Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/43
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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. |
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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.”