Bern Riddle 49: De pluvia
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Wed 02 Dec 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 49: De pluvia
Original text:
Mirantibus cunctis nascens infligo querelas.
Efficior statim maior a patre qui nascor.
Me gaudere nullus potest, si terrae coaequor;
Superas me cuncti laetantur carpere vias.
Inproba amara diffundo pocula totis,
Et videre quanti volunt tantique refutant.
Translation:
As I arise, I force complaints from everyone who wonders at me.
I am born and immediately become greater than my father.
No one can praise me if I am level with the earth;
everyone is happy when I take high roads.
When I am violent, I pour out bitter cups upon all,
and as many want to see me as despise me.
Rain
Notes:
This edition is based on Karl Strecker, ed., Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Vol. 4.2 (Berlin, MGH/Weidmann, 1923), page 754.
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 595.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles