{"id":5669,"date":"2020-01-17T12:07:14","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T17:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/?page_id=5669"},"modified":"2020-01-17T12:07:14","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T17:07:14","slug":"exeter-book-riddle-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/translations\/exeter-book-riddle-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Exeter Book Riddle 7"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having recently translated Exeter Book Riddle<\/em> 7 in my recent blog on esotericism in a sequence of Old English riddles (“Encoded References in Exeter Book Bird-Riddles<\/a>“), I have decided to add my translation and recitation of this poetic enigma for our ongoing medieval poetry translation and recitation project.<\/a> I accept the Old English solution swon<\/em> “swan” as the poem’s solution based on parallel descriptions of swan’s singing feathers found in the Old English Phoenix<\/em> likewise contained in the Exeter Book (Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501).<\/p>\n

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Exeter Book Riddle 7, Exeter Cathedral Library MS3051 f.103r. Image reproduced with permission of the University of Exeter Digital Humanities and the Dean & Chapter, Exeter Cathedral.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Old English Riddle<\/em> 7<\/strong> (solution: swon<\/em>):<\/p>\n

Hr\u00e6gl min swiga\u00f0, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00feonne ic hrusan trede,
\no\u00fe\u00fee \u00fea wic buge, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 o\u00fe\u00fee wado drefe.
\nHwilum mec ahebba\u00f0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ofer h\u00e6le\u00fea byht
\nhyrste mine, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ond \u00feeos hea lyft,
\nond mec \u00feonne wide \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 wolcna strengu
\nofer folc byre\u00f0. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fr\u00e6twe mine
\nswoga\u00f0 hlude \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ond swinsia\u00f0,
\ntorhte singa\u00f0, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00feonne ic getenge ne beom
\nflode ond foldan, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ferende g\u00e6st.<\/p>\n

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Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cExeter Book Swan-Riddle:\u201d A Modern English Translation by Richard Fahey:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dress is mute, when I tread the ground, or occupy my abode or stir the water. Sometimes my garments and this high wind heave me over the city of heroes, and then the strength of the skies bears me far and wide over the people. My adornments then resound loudly, and ring, and sing brightly, when I am not hanging on sea or land, a traveling spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n