Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/31

31 (k-d 34)

I saw a thing     in the dwellings of men that feeds the cattle;     has many teeth. The beak is useful to it;     it goes downwards, ravages faithfully;     pulls homewards; hunts along walls;     reaches for roots. Always it finds them,     those which are not fast; lets them, the beautiful,     when they are fast, stand in quiet     in their proper places, brightly shining,     growing, blooming.

Ic wiht geseah     in wera burgum seo þæt feoh fedeð     hafað fela toþa nebb biþ hyre æt nytte     niþerweard gongeð hiþeð holdlice     ⁊ to ham tyhð wæþeð geond weallas     wyrte seceð āa heo þa findeð     þa þe fæst ne biþ læteð hio þa wlitigan     wyrtum fæste stille stondan     on staþolwonge beorhte blican     blowan ⁊ growan

Rake.