[Riddle 39]

by Anonymous (from the Exeter Book)

Gewritu secgað     þæt sēo wiht sȳ

mid moncynne     miclum tīdum

sweotol ond gesȳne.     Sundorcræft hafað

māran micle     þonne hit men witen.

Hēo wile gesēcan     sundor ǣghwylcne

feorhberendra,     gewīteð eft feran on weg.

Ne bið hīo nǣfre     niht þǣr oþre,

ac hīo sceal wīdeferh     wreccan lāste

hāmlēas hweorfan,     nō þȳ hēanre biþ.

Ne hafað hīo fōt ne folme,     ne ǣfre foldan hrān,

ne ēagena [hafað]     ne ǣgþer twēga,

ne mūð hafaþ,     ne wiþ monnum sprǣc,

ne gewit hafað,     ac gewritu secgað

þæt sēo sȳ earmost     ealra wihta,

þāra þe æfter gecyndum     cenned wǣre.

Ne hafað hīo sāwle ne feorh,     ac hīo siþas sceal

geond þas wundorworuld     wīde dreogan.

Ne hafaþ hīo blōd ne bān,     hwæþre bearnum wearð

geond þisne middangeard     mongum tō frōfre.

Nǣfre hīo heofonum hrān,     ne tō helle mōt,

ac hīo sceal wideferh     wuldorcyninges

lārum līfgan.     Long is tō secganne

hū hyre ealdorgesceaft     æfter gongeð,

wōh wyrda gesceapu;     þæt [is] wrǣtlic þing

tō gesecganne.     Sōð is ǣghwylc

þāra þe ymb þās wiht     wordum becneð;

ne hafað hēo ænig lim,     leofaþ efne seþeah.

Gif þū mæge rēselan     recene gesecgan

sōþum wordum,     saga hwæt hīo hātte.

[Riddle 39]

by Anonymous (from the Exeter Book)
Writings say that to mankind evident and
the creature is at times great visible
Has a special power greater much
than men realize
may
She will visit separately living being
each
then departs going on way
she Not be there
night another
but
she must always wander
the path of an exile
homeless
not thereby being lower
she Not has foot
not hand
not touched the earth ever
not has eye
not two either
not has mouth
not spoken with men
not has wits
but writings say that of all of creatures kinds
she is wretchedest which were produced after
she Not has soul
not life
but
she must endure travels extensive
throughout wonderworld this
she Not has blood
not bone
yet
has been as a comfort to men many
throughout middleearth this
she Never touched heavens
not to hell may
but
she must always live
by teachings gloryking’s
Long is
to say how her life-fate afterwards goes
crooked shape of events
that is to say
thing curious
True is every
what about this creature
with words describes
she not has limb
any
but lives
even
so
answer If may immediately
you say with words with truth
say what
she is called
translated from Old English by Evan Klavon
more>>