Riddles from The Hobbit translated into Old English
Introduction My primary intention with these translations was to showcase how closely Tolkien's riddles from The Hobbit resemble the Anglo-Saxon riddles of the Exeter Book. hile ! took some efforts to em"late the syntax and #ocab"lary which was "sed in the Exeter riddles, ! mainly tried to gi#e as literal of a translation as possible$ operating "nder the s"spicion that Tolkien had specifically shaped his riddles to the Anglo-saxon riddle forms and traditions% ! fo"nd that the final prod"ct really did resemble the style and str"ct"re of the Exeter riddles& this sho"ld not be seen as "se of excessi#e interpretation or creati#ity on my end$ b"t a proof of how Tolkien was deeply embedded into the Anglo-saxon tradition when he wrote these delightf"l riddles% ! also directly '"oted the answers from the text of The Hobbit. This allowed me to showcase the "ni'"e character #oices$ partic"larly (oll"m's% (oll"m speaks in modern english with hissing repitition and st"nted syntax% ! tried to gi#e his #ocab"lary as m"ch of this '"ality as possible) notice the repitition of h and so"nds. *is tendency to red"ntantly pl"rali+e has been approximated with repeated case endings% I. Gollum: hat has roots as nobody sees$ *w,t h,f- wyrt-tr"man swa nan mote seo . $ !s taller than trees$ lengra -onne beamas b/on$ 0p$ "p it goes$ *it g,1 "ppe$ "ppe$ And yet ne#er grows2 ond gyt n,fre weaxe2 [Mountain, I suppose. [Beor!, "e ince#. II. Bilbo: Thirty white horses on a red hill$ 3r4ti5 hw4tra horsa w6ron on beorge r/ad"m$ 7irst they champ$ ,rest h4e b4ta- 8 $ Then they stamp$ -onne h4e -y1 9 $ Then they stand still% -onne h4e ,tstanda-% [Teeth$ Teeth$ M% preciousss& [Te$Te$ Min deor'ur### : & but 'e onl% has six$ ac 'it ; (nne h() < siex$ III. Gollum: =oiceless it cries$ *leo-orleas hit clipa1$ ingless fl"tters$ fi-erleas fleoge1$ Toothless bites$ t>-leas bite-$ Mo"thless m"tters% t"ngeleas ? cl"ma1% [*ind, 'ind o) course. [*ind, 'ind huru. . S"b@"ncti#e$ hypothetical Anone might seeB 8 Cite$ closest e'"i#alent to champ 9 9rd pers$ sing$ pres$ indic form of +%'an, which means Ato cr"shB : Adeorw"r1eB D nominali+ed and drawn o"t final consonant to sim"late (oll"m's speech ; E"al pronon form& (oll"m referring to himself as AweB is likely in reference to two entities rather than more% < 9rd person sing% 7orm% Awe hasB ? Hleoorleas, t,leas, and tun!eleas are all compo"nds which ! in#ented% A-leasB is a common s"ffix$ meaning Awitho"tB% IV. Bilbo: An eye in a bl"e face Eage in bl,wen"m andwlitan Saw an eye in a green face% (eseah eage in gr/n"m andwlitan% FThat eye is like to this eyeF A3,t eage is gelic -is eageB Said the first eye$ Gw,- -,t eage forme$ FC"t in low place$ AC"ton in ni-erweard stede H Iot in high place%F AIalles in heahstede%B [-un on the daisies it "eans, it does [-unnan on " d(!es./a!u" J hit "n, hit d/ V. Gollum: !t cannot be seen$ cannot be felt$ Ie con hit bi- gesewen$ ne con bi- gefeled$ Gannot be heard$ cannot be smelt% Ie con bi- gehyred$ ne con bi- gest"ncen% !t lies behind stars and "nder hills$ Ce,ftan t"ngel ond "nder beorgas hit leg-$ And empty holes it fills% Ond sea-as ,mettige hit fyle-% !t comes first and follows after$ *it cym1 ,rest ond folga- ,fter$ Ends life$ kills la"ghter% Enda- lif$ cwel- hleahtor% [0ark$ [0eorcnes$ VI. Bilbo: A box witho"t hinges$ key$ or lid$ Cox h,f1 nohw,1er heorras$ ne c,gan$ ne hlid$ Ket golden treas"re inside is hid% (iet madm gylden is bewrigen inne% [E!!ses$ E!!ses it is$ [1!ruru .L $ 1!ruru hit is$ H AC"t in a downwards placeB J Miterally Aday's eyesB& con#eys a deep connection between the two Aeyes of the dayB$ the s"n and the daisies .L 7rom A65r"B$ nom% Nl"ral form of 65& red"ndant A-r"B for effect VII. Gollum: Ali#e witho"t breath$ *it .. cwic is b"ton or"1$ As cold as death& Swa ceald swa d/a-& Ie#er thirsty$ e#er drinking$ I,fre -"rstig$ ealneg drincende$ All in mail ne#er clinking% !n byrnan gegearwod .8 $ n,fre dyniende% [It is )ish$ [Hit is )isc$ VIII. Bilbo: Io-legs lay on one-leg$ I,nig-scancan legde on an-scancan$ Two-legs sat near on three-legs$ Twa-scancan neah s,t on -reo-scanc"m$ 7o"r-legs got some% 7eower-scancan begeat d6l .9 % [2ish on a little table, "an at table [2isc on beode l3telu", "ann (t beode sittin! on a stool, the cat has the bones on st,le sittende, se catt 4 b4n h() IX. Gollum: This thing all things de#o"rs) 3,t -ing forswelg1 ealle -ing) Cirds$ beasts$ trees$ flowers& 7"glas$ d/or$ b/amas$ blostma& (naws iron$ bites steel& Gywe- 4sen$ b4tt st4ele& (rinds hard stones to meal& (rin- hearde stOnas into gr/ote .: & Slays king$ r"ins town$ Slieh- cyning$ ford/- ceastre$ And beats high mo"ntain down% Ond high beorg gefyle- .; % [Ti"e$ Ti"e$ [Tid$ Tid$ .. S"b@ect is implied in modern english% OE sentence is easier to translate with a stated nominati#e% !n this way$ it also more closely resembles Exeter Riddles .8 A!n chainmail adornedB .9 Afo"r-legs got a partB .: A(rinds hard stones into gritPsandPearthB D closest approximation to original intent .; A7ellB "sed to replace Abeats downB X. Bilbo: Ahat ha#e ! got in my pocket .< 2B A*w,t do ic h,bbe in pohhan minn"m2B [5ot )air$ 5ot )air$It isn6t )air, [ 5a riht$ 5a riht$ 5a riht hit is, "% precious, is it, to ask us 'hat "in deor'ur###, is hit, t, 4scienne unc h'(t it6s !ot in its nasst% little pocketses7 hit h() in his l3telu" pohhu"u" unsss%)reu"7 .?
.< Glassic example of neck.riddle archetype .? Modified form of Apohh"m "nsyfre"mB$ to em"late (oll"m-speech