Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book/Annotated/5

5 (k-d 84)

A thing there is     strangely begotten, furious and fierce;     runs a violent course rages grimly,     moves over the ground, is mother of many     marvelous creatures. Moving beautifully,     it is ever striving; low-lying is its close grip.     None to another can fairly with wise words     describe its features or say how manifold     is the multitude of its kin. Its ancient origin     the Father watched over, beginning and end,     and his only Son also, glorious child of God     . . . . . . . . . .     . . . . . Mighty in strength     the mother is; supported marvelously,     laden with food, adorned with treasures,     precious to heroes; her might is multiplied,     strength made manifest, her face is honored     with happy usefulness; a fair bright jewel     for the proud to wear; cleanly and bountiful;     mighty in craft. It is dear to the prosperous,     to the poor soothing, goodly, excellent;     boldest and strongest, greediest and eagerest—     treads over the ground— of all that is grown up     underneath the sky and that the sons of men     ever saw with their eyes. So that glory weaves     the might of mortals, although wise of mind     . . . . . a man more knowing of heart,     a crowd of wonders. Than earth it is harder,     than heroes older, than gifts readier,     than gems dearer; beautifies the world;     increases in fruits; blots out crime … often casts from without     a single covering wondrously beautiful,     over all mankind, so that throughout the world     men are astonished.

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An wiht is     wundrum acceneð hreoh ⁊ reþe     hafað ryne · strongne grimme grymetað     ⁊ be grunde fareð modor is monigra     mærra wihta Fæger ferende     fundað æfre · neol is nearograp     nænig oþrum mæg wlite ⁊ wisan     wordum gecyþan hu mislic biþ     mægen þara cynna fyrn forðgesceaft     fæder ealle bewat ōr ⁊ ende     swylce an sunu mære meotudes bearn     þurh […]ed ⁊ ꝥ hyhste mæ[…]es […]æ[…] […] dyre cræft[…] […] […]onne hy ā weorp[…] […]þe ænig þara […] […]fter ne mæg     […] […] oþer cynn     eorþan […] […] þon ær wæs wlitig ⁊ wynsum     […] biþ sio moddor     mægene eacen wundrū bewreþed     wistum gehladen hordum gehroden     hæleþum dyre mægen bið gemiclad     meaht gesweotlad · wlite biþ geweorþad     wuldornyttingum wynsū wuldorgimm     wloncū getenge · clængeorn bið ⁊ cystig     cr&aeligfte eacen hio biþ eadgum leof     earmū getæse freolic sellic     fromast ⁊ swiþost gifrost ⁊ grædgost     grundbedd trideþ þæs þe under lyfte ā loden wurde ⁊ ælda bearn     eagum sawe · Swa ꝥ wuldor wifeð     worldbearna mæge, þeah þe ferþum gleaw     . . . . . mon mode · snottor     mengo wundra hrusan bið heardra     hæleþum frodra geofum bið gearora     gimmū deorra worulde wlitigað     wæstmum tydreð firene dwæsceð     . . . . . oft utan beweorpeð     anre þecene wundrum gewlitegad     geond werþeode ꝥ wafiað     weras ofer eorþan þæt magon micle     […]sceafte · biþ stanum bestreþed     stormum […] […]len […]timbred weall þrym[…]ed hrusan hrineð     h[…] […]etenge oft searwum biþ […] […]     deaðe ne feleð þeah þe […] […]du hreren     hrif wundigen […]risse hord word onhlīd     hæleþum ge[…] […]wreoh     wordum geopena hu mislic sy     mægen þara cy[…]

There were 56 lines in all, of which these are recoverable—some metrically dubious and obscure in meaning. The probable solution is Water in its various forms and uses—if one has the patience to identify them.