| I | |
| Siþen* þe sege* and þe assaut* watz sesed* at Troye, | when/ siege/ assault/ ceased |
| þe bor3 brittened* and brent to brondez* and askez,* | city/destroyed/burned/brands/ashes |
| þe tulk* þat þe trammes* of tresoun* þer wrot3,* | man/ stratagems/ treason/ wrought |
| Watz tried for his tricherie,* þe trewest* on erthe; | treachery/ most patent |
| Hit* watz Ennias* þe athel*, and his highe kynde,* | it/ Aneas/ noble/ noble kindred |
| þat siþen depreced* prouinces, and patrounes bicome* | afterward conquered/ lords became |
| Welne3e* of al þe wele* in þe west iles, | well-nigh/ wealth |
| Fro riche* Romulus to rome ricchus hym* swyþe,* | when noble/ takes his way/quickly |
| With gret bobbaunce* þat bur3e* he biges vpon* fyrst, | great pomp/ city/ founds at |
| And neuenes* hit his aune nome,* as hit now hat;* | names/ own name/ is called |
| Ticius to* Tuskan* and teldes* bigynnes; | (goes) to/ Tuscany/ dwellings |
| Langaberde* in Lumbardie lyftes* vp homes; | Langobard/ Lombardy raises |
| And fer* ouer þe french flod* felix Brutus | far/ sea |
| On mony bonkkes ful brodde* Bretayn* he settez,* | many slopes very wide/Britain/founds |
| wyth wynne;* | joy |
| Where werre,* and wrake,* and wonder,* | war/ vengeance/ marvel |
| Bi syþez* hatz wont* þer-inne, | at times/ existed |
| And oft boþe blysse and blunder | |
| Ful skete* hatz skyfted synne.* | quickly/ alternated since |
| II | |
| Ande quen* þis Bretayn watz bigged* bi þis burn* rych, | when/ founded/ knight |
| Bolde* bredden* þer-inne, baret* þat lofden,* | bold (men)/were bred/fighting/loved |
| In mony turned* tyme tene* þat wro3ten;* | many(a)difficult/ trouble/ wrought |
| Mo ferlyes* on þis folde han fallen* here oft | more marvels/ land have happened |
| þen* in any oþer þat I wot,* syn þat ilk* tyme. | than/ know/ same |
| Bot* of alle þat here bult* of Bretaygne* kynges | but/ dwelt/ British |
| Ay* watz Arthur þe hendest,* as I haf herde* telle; | ever/ noblest/ have heard |
| For-þi* an aunter* in erde* I attle* to schawe, | therefore/adventure/land/intended |
| Vat a sell* in si3t summe* men hit holden,* | marvel/ sight some/ consider |
| And an outtrage* awenture* of Arthurez wonderez; | very strange/ adventure |
| If 3e* wyl lysten* þis laye bot on* littel quile,* | you/ listen (to)/ a/ while |
| I schal telle hit, as-tit,* as I in toun herde, | right away |
| with tonge;* | tongue |
| As hit is stad* and stoken,* | put down/ set |
| In stori stif* and stronge, | firm |
| With lel* letteres loken,* | true/ fastened |
| In londe so* hatz ben longe.* | land as/ been/ of long usage |