Bern Riddle 47: De cochlea
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Wed 02 Dec 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 47: De cochlea
Original text:
Aspera, dum nascor, cute producor a matre
Et adulta crescens leni circumdor amictu.
Sonitum intacta magnum de ventre produco
Et corrupta tacens vocem non profero ullam.
Nullus in amore certo me diligit unquam,
Nudam nisi tangat vestemque tulerit omnem.
Translation:
I am born from my mother with hard skin,
and as a growing adult, I am surrounded by a soft cloak.
Intact, I make a great noise from my belly,
and when damaged, I am silent and I produce no voice.
No one ever truly loves me
unless they touch me when I am naked, having taken away all my clothing.
Sea-snail
Notes:
This edition is based on Karl Strecker, ed., Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Vol. 4.2 (Berlin, MGH/Weidmann, 1923), page 753.
The putative title ("De cochlea") is taken from Fr. Glorie, ed., Variae collectiones aenigmatum Merovingicae aetatis, Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina 133A (Turnhout: Brepols, 1968), page 593.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles