Krapp and Dobbie 1936, 143-7; Krapp and Dobbie 1936, The Exeter Book, ASPR 3 (New York).
Mæg ic be me sylfum
soðgied wrecan,
siþas secgan,
hu ic geswincdagum
bitre breostceare
gebiden hæbbe,
5
gecunnad in ceole
cearselda fela,
atol yþa gewealc,
þær mec oft bigeat
nearo nihtwaco
æt nacan stefnan,
þonne he be clifum cnossað.
Calde geþrungen
wæron mine fet,
forste gebunden,
10
caldum clommum,
þær þa ceare seofedun
hat ymb heortan;
hungor innan slat
merewerges mod.
þæt se mon ne wat
þe him on foldan
fægrost limpeð,
hu ic earmcearig
iscealdne sæ
15
winter wunade
wræccan lastum,
bihongen hrimgicelum;
hægl scurum fleag.
þær ic ne gehyrde
butan hlimman sæ,
iscaldne wæg.
Hwilum ylfete song
20
dyde ic me to gomene,
ganetes hleoþor
ond huilpan sweg
fore hleahtor wera,
mæw singende
fore medodrince.
Stormas þær stanclifu beotan,
þær him stearn oncwæð
isigfeþera;
ful oft þæt earn bigeal,
25
urigfeþra;
ne[?] ænig hleomæga
feasceaftig ferð
frefran[?] meahte.
Forþon him gelyfeð lyt,
se þe ah lifes wyn
gebiden in burgum,
bealosiþa hwon,
wlonc ond wingal,
hu ic werig oft
30
in brimlade
bidan sceolde.
Nap nihtscua,
norþan sniwde,
hrim hrusan bond,
hægl feol on eorþan,
corna caldast.
Forþon cnyssað nu
heortan geþohtas,
þæt ic hean streamas,
35
sealtyþa gelac
sylf cunnige;
monað modes lust
mæla gehwylce
ferð to feran,
þæt ic feor heonan
Forþon nis þæs modwlonc
mon ofer eorþan,
40
ne his gifena þæs god,
ne in geoguþe to þæs hwæt,
ne in his dædum to þæs deor,
ne him his dryhten to þæs hold,
þæt he a his sæfore
sorge næbbe,
to hwon hine dryhten
gedon wille.
Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge
ne to hringþege,
45
ne to wife wyn
ne to worulde hyht,
ne ymbe owiht elles,
nefne ymb yða gewealc,
ac a hafað longunge
se þe on lagu fundað.
Bearwas blostmum nimað,
byrig fægriað,
wongas
wlitigað[?],
woruld onetteð;
50
ealle þa gemoniað
modes fusne
sefan to siþe,
þam þe swa þenceð
on flodwegas
feor
gewitan[?].
Swylce geac monað
geomran reorde,
singeð sumeres weard,
sorge beodeð
55
bitter in breosthord.
þæt se beorn ne wat,
esteadig[?] secg,
hwæt þa sume dreogað
þe þa wræclastas
widost lecgað.
Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð
ofer hreþerlocan,
min modsefa
mid mereflode
60
ofer hwæles eþel
hweorfeð wide,
eorþan sceatas,
cymeð eft to me
gifre ond grædig,
gielleð anfloga,
hweteð on
hwælweg[?] hreþer unwearnum
ofer holma gelagu.
Forþon me hatran sind
65
dryhtnes dreamas
þonne þis deade lif,
læne on londe.
Ic gelyfe no
þæt him eorðwelan
ece
stondað[?].
Simle þreora sum
þinga gehwylce,
ær his tid
aga[?],
to tweon weorþeð;
70
adl oþþe yldo
oþþe ecghete
fægum fromweardum
feorh oðþringeð.
Forþon þæt
bið[?] eorla gehwam
æftercweþendra
lof lifgendra
lastworda betst,
þæt he gewyrce,
ær he on weg scyle,
75
fremum[?] on foldan
wið feonda niþ,
deorum dædum
deofle togeanes,
þæt hine ælda bearn
æfter hergen,
ond his lof siþþan
lifge mid englum
awa to ealdre,
ecan lifes
blæd[?],
80
dream mid dugeþum.
Dagas sind gewitene,
ealle onmedlan
eorþan rices;
næron nu cyningas
ne caseras
ne goldgiefan
swylce iu wæron,
þonne hi mæst mid him
mærþa gefremedon
85
ond on dryhtlicestum
dome lifdon.
Gedroren is þeos duguð eal,
dreamas sind gewitene,
wuniað þa wacran
ond þas woruld healdaþ,
brucað þurh bisgo.
Blæd is gehnæged,
eorþan indryhto
ealdað ond searað,
90
swa nu monna gehwylc
geond middangeard.
Yldo him on fareð,
onsyn blacað,
gomelfeax gnornað,
wat his iuwine,
æþelinga bearn,
eorþan forgiefene.
Ne mæg him þonne se flæschoma,
þonne him þæt feorg losað,
95
ne swete forswelgan
ne sar gefelan,
ne hond onhreran
ne mid hyge þencan.
þeah þe græf wille
golde stregan
broþor his geborenum,
byrgan be deadum,
maþmum mislicum
þæt hine mid wille,
100
ne mæg þære sawle
þe biþ synna ful
gold to geoce
for godes egsan,
þonne he hit ær hydeð
þenden he her leofað.
Micel biþ se meotudes egsa,
forþon hi seo molde oncyrreð;
se gestaþelade
stiþe grundas,
105
eorþan sceatas
ond uprodor.
Dol biþ se þe him his dryhten ne ondrædeþ;
cymeð him se deað unþinged.
Eadig bið se þe eaþmod leofaþ;
cymeð him seo ar of heofonum,
meotod him þæt mod gestaþelað,
forþon he in his meahte gelyfeð.
Stieran
mon[?] sceal strongum mode,
ond þæt on staþelum healdan,
110
ond gewis werum,
wisum clæne,
scyle monna gehwylc
mid gemete healdan
wiþ leofne ond wið laþne
bealo,
þeah þe he hine wille fyres
fulne
115
his geworhtne wine.
Wyrd biþ
swiþre[?],
meotud meahtigra
þonne ænges monnes gehygd.
Uton we hycgan
hwær
we[?] ham agen,
ond þonne geþencan
hu we þider cumen,
ond we þonne eac tilien,
þæt we to moten
120
in þa ecan
eadignesse,
þær is lif gelong
in lufan dryhtnes,
hyht in heofonum.
þæs sy þam halgan þonc,
þæt he usic geweorþade,
wuldres ealdor,
ece dryhten,
in ealle tid.