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Wyrd’s WellTranslations

Riddle 22

Old English, Exeter Book, lines 1 to 8

assembled came some sixty menriding their steeds to staithes and wavesthe troopers had ten and one morefrith stallions, four of them white.these mighty men must not have crossedthese waters white, their wells too deepand awful clangs, over edges highthe stream strong. the men started to climb

The original, glossed

Ætsomne cwom LX monnaTogether came 60 of-men [gen. pl.]to wægstæþe wicgum ridan;to wave-shore on-steeds [dat. pl.] to-ride;hæfdon XI eoredmæcgashad 11 troop-men [= horsemen]fridhengestas, IIII sceamas.stately (?)-horses, 4 white-horses (?).Ne meahton magorincas ofer mere feolan,Not could young-warriors over sea pass,swa hi fundedon, ac wæs flod to deop,as they strove, but was flood too deep,atol yþa geþræc, ofras hea,terrible of-waves [gen. pl.] press, shores high,streamas stronge. Ongunnon stigan þacurrents strong. Began to-climb then

Original text: Krapp and Dobbie, eds., The Exeter Book, ASPR 3 (1936), Riddle 22.

The original, glossed

Translation

Ætsomne cwom LX monnaTogether came 60 of-men [gen. pl.]
assembled came some sixty men
to wægstæþe wicgum ridan;to wave-shore on-steeds [dat. pl.] to-ride;
riding their steeds to staithes and waves
hæfdon XI eoredmæcgashad 11 troop-men [= horsemen]
the troopers had ten and one more
fridhengestas, IIII sceamas.stately (?)-horses, 4 white-horses (?).
frith stallions, four of them white.
Ne meahton magorincas ofer mere feolan,Not could young-warriors over sea pass,
these mighty men must not have crossed
swa hi fundedon, ac wæs flod to deop,as they strove, but was flood too deep,
these waters white, their wells too deep
atol yþa geþræc, ofras hea,terrible of-waves [gen. pl.] press, shores high,
and awful clangs, over edges high
streamas stronge. Ongunnon stigan þacurrents strong. Began to-climb then
the stream strong. the men started to climb

Original text: Krapp and Dobbie, eds., The Exeter Book, ASPR 3 (1936), Riddle 22.