Unknown (Riddle Genius) - Riddles From The Book Of Exeter "31-40" lyrics

31. This world is adorned in diverse ways, decorated with rare ornaments. I saw a strange thing singing in a house; nothing on earth looked in the least like this creature, her shape was so odd. Her beak pointed upwards, her feet and talons were those of a bird, yet she cannot fly nor even move much, through eager to start she sets to work with her singular tasks; often and again she goes the rounds at gathering of men, she sits at the feast and awaits her turn - it comes soon - to prove her prowess in the halls of thanes. But there this creature never partakes of what makes men merry. Daring, eager for fame, she stays dumb; and yet in her foot she has a fine voice, the glorious gift of song. It is so strange that this creature makes sense only with her dangling foot, richly decorated. When she holds her hoard, proud of her rings Yet naked, she bears her brothers on her neck - a mighty kinswoman. Even a canny poet will be hard put to name this creature. 32. This world is adorned in diverse ways, decorated with rare ornaments. I saw a strange contraption, a fine traveler, grind against the grit and move, screaming. The strange creature couldn't see; it had no shoulders, arms or hands; this oddity has to move on one foot, travel fast over the salt-fields. IT had many ribs, and a mouth in its middle, useful to men. It carries food in plenty, performs a service, each yeat it yields men a gift used by rich and poor. Tell me if you can, O man of wise words, what this creature is. 33. A strange creature came floating over the waves, she cried her beauty from ship to shore, resounded loudly; her laughter was terrible and fearsome to all; her edges were sharp. She was so fierce - slow to engage, savage in the fight; she stove in ship's sides. She bound them with a baleful charm, and spoke with native cunning: 'My mother, one of the beloved maidens, is my daughter also, swollen and strong, known by all people as she falls on the earth, she stands in joy in every land.' 34. In the town I saw a creature which feeds the cattle. It has many teeth; its beak is useful as it points down, gently plunders and turns for home; it searches for plants along the slopes, and always finds those not rooted firmly; it leaves the living ones held by their roots, quietly standing where they spring from the soil, brightly gleaming, blowing and growing. 35. The dank earth, wondrously cold, first delivered me from her womb. I know in my mind I wasn't made from wool, sk**fully fashioned with skeins. Neither warp nor weft wind about me, no thread thrums for me in the thrashing loom, nor does the weaver's rod bang and beat me. Worms that decorate the yellow web never spun for me with the sk**s of the Fates. Yet all over the earth one man will tell another that I'm an excellent garment. O wise man, weigh your words Well, and say what this object is. 36. This riddle was unrecoverable :( 37. I saw a creature: his stomach stuck out behind him, enormously swollen. A strong servant waited upon him. What filled up his stomach had traveled from far, and flew through his eye. He does not always die in giving life to others, but new strength revives in the pit of his stomach; he breathes again. He fathers a son; he's his own father. 38.I saw a creature: masculine, greedy with all youth's abandon. As his due his guardian gave him four springs, four fountains, shooting and shining. A man spoke, he said to me: 'Alive, the creature breaks the downs; dead and shredded, he binds the living.' 39. Books say this creature exists amongst mankind, openly seen as the seasons turn. It has a special power far greater than people perceive. Its desire is to seek out every living thing, one by one; then it goes on its way. It never spends two nights in the same place but, homeless, follows forever the paths of exile; noone despises it because of that, It has neither hand nor foot, and never leaves an imprint on the earth; no eyes either, and no mouth, nor does it speak to men; and it has no brain. But books explain that this is the swiftest creature ever conceived, of any species. It lacks soul or life but must roam far and wide through this wonderous world. It lacks blood and bone yet benefits many men throughout this middle-world. It has never thrust into heaven, and never to hell, but must exist always as the laws of God decree. It would take long to tell of how its life spins on, follows fate's twisted pattern; that is a history or marvels. Each and every word describing this creature is true; it has no offspring, it lives even so. If you can answer quickly and correctly, say what I am called. 40. Enduring the Creator, He who now guides this earth on its foundations and governs this world. Powerful is the Ruler, and rightly King and Sovereign over all; He governs and guides earth and heaven, and they are encompa**ed by Him. He made me - marvel - at the beginning, when He first fashioned this circle of earth; He ordained that I should stay awake and never sleep again, and sleep suddenly overtakes me, my eyes quickly close. With His power the mighty Creator rules this middle-earth in every respect; so that I, at my Lord's leave, embrace this circle of earth entire. I'm so timid that a drifting ghost can frighten me terribly, and from end to end I'm bolder than a wild boar when, bristling with fury, it stands at bay; no warrior on earth can overcome me, but only God, who governs and guides this high heaven. My fragrance is much fairer than frankincense or rose . . . grows in the greensward, a delight; but I'm the more delicate; although men love the lily of the field, with its shining flower, I'm the finer; so too with my sweetness, always and everywhere, I overpower the aroma of spikenard, and I'm more foul than this murky fen that, festering here, reeks of filth, I govern one and all under the circle of heaven for, at the beginning, the beloved Father enjoined me to be just to thick and thin; I ssume everywhere the form and feature of each thing. I'm higher than heaven and the High King bids me behold His secret nature; I also see everything under the world, the dismal pits of depraved spirits. I am much older than this circle of earth or this middle-world could ever be, and I was born yesterday - a baby from my mother's womb, acclaimed by men. I'm fairer than gold ornaments, even if filigree work adorn them; I'm more foul than this moldering timber or this slob of seaweed spewed up here. I'm broader than the earth entire, and more wide than this green world; a hand enclose me, and all that I am can easily be held between three fingers. I'm harsher and more biting than sharp frost, the fierce rime that settles the soil; I'm hotter than the fire, the flames surging and flickering at Vulcan's forge. I am, besides, sweeter to the palate than the honeycomb mingled with honey; I'm more bitter than wormwood, too, that stands, ashen, on this hillside. I can gorge more greedily than an old giant, holding my own in an eating match, and I can always live content If I see no food for as long as I live. I can fly faster than the pernex, the hawk or the eagle could ever do; no Zephyr - that restless wind - ranges as I do, rifling through every quarter; the snail is swifter than I, the earthworm more spry, and the fen frog outstrips me; the son of dung (we call him a weevil) crawls about more quickly. I weigh much more than a grey boulder or a hunk of lead, I'm much lighter than this little insect that skitters over the surfaces of the water with dry feet. I'm tougher than flint, that strikes these sparks from this adamant scrap of steel, I'm much softer that this down, that here in the wind wafts high into the air. I'm broader than the earth entire and more wide than this green world; wondrously made with miraculous sk**, I embrace everything - and quite easily! There's no creature below me in this wondrous world; I'm exalted above every one of our Lord's creations, Who alone, with His eternal might, can forcefully stop me from swelling up. I'm more ma**ive and mighty than the huge whale who peers dimly at the ocean bed, stronger than he and yet I've less muscle than a mere tick which sensible men dig out with a knife. No white locks, delicately curled, cover my head, but I'm bald all over; nor do I have eyelids or lashes, they were all cut off by the Creator; now, lovely to see, curled locks spring from my scalp, and grow until they shine on my shoulders - an utter marvel. I'm greater and more gross than the fattened pig, the grunting hog, who lives happily in the beech-wood, muddy and rooting, so that he . . .[Unfortunately the rest of the riddle was unrecoverable]