Bern Riddle 43: De vermicolis siricis formatis
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Wed 02 Dec 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 43: De vermicolis siricis formatis
Original text:
Innumeros concepta mitto de nido volatus
Corpus et inmensum parvis adsumo de membris.
Mollibus de plumis vestem contexo nitentem
Et texturae sonum aure nec concipit ullus.
Si quis forte meo videtur vellere tectus,
Protinus excussam vestem reicere temptat.
Translation:
Made pregnant, I send various flying creatures from the nest
and I take a huge body from small limbs.
I weave a shining garment from soft strands,
and no one hears any weaving.
If anyone happens to be covered by my wool,
they immediately struggle to cast off my discarded garment.
Silkworm
Notes:
This edition is based on Karl Strecker, ed., Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Vol. 4.2 (Berlin, MGH/Weidmann, 1923), page 752.
A list of variant readings can be found in Fr. Glorie, ed., Variae collectiones aenigmatum Merovingicae aetatis, Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina 133A (Turnhout: Brepols, 1968), page 589.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles