Bern Riddle 33: De viola
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Sat 28 Nov 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 33: De viola
Original text:
Parvula dum nascor, minor effecta senesco
Et cunctas praecedo maiori veste sorores.
Extremos ad brumae me prima confero menses
Et amoena cunctis verni iam tempora monstro.
Me reddet inlustrem parvo de corpore spiritus,
Et viam quaerendi docet, qui nulli videtur.
Translation:
Small when I am born, I become smaller when I grow old,
and I come before all my better dressed sisters.
I am first to change in the last months of winter,
and I reveal the beautiful time of spring to everyone.
The breath from my small body will restore my shine,
and it is seen by no one, but it shows the way to those who ask.
Violet
Notes:
This edition is based on Karl Strecker, ed., Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Vol. 4.2 (Berlin, MGH/Weidmann, 1923), page 748.
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 579.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles