[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 |