Lines 1–124

þæt wearð underne eorðbuendum,
þæt meotod hæfde miht and strengðo
ða he gefestnade foldan sceatas.
Seolfa he gesette sunnan and monan,
stanas and eorðan, stream ut on sæ,
wæter and wolcn, ðurh his wundra miht.
Deopne ymblyt clene ymbhaldeð
meotod on mihtum, and alne middangeard.
He selfa mæg sæ geondwlitan,
grundas in geofene, godes agen bearn,
and he ariman mæg rægnas scuran,
dropena gehwelcne. Daga enderim
seolua he gesette þurh his soðan miht.
Swa se wyrhta þurh his wuldres gast
serede and sette on six dagum
eorðan dæles, up on heofonum,
and heanne holm. Hwa is þæt ðe cunne
orðonc clene nymðe ece god?
Dreamas he gedelde, duguðe and geþeode,
Adam ærest, and þæt æðele cyn,
engla ordfruman, þæt þe eft forwarð.
ðuhte him on mode þæt hit mihte swa,
þæt hie weron seolfe swegles brytan,
wuldres waldend. Him ðær wirse gelamp,
ða heo in helle ham staðeledon,
an æfter oðrum, in þæt atole scref,
þær heo brynewelme bidan sceolden
saran sorge, nales swegles leoht
habban in heofnum heahgetimbrad,
ac gedufan sceolun in ðone deopan wælm
niðær under nessas in ðone neowlan grund,
gredige and gifre. God ana wat
hu he þæt scyldige werud forscrifen hefde!
Cleopað ðonne se alda ut of helle,
wriceð wordcwedas weregan reorde,
eisegan stefne: "Hwær com engla ðrym,
þe we on heofnum habban sceoldan?
þis is ðeostræ ham, ðearle gebunden
fæstum fyrclommum; flor is on welme
attre onæled. Nis nu ende feor
þæt we sceolun ætsomne susel þrowian,
wean and wergu, nalles wuldres blæd
habban in heofnum, hehselda wyn.
Hwæt, we for dryhtene iu dreamas hefdon,
song on swegle selrum tidum,
þær nu ymb ðone æcan æðele stondað,
heleð ymb hehseld, herigað drihten
wordum and wercum, and ic in wite sceal
bidan in bendum, and me bættran ham
for oferhygdum æfre ne wene."
ða him andsweradan atole gastas,
swarte and synfulle, susle begnornende:
"þu us gelærdæst ðurh lyge ðinne
þæt we helende heran ne scealdon.
ðuhte þe anum þæt ðu ahtest alles gewald,
heofnes and eorþan, wære halig god,
scypend seolfa. Nu earttu sceaðana sum,
in fyrlocan feste gebunden.
Wendes ðu ðurh wuldor ðæt þu woruld ahtest,
alra onwald, and we englas mid ðec.
Atol is þin onseon! Habbað we alle swa
for ðinum leasungum lyðre gefered.
Segdest us to soðe þæt ðin sunu wære
meotod moncynnes; hafustu nu mare susel!"
Swa firenfulle facnum wordum
heora aldorðægn on reordadon,
on cearum cwidum. Crist heo afirde,
dreamum bedelde. Hæfdan dryhtnes liht
for oferhygdum ufan forleton,
hæfdon hym to hyhte helle floras,
beornende bealo. Blace hworfon
scinnan forscepene, sceaðan hwearfedon,
earme æglecan, geond þæt atole scref,
for ðam anmedlan þe hie ær drugon.
Eft reordade oðre siðe
feonda aldor. Wæs þa forht agen,
seoððan he ðes wites worn gefelde.
He spearcade, ðonne he spreocan ongan
fyre and atre; ne bið swelc fæger dream
ðonne he in witum wordum indraf:
"Ic wæs iu in heofnum halig ængel,
dryhtene deore; hefde me dream mid gode,
micelne for meotode, and ðeos menego swa some.
þa ic in mode minum hogade
þæt ic wolde towerpan wuldres leoman,
bearn helendes, agan me burga gewald
eall to æhte, and ðeos earme heap
þe ic hebbe to helle ham geledde.
Wene þæt tacen sutol þa ic aseald wes on wærgðu,
niðer under nessas in ðone neowlan grund.
Nu ic eow hebbe to hæftum ham gefærde
alle of earde. Nis her eadiges tir,
wloncra winsele, ne worulde dream,
ne ængla ðreat, ne we upheofon
agan moten. Is ðes atola ham
fyre onæled. Ic eom fah wið god.
æce æt helle duru dracan eardigað,
hate on reðre; heo us helpan ne magon.
Is ðæs walica ham wites afylled;
nagan we ðæs heolstres þæt we us gehydan mægon
in ðissum neowlan genipe. Hær is nedran swæg,
wyrmas gewunade. Is ðis wites clom
feste gebunden. Feond seondon reðe,
dimme and deorce. Ne her dæg lyhteð
for scedes sciman, sceppendes leoht.
Iu ahte ic gewald ealles wuldres,
ær ic moste in ðeossum atolan æðele gebidan
hwæt me drihten god deman wille,
fagum on flora. Nu ic feran com
deofla menego to ðissum dimman ham.
Ac ic sceal on flyge and on flyhte ðragum
earda neosan, and eower ma,
þe ðes oferhydes ord onstaldon.
Ne ðurfon we ðes wenan, þæt us wuldorcyning
æfre wille eard alefan,
æðel to æhte, swa he ær dyde,
ecne onwald; ah him alles gewald,
wuldres and wita, waldendes sunu.
Forðon ic sceal hean and earm hweorfan ðy widor,
wadan wræclastas, wuldre benemed,
duguðum bedeled, nænigne dream agan
uppe mid ænglum, þes ðe ic ær gecwæð
þæt ic wære seolfa swægles brytta,
wihta wealdend. Ac hit me wyrse gelomp!"