Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/43

43 (k-d 26)

An enemy came     and took away my life and my strength also     in the word; then wetted me, dipped me in water;     then took me thence; placed me in the sun,     where I lost all my hair. The knife’s edge cut me—     its impurities ground away; fingers folded me.     And the bird’s delight with swift drops     made frequent traces over the brown surface;     swallowed the tree-dye with a measure of liquid;     traveling across me, left a dark track.     A good man covered me with protecting boards,     which stretched skin over me; adorned me with gold.     Then the work of smiths decorated me with strands     of woven wire. Now may the ornaments     and the red dye and the precious possessions     everywhere honor the Guardian of peoples.     It were otherwise folly. If the sons of men     wish to enjoy me, they will be the safer     and surer of victory and the stronger of heart     and the happier of mind and the wiser of spirit.     They will have more friends, dearer and closer,     truer and better, nobler and more devoted,     who will increase their honor and wealth,     with love and favors and kindnesses surround them,     and clasp them close with loving embraces.     Ask me my name. I am a help to mortals.     My name is a glory and salvation to heroes,     and myself am holy.

10 20

Mec feonda sum     feore besnyþede woruldstrenga binō     wætte siþþan dyfde on wætre     dyde eft þonan sette on sunnan     þær ic swiþe beleas herum þam þe ic hæfde     heard mec siþþan snað seaxses ecge     sindrum begrunden fingras feoldan     ⁊ mec fugles wyn geond sped dropum     spyrede geneahhe ofer brunne brerd     beamtelge swealg streames dæle     stop eft on mec siþade sweartlast     mec siþþan wrah hæleð hleobordum     hyþe beþenede gierede mec mid golde     forþon me gliwedon wrætlic weorc smiþa     wire bifongen · nu þa gereno     ond se reada telg ⁊ þa wuldorgesteald     wide mære dryhtfolca helm     nales dol wite · gif min bearn wera     brucan willað hy beoð þy gesundran     ⁊ þy sigefæstran heortum þy hwætran     ⁊ þy hygebilþran ferþe þy frodran;     habbaþ freonda þy ma swæsra ⁊ gesibbra     soþra ⁊ godra tilra ⁊ getreowra     þa hyra tyr ⁊ ead estum ycað,     ⁊ hy ār stafum lissum bilecgað     ⁊ hi lufan fæþmum fæste clyppað ·     frige hwæt ic hatt niþum to nytte;     nama min is mære · hæleþum gifre     ⁊ halig sylf

Book—Bible. First the preparation of the parchment, then the writing and decoration are described; then the manifold values of what is written. “It were otherwise folly,” l. 16 (literally: not at all stupid punishment, penance), has puzzled the scholars. Proposed renderings are “not the pains of hell” and “let no fool find fault.”