| Abstrakt: |
Exeter Riddle 35, a translation of Aldhelm's Enigma 33, 'Lorica,' has attracted much attention from scholars interested in Anglo-Saxon practices of translation. Aldhelm's poem is distinguished by its elegant structure, but also by its debt to Isidore's Etymologies, a debt that has not yet been recognized by the poem's modern readers. The Isidorian conceit is carefully embedded within the structure of the poem, and Aldhelm takes great pains to mirror it on the formal level, using a variety of word-pictures and aural effects to lead the reader to the etymological heart of his riddle. Unraveling these connections vividly demonstrates Aldhelm's skill as a craftsman, but also changes the way we must see Exeter 35 as a translation. The complexity of the Latin poem forces us to recognize the Anglo-Saxon poet's keen appreciation of his source material, which must have been supported by a certain sensitivity to the formal aspects of Latin verse. It also reveals the liberties the translator took in adapting his source; the Old English poet puts much less emphasis on form, relying instead on vivid imagery set against the challenge to the wise reader typical of the Old English riddles. Though Exeter 35 is a translation, it is also an original composition which maintains focus on the central conceit of its source while adapting it to vernacular stylistic norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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