Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/51
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51 (k-d 20)
| I‘m a wonderful thing shaped for fighting, beautifully dressed, dear to my master. Gay colored is my byrnie; bright wire that my wielder who guides me gave me, embraces the death-gem, who sometimes to strife directs my wanderings. Then I bring home treasure through the shining day, handiwork of smiths, gold to the dwellings. Often I slay living warriors with weapons of war. A king adorns me with jewels and silver and honors me in the hall, nor withholds my praise, publicly proclaims my merits before men, when they drink their mead; sometimes holds me back or frees me when weary with going into battle. I have often hurt another at the hands of his friend. I am far and wide hated, accursed among weapons. I must never hope that a son will avenge me on the life of my slayer if ever an enemy assails me in battle; nor will my kin be increased, the breed whence I sprang— unless bereft of my lord I might change to a new, turn from the owner who first rewarded me. Henceforth I am fated if I follow a (new) lord to do battle for him as I did for the other, for my prince’s pleasure, that I must forego the wealth of children and know no woman; for he who held me of yore in thrall denies me that bliss. I must therefore enjoy single, alone, the wealth of heroes. Often foolish in my finery I enrage a woman, diminish her desire; her tongue abuses me; she hits me with her hands, reviles me with words, intones a curse. I like not this contest.… |
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Ic eom wunderlicu wiht on gewin sceapen frean minū · leof fægre gegyrwed byrne is min bleofag swylce beorht seo mað wīr ymb þone wælgim þe me waldend geaf se me widgalum wisað hwilum sylfum to sace þōn ic sinc wege þurh hlutterne dæg hondweorc smiþa gold ofer geardas oft ic gæstberend cwelle compwæpnū cyning mec gyrweð since ⁊ seolfre ⁊ mec on sele weorþað ne wyrneð wordlofes wisan mæneð mine for mengo þær hy meodu drincað healdeð mec on heaþore hwilum læteð eft radwerigne on gerūm sceacan orlegfromne oft ic oþrum scod frecne æt his freonde fah eom ic wide wæpnum awyrged ic me wenan ne þearf þæt me bearn wræce on bonan feore gif me gromra hwylc guþe genægeð ne weorþeð sio mægburg gemicledu eaforan minum þe ic æfter woc · nymþe ic hlafordleas hweorfan mote from þā healdende þe me hringas geaf me bið forð witod gif ic frean hyre guþe fremme swa ic gien dyde minū þeodne on þonc þæt ic þolian sceal bearngestreona ic wiþ bryde ne mot hæmed habban ac me þæs hyhtplegan geno wyrneð se mec gearo ōn · bende legde forþon ic brucan sceal on hagostealde hæleþa gestreona · oft ic wirum dol wife abelge wonie hyre willan heo me wom spreceð floceð hyre folmum firenaþ mec wordum ungod gæleð ic ne gyme þæs compes . . . . . |
The solution is certainly, at first, a Sword, as is doubtless intentionally obvious. Then about midway the sword seems to be personified and obscurities set in. The piece is thus one half a transparent riddle and then a kind of heroic lay in the best tradition, in which the sword speaks as a follower who has somehow killed a friend of his master (or so I understand it) and is banished. He cannot marry, but he involves himself with a scolding woman. There is some disorder in the manuscript, the gatherings indicating the loss of a whole folio, which contained the conclusion of this riddle and perhaps other riddles. Compare 41 (k-d 60).