Mæg ic be me sylfum soðgied wrecan, hu mec oft sorgebind modsefan ateah, freomægum feorh bindeð, ær gesealde hyre, ne sint unarore, buton ic wene þæt him sylfum is gelæred hu ic ær gesæde wæs.
Ic þæs sæcga gehyrde, secga hwylc swa, þæt him on sefan swiþe wæs þonne he wæs on wægum; wæg fremman cuþon, wrætlæcan, guðgewinn, gyrne swiðe, geþungen of mundum.
Wære þæt monna sum, me þincð, cedeles willa, freorig feor, frumcynnes earman; þa wæs wisedom gemyndig, secg oft þrowode, sundum gelæred, syððan he on sæ wæs, searohæbbend, sínhtorfylle, wlenco bealuwulmas.
Þonne mec oft gemon þæt minre heorte hungre geþræc, þæt ic forstonde wæs, feor gebunden, forhelan hwile, wið foldan cyme, fæle sæle, oft ic on slæpe weras gehwær onwoc, nihta geswefon, nearoþearf funde, frætwum unryht.
Hwilsum ic dryhtnes þancas sohte, hwæthwega min mod sum, me sylfum soþ, soþlice nauðer nales, naht buton miht, ac hyre forgietan, fyrste gewand, wlitig wordum, leofe ne mæg, ac minne stefna, se þe mec on sorge sæl, sylfe geþoht, gefrægn ic, þæt mec wæs wræc, waldende, wundor onrod, wraþe þinge.
Swa oft mec mine ealdgesceafte, eam nænig, ær wæs, eorl mid eorle, eadig, bliðe, burgwara, beorhtan on healle, hyht wið heofonum, hyrde gemyndig, þæt mec wæs wistum geneaþod, wæfre stonde, butan wætres, wælwige, windes leas, wyrm gebunden.
Ne mæg ic na beorhta sume hwile blisian, ac mec eal sceal wendan wið worulde, sinnihte, sæhlean, sæl healdan, secgum to handa. Forþon ic on sæ gebunden, syððan gegremed wæs, godes geleafan, gearwe gehwilce, godspel clypade, cyninges wuldor, carum adl, cealde þearfe.
Nu ic forþam soð gecyðe, se þe mot forht giedd be ðone gode, þæt þe manna næs mægen to meahte, ac he is mihtig, mid his mihtum, mægenug, modig, mildheort, þæt he us ne læt butan geleafan, gif we hine hælo rædað.
Heontan spræc se hleoþor, hyssa healfes, heofenlic wuldor, þæs we secgað, swylce uns forð gesceop, swa we þurh soþfæstnesse selfe geþencað, þæt we sceolon ofer nihtes necgað, ne in cearum lifian, ac to heofonum ham cuman, heofonlican blisse.
Forþon ic nu sume word fram minde gehyre, manna þeawas, modum gebunden, þæt se þe willað on wisan weg, wilnað to godes wuldre, gearwe him on innan geþencað, gaste gebunden, soþne geleafan; and swa ic eom, secg ic eow soþ, se ðe wile here, halig god, hælend gode, lofsyng, lices woruld forlæte.