Riddle 27
english translation
Riddle 27
I am treasure lofted from the forest,
cliff-rims, rolling hills, town slopes.
All day wings lift me in the shaking wind,
slip me through the edge of a land-ship,
sweet sanctuary. Then a man abducts me,
carries me to the cauldron. Bathed,
I bind and beat men, draw down
both young and old, rip and ravage,
steal strength. Soon he finds
he’s taken me on my wild and mighty work.
I twirl those fools right down to earth.
Strength gone, speech foolish, a man
has no influence over hands, feet, brain.
Say what I am who hold men
to Middle Earth, blind them with bluster
and such barbaric blows the befuddled fools
know my dark bent only by the light of day.
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original Anglo-Saxon poem
Riddle 27 — Anglo-Saxon Original
Ic eom weorξ werum, wide funden,
brungen of bearwum ond of burghleoζum,
of denum ond of dunum. DΦges mec wΦgun
on lifte, feredon mid liste
under hrofes hleo. HΦleξ mec siζζan
baζedan in bydene. Nu ic eom bindere
ond swingere, sona weorpe
esne to eorζan, hwilum ealdne ceorl.
Sona ζΦt onfindeξ, se ζe mec fehξ ongean,
ond wiξ mΦgenζisan minre genΦsteξ,
ζΦt he hrycge sceal hrusan secan,
gif he unrΦdes Φr ne geswiceξ,
strengo bistolen, strong on sprΦce,
mΦgene binumen— nah his modes geweald,
fota ne folma. Frige hwΦt ic hatte,
ξe on eorζan swa esnas binde,
dole Φfter dyntum be dΦges leohte.
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