Bern Riddle 62: De stellis
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Sun 06 Dec 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 62: De stellis
Original text:
Milia conclusae domo sub una sorores,
Minima non crescit, maior nec aevo senescit
et cum nulla parem conetur adloqui verbis,
suos moderato servant in ordine cursus.
Pulchrior turpentem vultu non dispicit ulla,
odiuntque lucem, noctis secreta mirantur.
Translation:
A thousand sisters contained in one house,
the smaller does not grow, nor does the bigger grow old,
and, although none tries to speak to another in words,
they keep their courses in a controlled order.
The more beautiful does not despise the ugly-faced;
they hate the light and marvel at the mysteries of night.
The stars
Notes:
This edition is based on Karl Strecker, ed., Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Vol. 4.2 (Berlin, MGH/Weidmann, 1923), page 758.
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 609.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles