Bern Riddle 57: De sole
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Fri 04 Dec 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 57: De sole
Original text:
Prohibeor solus noctis videre tenebras
Et absconse ducor longa per avia fugiens.
Nulla mihi velox avis inventa volatu,
Cum videar nullas gestare corpore pennas.
Vix auferre praedam me coram latro valebit.
Publica per diem dum semper competa curro.
Translation:
I alone am prevented from seeing the night’s shadows,
and when hidden, I am led speeding through the remote wilderness.
No swift bird is found when I fly
since I appear to bear no feathers on my body.
A robber will scarcely dare to carry off plunder in my presence
when I pass the public crossroads each day.
The Sun
Notes:
This edition is based on Karl Strecker, ed., Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Vol. 4.2 (Berlin, MGH/Weidmann, 1923), page 757.
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 604.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles