Lines 1–124

Hwæt! We feor and neah gefrigen habað
ofer middangeard Moyses domas,
wræclico wordriht, wera cneorissum,--
in uprodor eadigra gehwam
æfter bealusiðe bote lifes,
lifigendra gehwam langsumne ræd,--
hæleðum secgan. Gehyre se ðe wille!
þone on westenne weroda drihten,
soðfæst cyning, mid his sylfes miht
gewyrðode, and him wundra fela,
ece alwalda, in æht forgeaf.
He wæs leof gode, leoda aldor,
horsc and hreðergleaw, herges wisa,
freom folctoga. Faraones cyn,
godes andsacan, gyrdwite band,
þær him gesealde sigora waldend,
modgum magoræswan, his maga feorh,
onwist eðles, Abrahames sunum.
Heah wæs þæt handlean and him hold frea,
gesealde wæpna geweald wið wraðra gryre,
ofercom mid þy campe cneomaga fela,
feonda folcriht. ða wæs forma sið
þæt hine weroda god wordum nægde,
þær he him gesægde soðwundra fela,
hu þas woruld worhte witig drihten,
eorðan ymbhwyrft and uprodor,
gesette sigerice, and his sylfes naman,
ðone yldo bearn ær ne cuðon,
frod fædera cyn, þeah hie fela wiston.
Hæfde he þa geswiðed soðum cræftum
and gewurðodne werodes aldor,
Faraones feond, on forðwegas.
þa wæs ingere ealdum witum
deaðe gedrenced drihtfolca mæst;
hordwearda hryre heaf wæs geniwad,
swæfon seledreamas, since berofene.
Hæfde mansceaðan æt middere niht
frecne gefylled, frumbearna fela,
abrocene burhweardas. Bana wide scrað,
lað leodhata, land drysmyde
deadra hræwum, dugoð forð gewat,
wop wæs wide, worulddreama lyt.
Wæron hleahtorsmiðum handa belocene,
alyfed laðsið leode gretan;
folc ferende, feond wæs bereafod,
hergas on helle. Heofung þider becom,
druron deofolgyld. Dæg wæs mære
ofer middangeard þa seo mengeo for.
Swa þæs fæsten dreah fela missera,
ealdwerige, Egypta folc,
þæs þe hie wideferð wyrnan þohton
Moyses magum, gif hie metod lete,
on langne lust leofes siðes.
Fyrd wæs gefysed, from se ðe lædde,
modig magoræswa, mægburh heora.
Oferfor he mid þy folce fæstena worn,
land and leodweard laðra manna,
enge anpaðas, uncuð gelad,
oðþæt hie on Guðmyrce gearwe bæron,
(wæron land heora lyfthelme beþeaht),
mearchofu morheald. Moyses ofer þa,
fela meoringa, fyrde gelædde.
Heht þa ymb twa niht tirfæste hæleð,
siððan hie feondum oðfaren hæfdon,
ymbwicigean werodes bearhtme
mid ælfere æthanes byrig,
mægnes mæste mearclandum on.
Nearwe genyddon on norðwegas,
wiston him be suðan Sigelwara land,
forbærned burhhleoðu, brune leode,
hatum heofoncolum. þær halig god
wið færbryne folc gescylde,
bælce oferbrædde byrnendne heofon,
halgan nette hatwendne lyft.
Hæfde wederwolcen widum fæðmum
eorðan and uprodor efne gedæled,
lædde leodwerod, ligfyr adranc,
hate heofontorht. Hæleð wafedon,
drihta gedrymost. Dægsceades hleo
wand ofer wolcnum; hæfde witig god
sunnan siðfæt segle ofertolden,
swa þa mæstrapas men ne cuðon,
ne ða seglrode geseon meahton,
eorðbuende ealle cræfte,
hu afæstnod wæs feldhusa mæst,
siððan he mid wuldre geweorðode
þeodenholde. þa wæs þridda wic
folce to frofre. Fyrd eall geseah
hu þær hlifedon halige seglas,
lyftwundor leoht; leode ongeton,
dugoð Israhela, þæt þær drihten cwom
weroda drihten, wicsteal metan.
Him beforan foran fyr and wolcen
in beorhtrodor, beamas twegen,
þara æghwæðer efngedælde
heahþegnunga haliges gastes,
deormodra sið dagum and nihtum.
þa ic on morgen gefrægn modes rofan
hebban herebyman hludan stefnum,
wuldres woman. Werod eall aras,
modigra mægen, swa him Moyses bebead,
mære magoræswa, metodes folce,
fus fyrdgetrum. Forð gesawon
lifes latþeow lifweg metan;
swegl siðe weold, sæmen æfter
foron flodwege. Folc wæs on salum,
hlud herges cyrm. Heofonbeacen astah
æfena gehwam, oðer wundor,
syllic æfter sunnan setlrade beheold,
ofer leodwerum lige scinan,
byrnende beam. Blace stodon
ofer sceotendum scire leoman;
scinon scyldhreoðan, sceado swiðredon,
neowle nihtscuwan neah ne mihton
heolstor ahydan; heofoncandel barn.
Niwe nihtweard nyde sceolde
wician ofer weredum, þy læs him westengryre,
har hæðbroga, holmegum wederum
on ferclamme ferhð getwæfde.
Hæfde foregenga fyrene loccas,
blace beamas; bellegsan hweop
in þam hereþreate, hatan lige,
þæt he on westenne werod forbærnde,
nymðe hie modhwate Moyses hyrde.