Old English and Latin riddles (Exeter Book and Symphosius)

[spiralsheep]

An Old English riddle, circa 10th century CE, from the Exeter Book (text is the currently accepted standard):

Moððe word fræt. Me þæt þuhte
wrætlicu wyrd, þa ic þæt wundor gefrægn,
þæt se wyrm forswealg wera gied sumes,
þeof in þystro, þrymfæstne cwide
ond þæs strangan staþol. Stælgiest ne wæs
wihte þy gleawra, þe he þam wordum swealg.

( My transliteration and translation. )

The above riddle was probably based on this Latin riddle from the Aenigmata by Symphosius, circa 4th-5th century CE (text from Raymond Ohl, 1928, but the standard rendering of "Littera" would be litera and the punctuation, as always, is arguable):

Littera me pavit nec quid sit littera novi:
In libris vixi nec sum studiosior inde;
Exedi Musas nec adhuc tamen ipsa profeci.

( Two translations to English. )

Anyone still mystified by these riddles may apply to me in comment form for the answer(s). :-)