Old English Riddle no. 47 (trans. by Roy Liuzza)

By Unknown
A moth ate words. A marvelous fate
it seemed to me, when I heard of that wonder,
that a worm could swallow some man’s song,
a thief in the dark, tales of glory
and their firm foundation. That thieving guest
was none the wiser for swallowing those words.
Roy Liuzza, "Old English Riddles no. 47" from Old English Poetry: An Anthology.  Copyright © 2014 by Roy Liuzza.  Reprinted by permission of Broadview Press.
Source: Old English Poetry: An Anthology (Broadview Press, 2014)