᛭᛬ᚹᛁᛚᚳᚢᛗ᛫ᚩᚾ᛫ᛗᛇᚾ᛫ᚻᚩᚠ᛬᛭

Ic eom Rīcweard Exlypsis
(I am Ricweard Exlypsis,)
ferde ic feorran ᛫ and feorran innan
(travelled I far off, and far within,)
sæ ofer sæ ᛫ beorht beorg ofer beorge
(sea over sea, bright mountain over mountain,)
garsecg ofer garsecge ᛫ foldan ofer foldan
(ocean over ocean, plain over plain,)
hyll ofer hylle ᛫ begeondan hylle
(hill over hill beyond hill,)
tungol ofer tungle ᛫ middangeard ofer middangearde
(star over star, universe over universe.)

Ne gehiersumode ic nan þing ᛫ ne ænigne sige gehwearf
(I conquered nothing, nor gained any victory,)
ac þence ic me selfum ᛫ on smēaungum mīnum
(but I ponder to myself in my contemplations,)
wyrcende hringas ᛫ ofer hringum,
(making spheres over spheres,)
land ofer lande ᛫ rīce ofer rīce
(land over land, realm over realm.)

Hwaet frinest þu ᛫ for hwilcum intingan
(What askest thou, for what reason?)
Swylce man brohte ᛫ to æðme and to mete
(As one was brought to breath and to meat,)
to drincan and to feohtanne ᛫ to huntoðe and to slæpe
(to drink and to fight, to hunt and to sleep.)
Ne geryne ic me selfne ᛫ mid intingum
(I do not reason myself with reasons,)
ac meðelie ic hwy man ᛫ mīne geweorc ræde
(but I question why one should judge my works.)

Gemette ic deofol ᛫ þeah nama wære forloren
(I met a demon, though his name was lost,)
Se Micle Manig-Haloda ᛫ lædde me on deorcnesse
(The Great Many-Faced One led me into darkness,)
on deorcnesse and deorcnesse, ᛫ dweliende ferde ic
(into darkness and darkness, straying went I,)
þa þa soþan geþohtas ᛫ sweotole ætywdon.
(when the true intentions clearly appeared.)

Forlēt ic þone Mclan Halodan ᛫ for oðrum dryhtne
(I abandoned that Great Faced One for another lord,)
þam is sibb and swigð ᛫ on gesceafta mægen
(to whom belongs peace and quiet in the power of creation,)
haeleðu butan haeleðe ᛫ gewinn butan wigan
(heroics without hero, warring without warrior,)
slæp butan slæpe ᛫ geleafa butan geleafan
(sleep without sleeping, believing without faith.)

Hire nama is Tiamat ᛫ Se Micle Fægre Wyrm
(Her name is Tiamat, The Great Fair Dragon,)
se niddriga wyrm ᛫ butan fyre
(the low dragon without fire,)
mære draca ᛫ butan twigum and tōðum
(great drake without fangs and teeth,)
se wæter-næddre ᛫ butan manfullum æðme
(the water-serpent without vile breath,)
ānes heafdes ᛫ nā fīf-heafded
(one-headed, not five-headed.)
Arās heo of wæterum ᛫ and eall gesceōp
(She arose from the waters and created all,)
and nu wyrce ic ᛫ butan geweorce
(and now work I without labor,)
drincende ᛫ butan unclænnesse
(drinking without impurity,)
seonde ᛫ butan locunge
(seeing without looking,)
mīn onbryrdnes ᛫ butan inbryrdinge
(my muse without inspiring.)

Mīn ærend ᛫ ofer ærende
(My mission over mission,)
mīn geweorc ᛫ ofer geweorce
(my work over work,)
mīn inbryrding ᛫ ofer inbryrdinge
(my inspiration over inspiration.)

Þa þe secgað ᛫ þæt mīn geweorca geweorc
(Those who say that my work of works)
ne afæstnaþ liges fyr ᛫ ne geseoþ hi þæt fyr
(will not spark the flames of fire, won't see the fire)
on þam ligum ᛫ and on þam rēoce and on þan æscan
(in the flames and in the smoke and in the ash,)
ne geseoþ wlite ᛫ on gewinnes hild-hremme
(nor see beauty in the violence of battle,)
on dwolman ᛫ on gesceafte on forwyrde
(in chaos, in creation, in destruction,)
ne geseoþ hi ᛫ on innan and on utan
(won't see them inside and outside.)

Twi-fealdnes hihtes ᛫ and yrre-brote
(The duality of hope and of fierce anger,)
fyres and wæteres ᛫ gesceafte and forwyrde.
(of fire and water, of creation and destruction.)