Ich em nu elder þene ich wes, a wintre ent a lore,
Ich  welde mare þene ich dede, mot wit ahte bon mare.
Wel longe ich habbe child i-bon a worde ent a dede,
Þah ich bo wintre ald, to 3ung ich em on rede.
Unnet lif ich habbe i-led ent 3et , me þingþ, I lede;
Þenne ich me biþenche wel, ful sare ich me adrede.
Mest al þet ich habbe i-don bifealt to childhade;
Wel late ich habbe me biþocht; bute God me nu rede!
Fol idel word ich habbe i-queðen, soððen ich speke kuðe,
Fole 3ung dede i-don, þe me of þinchet nuðe.
Mest al þet me likede er, nu hit me mislikeð;
Þa muchel fulieð his wil, hinesolf he biswikeð.
Ich mihte habbe bet i-don, hefde ich þen i-selðe;
Nu ich walde, ah ich ne mei, for elde ent for unhelðe.
Elde me bestolen on, er ich hit wiste;
Ne michte ich seon bifore me for smike ne for miste.
Er3e we beoð to done god, ent to ufele al to þriste;
Mare eie stondeð men of monne þanne hom do of Criste.
Þe wel ne doð, þe hwile þe ho mu3en, wel oft hit schal rowen.
Þenne ho mawen sculen ent repen þet ho er sowen.
Do he to Gode þet he mu3e, þe hwile þet he bo alive.
Ne lipnie namon to muchel to childe ne to wive;
Þe himsolve for3et for wive ne for childe,
Ne scal cumen in uvel stude, bute him God bo milde.
Sendeð sum god biforen eow, þe hwile þet 3e mu3en, to hovene,
For betere is an elmesse biforen þenne boð efter sovene.
Al to lome ich habbe i-gult a werke ent o worde,
Al to muchel ich habbe i-spent, to litel i-hud in horde.
Ne beo þe lovre þene þesolf ne þin mei ne þin ma3e:
Sot is þet is oðers monnes frond betre þen his a3en.
Ne lipnie wif to hire were, ne were to his wive;
Bo for himsolve ech mon, þe hwile þet he bo alive.
Wis is þe to himsolve þench, þe hwile þe he mot libben,
For sone wule hine for3eten þe fremede ent þe sibbe.
Þe wel ne deð, þe hwile he mai, ne scal, wenne he walde;
Monies monnes sare i-swinc habbeð oft unholde.
Ne scal namon don a first ne slawen wel to done,
For moni mon bihateð wel, þe hit for3eteð sone.
Þe mon þe wule siker bon to habben Godes blisse,
Do wel himsolf, hwile þet he mai, þenne haveð he his mid iwisse.
Þes riche men weneð bon siker þurh walle ent þurh diche:
Þe deð his echte on sikere stude, he hit sent to hevenriche.
For þer ne þerf he bon ofdred of fure ne of  þove,
Þer ne mei hit him binimmen þe laðe ne þe love,
Þer ne þerf he habben kare of 3eve ne of 3elde:
Þider he sent ent solf bereð to lutel ent to selde.
Þider we sculen dra3en ent don, wel ofte ent i-lome;
For þer ne scal me us naut binimen mid wrangwise dome.
Þider 3e sculen 3orne dra3en, walde 3e God i-leve,
For ne mei þer hit ou binimen king ne reve.
Al þet beste þet we hefden, þider we hit solde senden,
For þer we hit michte finden eft ent habben buten ende.
Þo þe her doð eni god for habben Godes are,
Al he hit scal finden eft þer ent hundredfald mare.
Þe þet echte wile halden wel, hwile þe he mu3e esd welden,
Úive hies for Godes luve, þenne deþ hes wel i-halden.
(Poema Morale, Vv. 1-56)
 

I am older now than I was before in years and experience,
I control more than I did, my wisdom should be larger.
For very long I have been a child in word and in deed,
Although I am old in years, I am too yound in common sense.
A useless life I have lead and still, I think, I lead;
When I consider it soberly, I am very much afraid.
Most of what I have done, pertains to childhood;
Very late i have thought about myself; may God help me now!
Very selfish words I have spoken, since I could speak,
Very foolish deeds done, which I repent now.
Most of what pleased me before, displeases me now;
He who follows only his will, betrays himself.
I might have behaved better, had I had then discretion;
Now I would do so, but I can't, because of old age and insanity.
Old age sneaked upon me, before I relized it;
I cannot see in front of me because of smoke and mist.
We are lazy to do good deeds, and all too ready for evil
More stand men in awe of menthan they do of Christ.
They do no good, as long as they can, very often they regret it.
When thy must maw and reap what they had previously sown.
They shoul do for God what they can, as long as they are alive.
No one should have too much confidence to wife and children;
Whoever forgets himself because of wife and children,
He shall come to an evil place, unless God is merciful to him.
Send some goods to heaven before yourselves, as long as you can,
Because one almsgiving before is better than seven afterwards.
All too often I have sinned in words and in deeds,
All too much i have wasted, too little I put on hoard.
Not shall your relative or kins man be dearer to you than yourself:
Stuoid is he who is another man's friend instead of his own.
No wife should have confidence too her husband, no man to his
Each man should live for himself, as long as he is alive.      [wife;
Wise is he who cares for himself, as long as he may live,
Because soon he will be forgetten by starngers and his family.
He who does no good, while he may, shall not do so when he
Many man's hard work often profits his enemies.            [wants to;
No one should postpone, nor neglect to do good,
As many men promises good things which he forgets very soon.
He who wants to be sure of God's grace,
Should do good himself, while he can, then will he have it indeed.
Those rich men think to be saved by walls and ditches:
He who puts his goods in a safe place, sends the to the heavenly
For there he needs not be afraid of fire or of robbery,    [kingdom.
There neither the foe nor the friend can take it away from him,
There he needs not care about bribes and taxes:
Thereto he sends and carries himself too little and to seldom.
Thereto we should carry and put, very often and frequently;
For there nobody can take it away from us by false judgement
Thereto we should eagerly carry goods, if God grants permission,
For there neither king nor reeve can take it away from you.
All the best things which we own should we send there.
For there we will rediscover it and possess it endlessly.
Those who do good before to gain God's favour,
Shall redisciver it all there and a hundred times more.  [keep it,
He who wishes to keep his property well, while he has the power to
Let him give of his store for the love of God then does he keep it well.
 

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