XIII. FRAGMENTS
Several riddles either incomplete or fragmentary, owing to damage to the manuscript, require only brief description.
- s82 ##
82 (K-D 18)
I’m a wonderful thing, cannot say a word
or speak for men though I have a mouth
a broad belly . . . .
I was on a ship and more of my kindred.
There is no gap in the manuscript but the equivalent of a half-line, and probably more, has been skipped by the copyist.
- s83 ##
83 (K-D 41)
The riddle which precedes this in the manuscript, 11 Creation (K-D 40), is left at the bottom of fol. 111b with an incomplete line, and the one which follows begins at the top of the next folio also with an incomplete line. It is obvious that a leaf was missing, or was overlooked by the copyist. Thus we have only the last eight lines of the original.
renewed
That is mother of many kindreds,
of the best, of the darkest,
of the dearest that the children of men
throughout the bosom of earth own with joy.
We here on earth cannot live at all
unless we enjoy what those children do.
This is something for all mortals to reflect on,
all learned men, what this thing is.
