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Wyrd’s WellTranslations

Riddle 19

Old English, Exeter Book

Where I was sent I saw the ·ᛋ·ᚱ·ᚩ··ᚻ· a heart proud, a head bright,swift over loam-seas and soil thrashedand heft upon heave, hardened by battle·ᚾ·ᚪ·ᛗ· the nailed rode on·ᚣ·ᚪ·ᚹ·. The wide walk ferriedthe strong runner held a stark ·ᛣ·ᚹ··ᚪ·ᚻ·. Ever fresher ways,such that I was sent. Say, what is my name?

The original, glossed

Ic on siþe seah ·ᛋ ᚱ ᚩI on journey saw ·S R Oᚻ· hygewloncne, heafodbeorhtne,H· [SROH reversed: hors, 'horse'] mind-proud [acc.], head-bright [acc.],swiftne ofer sælwong swiþe þrægan.swift [acc.] over fertile-plain strongly run.Hæfde him on hrycge hildeþryþeHad to-itself [refl. dat.] on back battle-strength·ᚾ ᚩ ᛗ· nægledne rad·N O M· [NOM reversed: mon, 'man'] nailed-one [acc.] rode·ᚪ ᚷ ᛖ ᚹ. Widlast ferede·A G E W [AGEW reversed: wega, 'of ways' (?)]. Wide-wandering carriedrynestrong on rade rofne ·ᚳ ᚩcourse-strong on riding bold [acc.] ·C Oᚠ ᚩ ᚪ ᚻ. For wæs þy beorhtre,F O A H [COFOAH reversed: haofoc, 'hawk']. Journey was the brighter,swylcra siþfæt. Saga hwæt ic hatte.of-such-ones [gen. pl.] expedition. Say what I am-called.

Original text: Krapp and Dobbie, eds., The Exeter Book, ASPR 3 (1936), Riddle 19.

The original, glossed

Translation

Ic on siþe seah ·ᛋ ᚱ ᚩI on journey saw ·S R O

Where I was sent I saw the ·ᛋ·ᚱ·ᚩ·

ᚻ· hygewloncne, heafodbeorhtne,H· [SROH reversed: hors, 'horse'] mind-proud [acc.], head-bright [acc.],

·ᚻ· a heart proud, a head bright,

swiftne ofer sælwong swiþe þrægan.swift [acc.] over fertile-plain strongly run.

swift over loam-seas and soil thrashed

Hæfde him on hrycge hildeþryþeHad to-itself [refl. dat.] on back battle-strength

and heft upon heave, hardened by battle

·ᚾ ᚩ ᛗ· nægledne rad·N O M· [NOM reversed: mon, 'man'] nailed-one [acc.] rode

·ᚾ·ᚪ·ᛗ· the nailed rode on

·ᚪ ᚷ ᛖ ᚹ. Widlast ferede·A G E W [AGEW reversed: wega, 'of ways' (?)]. Wide-wandering carried

·ᚣ·ᚪ·ᚹ·. The wide walk ferried

rynestrong on rade rofne ·ᚳ ᚩcourse-strong on riding bold [acc.] ·C O

the strong runner held a stark ·ᛣ·ᚹ·

ᚠ ᚩ ᚪ ᚻ. For wæs þy beorhtre,F O A H [COFOAH reversed: haofoc, 'hawk']. Journey was the brighter,

·ᚪ·ᚻ·. Ever fresher ways,

swylcra siþfæt. Saga hwæt ic hatte.of-such-ones [gen. pl.] expedition. Say what I am-called.

such that I was sent. Say, what is my name?

Original text: Krapp and Dobbie, eds., The Exeter Book, ASPR 3 (1936), Riddle 19.

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