Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/5
5 (k-d 84)
| A thing there is strangely begotten, furious and fierce; runs a violent course rages grimly, moves over the ground, is mother of many marvelous creatures. Moving beautifully, it is ever striving; low-lying is its close grip. None to another can fairly with wise words describe its features or say how manifold is the multitude of its kin. Its ancient origin the Father watched over, beginning and end, and his only Son also, glorious child of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mighty in strength the mother is; supported marvelously, laden with food, adorned with treasures, precious to heroes; her might is multiplied, strength made manifest, her face is honored with happy usefulness; a fair bright jewel for the proud to wear; cleanly and bountiful; mighty in craft. It is dear to the prosperous, to the poor soothing, goodly, excellent; boldest and strongest, greediest and eagerest— treads over the ground— of all that is grown up underneath the sky and that the sons of men ever saw with their eyes. So that glory weaves the might of mortals, although wise of mind . . . . . a man more knowing of heart, a crowd of wonders. Than earth it is harder, than heroes older, than gifts readier, than gems dearer; beautifies the world; increases in fruits; blots out crime … often casts from without a single covering wondrously beautiful, over all mankind, so that throughout the world men are astonished. |
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An wiht is wundrum acceneð hreoh ⁊ reþe hafað ryne · strongne grimme grymetað ⁊ be grunde fareð modor is monigra mærra wihta Fæger ferende fundað æfre · neol is nearograp nænig oþrum mæg wlite ⁊ wisan wordum gecyþan hu mislic biþ mægen þara cynna fyrn forðgesceaft fæder ealle bewat ōr ⁊ ende swylce an sunu mære meotudes bearn þurh […]ed ⁊ ꝥ hyhste mæ[…]es […]æ[…] […] dyre cræft[…] […] […]onne hy ā weorp[…] […]þe ænig þara […] […]fter ne mæg […] […] oþer cynn eorþan […] […] þon ær wæs wlitig ⁊ wynsum […] biþ sio moddor mægene eacen wundrū bewreþed wistum gehladen hordum gehroden hæleþum dyre mægen bið gemiclad meaht gesweotlad · wlite biþ geweorþad wuldornyttingum wynsū wuldorgimm wloncū getenge · clængeorn bið ⁊ cystig cræfte eacen hio biþ eadgum leof earmū getæse freolic sellic fromast ⁊ swiþost gifrost ⁊ grædgost grundbedd trideþ þæs þe under lyfte ā loden wurde ⁊ ælda bearn eagum sawe · Swa ꝥ wuldor wifeð worldbearna mæge, þeah þe ferþum gleaw . . . . . mon mode · snottor mengo wundra hrusan bið heardra hæleþum frodra geofum bið gearora gimmū deorra worulde wlitigað wæstmum tydreð firene dwæsceð . . . . . oft utan beweorpeð anre þecene wundrum gewlitegad geond werþeode ꝥ wafiað weras ofer eorþan þæt magon micle […]sceafte · biþ stanum bestreþed stormum […] […]len […]timbred weall þrym[…]ed hrusan hrineð h[…] […]etenge oft searwum biþ […] […] deaðe ne feleð þeah þe […] […]du hreren hrif wundigen […]risse hord word onhlīd hæleþum ge[…] […]wreoh wordum geopena hu mislic sy mægen þara cy[…] |
There were 56 lines in all, of which these are recoverable—some metrically dubious and obscure in meaning. The probable solution is Water in its various forms and uses—if one has the patience to identify them.