Aldhelm Riddle 49: Lebes
ALEXANDRAREIDER
Date: Tue 15 Mar 2022Original text:
Horrida, curva, capax, patulis fabricata metallis
Pendeo nec caelum tangens terramve profundam,
Ignibus ardescens necnon et gurgite fervens;
Sic geminas vario patior discrimine pugnas,
Dum latices limphae tolero flammasque feroces.
Translation:
Horrid, curved, capacious, made from beaten metals
I hang, touching neither the sky nor the vast earth,
Heated by fire and also boiling with swirling water;
Thus I endure twin battles with their various risks,
For as long as I tolerate the water’s liquid and the fierce flames.
Cauldron
Notes:
This edition is based on Rudolf Ehwald, ed. Aldhelmi Opera Omnia. Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores Antiquissimi, 15. Berlin: Weidmann, 1919, pages 59-150. Available online here.
Tags: riddles latin Aldhelm