Bern Riddle 21: De apibus
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Sat 28 Nov 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 21: De apibus
Original text:
Masculus qui non sum sed neque femina, coniux.
Filios ignoto patri parturio multos.
Uberibus prolem nullis enutrio tantum;
Quos ab ore cretos nullo de ventre sumpsi.
Nomen quibus unum natisque conpar imago,
Meos inter cibos dulci conplector amore.
Translation:
I am a spouse who is neither man nor woman.
I am pregnant with many sons to an unknown father.
I feed an infant without using breasts;
I collected with my mouth those born out of no womb.
The children have a single name and a similar look.
With sweet love, I surround my children with food.
Bees
Notes:
This edition is based on Karl Strecker, ed., Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Vol. 4.2 (Berlin, MGH/Weidmann, 1923), page 744.
Line 4 follows the preferred reading in Fr. Glorie, ed., Variae collectiones aenigmatum Merovingicae aetatis, Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina 133A (Turnhout: Brepols, 1968), page 567.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles