by Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (b. 1941)
Riddle 7
Language: English
Silent is my dress when I step across the earth, reside in my house, or ruffle the waters. Sometimes my adornments and this high windy air lift me over the livings of men, the power of the clouds carries me far over all people. My white pinions resound very loudly, ring with a melody, sing out clearly, when I sleep not on the soil or settle on grey waters—a travelling spirit.
(swan); Translated from The Exeter Book of Riddles
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
Text Authorship:
- by Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (b. 1941), "Riddle 7" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Nicola LeFanu (b. 1947), "Riddle 7", 1996 [ soprano and recorder ], from A Travelling Spirit, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-03-07
Line count: 9
Word count: 71