Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/16

16 (k-d 59)

I saw in the hall     a golden ring which men beheld     with happy hearts, with wise minds.     Peace and salvation has God offered     to every guest who turns the ring.     A word then it spoke, the ring to the gathering.     It named the Saviour of righteous men.     Dumb it brought clearly to their minds     the Lord’s name and to the sight of their eyes     if one could grasp the true meaning     of the noble gold. The wounded Lord,     do as the wounds of the ring had said. Nor can to the prayer     . . . the soul of any man     unfulfilled seek the princely city,     the castle of heaven. Explain how the wounds     of this splendid ring spoke to mortals     when there in the hall it was turned and revolved     in the hands of the proud.

10

Ic seah In healle     hring gylddenne men sceawian     modum gleawe ferþþum frode     friþo spe bæd god nergende     gæste sinum se þe wende wriþan     word æfter cwæð hring on hyrede     hælend nemde tillfremmendra     him torhte In gemynd · his dryhtnes naman     dumba brohte ⁊ In eagna gesihð     gif þæs æþelan goldes tacen     ongietan cuþe dryht dolg     don · swa þæs beages benne cwædon     ne mæg þære bene æniges monnes     ungaful lodre godes ealdorburg     gæst gesecan rodera ceastre     ræde se þe wille hu ðæs wrætlican     wunda cwæden · hringes to hæleþum     þa he In healle wæs wylted ⁊ wended     wloncra folmum

“Who turns the ring” (l. 5) probably means: “Who passes it along.” Two lines are defective. They have been built up by emendation to yield the meaning: “The prayer of any man being unfulfilled, his spirit cannot attain to seek God’s city, etc.” (Tupper). Like the preceding riddle on the same subject, this is not a success. One may suppose that the pious author tried too hard.