eom æghwær brædre ⁊ widgielra þōn þes wong grena · folm mec mæg bifon · ⁊ fingras þry utan eaþe ealle ymbclyppan heardra ic eom ⁊ caldra þōn se hearda forst hrim heorugrimma þōn he to hrusan cymeð Ulcanus upirnendan leohtan leoman lege hatra Ic eom on goman gena swetra þōn þu beobread blende mid hunige · swylce Ic eom wraþre þōn wermod sy her on hyrstum heasewe stondeþ Ic mesan mæ meahtelicor ⁊ efnetan ealdum þyrre ⁊ Ic gesælig mæg symle lifgan þeah ic ætes ne sy æfre to feore Ic mæ fromlicor fleogan þōn p´nex oþþe earn oþþe hafoc æfre meah te · nis zefferus se swifta wind þæt swa fromlice mæg feran æghwær · meis snægl swiftra snel ro regnwyrm ⁊ fenyce fore hreþre Ic þæs gores sunu gonge hrædra þone we wifel wordū · nemnað · hefigere ic eom micle þōn se hara stan oþþe unlytel leades clympre · leohtre ic eom micle þō þes lytla wyrm þe her onflonde gæð · fotum dryge · flinte Ic eom heardre þe þis fyr drifeþ of þissum strongan style heardan · hnescre ic eom micle halsrefeþre seo her on winde wæweð onlyfte · Ic eorþan eom æghwær brædre ⁊ widgelra þō þes wong grena · Ic uttor eal ymbwinde wrætlice gewefen · wundor cræfte · nis under me ænig oþer wiht waldendre on worldlife · Ic eom ufor ealra gesceafta þara þe worhte waldend user se mec ana mæg ecan meahtum geþeon þrymme þæt ic onrinnan ne sceal · Mara Ic eom ⁊ strengra þōn se micla hwæl se þe garsecges grund bihealdeð sweart an syne · Ic eom swiþre þō he · swylce ic eom on mægene minum læsse þōn; se hondwyrm se þe hæleþa bearn secgas searoþoncle seaxe delfað · ne hafu Ic in heafde hwite loccas wræste gewundne ac ic eom wide calu ne ic breaga ne bruna brucan moste · Ac mec bescyrede scyppend eallum nu me wrætlice weaxað on heafde ꝥ me on gescyldrū scinan motan ful wrætlice wundne loccas · Mara Ic eom ⁊ fættra þō amæsted swīn · bearg bellende þe on bocwuda won wrotende wynnum lifde ꝥ he . . . . |
This is a fairly close rendering of Aldhelm’s hundredth and final riddle, De Creatura. The method is the same as that in 50 (k-d 35), q.v., which is based on Aldhelm’s De Lorica and perhaps the same man was the translator: generally two lines for each of Aldhelm’s hexameters—at least through l. 79. This use of two lines for one is responsible for the thinness of the style, as bald and unconvincing as the present version. For example, compare the opening lines of the Latin:
- The Creator, who established the ages on eternal pillars, the Ruler of kingdoms, who bridles the lightnings by his law, while the heights of the widespreading universe are swaying to and fro into space, formed me in various shapes, when in the beginning he founded the world. (Wyatt’s translation.)
The Anglo-Saxon translator omitted most of the classical allusions, except Vulcan (l. 56) and Zephyrus (l. 68), but retained the word pernix (Aldhelm l. 35), which he obviously did not understand. Then beginning at l. 83 there are further examples of his misunderstanding of the Latin, which suggests that a different translator took over. Moreover, after l. 79 there are two lines not in Aldhelm and then a skip of Aldhelm’s ll. 43–61, though some of the lines omitted are picked up at the end. Altogether Aldhelm has 83 hexameters; Riddle 40 has 107 lines, having left out some 25 lines of the Latin, partly of course because our Anglo-Saxon text is incomplete.
2.↑ An imaginary bird for Aldhelm’s pernix aquilis (swift eagle). Chaucer, House of Fame, iii, 302, made partridges’ wings out of Virgil’s pernicibus alis.
3.↑ This line repeats l. 5 above.