Bern Riddle 47: De cochlea

NEVILLEMOGFORD

Date: Wed 02 Dec 2020
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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.
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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