Bern Riddle 60: De caelo
NEVILLEMOGFORD
Date: Fri 04 Dec 2020Matching Commentaries: Commentary for Bern Riddle 60: De caelo
Original text:
Promiscuo per diem vultu dum reddor amictus,
Pulchrum saepe reddo, turpis qui semper habetur.
Innumeras ego res cunctis fero mirandas.
Pondere sub magno rerum nec gravor onustus.
Nullus mihi dorsum, faciem sed cuncti mirantur,
Et meo cum bonis malos recipio tecto.
Translation:
When, clothed, I have a public face during the day,
I often make a thing beautiful that is always considered ugly.
I bring innumerable wonders for everyone.
When laden, I am not burdened by the heavy weight of things.
I have no back, but everybody wonders at my face,
and I receive the bad along with the good under my roof.
The sky
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 607.
Tags: latin Bern Riddles