Hwæt! ic gesāwe syllicre trēow, on lēode gefrægn, wrāþe gebēagene; wæs stānhyrstum fæst, fāhne stīrred; æt sīdne holm. Hēht mec geseon, swā ic on swefn gefrægn næfre eorl mid ēnigum sigeþēode, goldbēacen; þǣr ic geseah, gūðrinc gemearcod, gūðsweorde gebenned; wæs mē on gesīnum cyst.
Ic wæs on slǣpe, swā þæt me se mōd onbær; hycge þā on innan, þæt mē on ōht ne gēat hwæt þæt wæs, ac lange þæs lȳt wæs ic gehyrde sang, swegles wynsunga, hearma frecne, ðā wæs þǣr āwa se stān. Þá ic ongann be ðām trēowe mīne smiþian gemynd, be ðām wæs swā ūs wītan tōcwemen; and ic sǣgde: "Hwæt is þæt trēow, þæt syllic trēow, trēow on ōðrum stede?"
Þā spræc se trēow tō mē, ānhaga frēond, ūre ealdor; ic wæs tōhwiten, wordum healden; hē cwæð fram Heofona rīce, hyge on innan, hāten bēon rēced. Hē sægde þæt hē wæs arærde mid æðelum, bēacen beorht; mīn bryne ge-blæc, and ic wæs bewunded mid wǣpnum, and manolīce māðm gestrēon; ac ic ne tōhte tō miclan þȳ; ic þā āwende hond, and hē cwæð þæt hē wæs āslan wið sceatas.
Ic wæs wundum gehæft, wǣpnum bewunden, flōd-sāwle geband; ic eom fēondum lǣned, feorh ālēfed; ic sōna hēold, sē ðe mē ābād, hēafod on heofonum, his hēafod weorðode; ic gehyrde hēohtan, hyge in innan, swā hē cwæð he wolde standan, sōna becwōman mōdas, and mid mīnre stefnan wæs hē foldan neower.
Þā cōm þā sealdende of sǣlum, sōna rīces weard; hē rēafode his fyrste for folces gemet; hē wæs strang on sorge, swā him se stefn wæs nā; hē ālēfde mē on þā gāstlican weorc, and cwæð þæt hē mōste sylf drēogan heora be alēge, and under eorðan beran, bēacen beorht; hē cwæð þæt hē wære þurh ōþer hand geþrōwen, and ic wæs under rōde rīced.
Þā wǣron menge gebūgende, mǣcgas ða scīrweorc; hi rōdon mid rōde, and hrēowlice hēoldon, and cyninges bearn cwǣdon; hē forþon ahte swā hē on foldan wan; hē wæs gearo to cuman, and hīe geseah, þā hīe hēoldon cwide, and his cræfte wæs swīðe strang; hē ūp ārās, and mīn blāc stefna bēotwun, and ic ēode mid him, wæs ic tōrymed mid rēafum.
Þā wæs mīne wundenes wyn tō sēlran dǣle; ac ic wæs ðrōwienne, būtan sāre, and mīn beorhtnesse bær, and ic wæs hwīl þǣr hrægl gefegen; hy hyldan mē on handa, and hīe þā cēolon, sē ðe mīn heortan gehende, and hīe ālēfdon hēafod līf, and hē ofost wæs sylf mid sēlran wæstme.
Sōna ðā sēo mægðþegn maðmum fremede, and hē oncnāwde þæt hē mǣre wæs; hē sette his andswaru, and hē gefeah þæt hē wolde for þām ælmihtigan ālīesan þā ðe on lande līfdon, and hē behet mǣrne lēan, and hē wæs mycle on mōde.
Hēo cwæð þæt hēo wære forþēon gemyndig, and hēo me sægde swā, and hēo cīese wæs wuldres lāre; hēo bæd me bletlīce, and hēo cwæð þæt hēo wolde geseon þæt ealh for ealdena, and hēo se gehyred wæs, and hēo wæs fæger on gesihðe.
Þā ic ongan wītan, and wæs wuldres wǣre, and ic wæs on ōþerre sęle; hēo clypode mid gēolum, and hē sylf lēof, and hē wæs gecýðed to manna cynne; hē geseah þæt hē wolde beon wuldres ðegn, and hē wearð gefrēod on ealra geogoðe.
Ic wæs on sīðe symle, and ic wæs hrædlic, and ic geseah þæt hē cwæð þæt hē wære gōd cyning, and hē sylf sēcean sceolde þæt, and hē mihtig wære on hæle; and hē me sægde þæt hē wæs se ðe worulde ālīesedest, and hē foldan þrēat for ēadigum, and hē wæs sōna āseten on heofonum.
Swa mæg sigor gewyrcean, sawnes cyme, and ēce lifesþēaw; forþam þæt hē āwæcð and ālīesð þā ðe hyne lufiað, and hē nǣfre forwyrneð his eadignesse; and se ðe on þone dæg geseoð, se wile standan on wuldre, and healden fæst, and hyht on innan.