Bern Riddle 48: De castanea
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Wed 02 Dec 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 48: De castanea
Original text:
Quattuor has ego conclusa gero figuras,
Pandere quas paucis deposcit ratio verbis:
Humida sum sicca, subtili corpore crassa,
Dulcis et amara, duro gestamine mollis.
Dulcis esse nulli possum nec crescere iuste,
Nisi sub amaro duroque carcere nascar.
Translation:
In total, I bear these four aspects,
which logic requires to be unfolded in a few words:
I am wet and dry, fat with a slim body,
bitter and sweet, and soft with a hard outfit.
I cannot be sweet to anyone, nor can I grow properly,
unless I am born within a hard, bitter prison.
Chestnut
Notes:
This edition is based on Karl Strecker, ed., Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Vol. 4.2 (Berlin, MGH/Weidmann, 1923), page 753.
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 594.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles