Bi ðat time ðat he was guð,
Wið faigered and ſtrengthe kuð,
folc ethiopienes on egipte cam,
And brende, & ſlug, & wreche nam,
Al to memphin ðat riche cite,
And a-non to ðe reade ſe;
ðo was egipte folc in dred,
And aſkeden here godes red;
And hem ſeiden wið anſweren,
ðat on ebru cude hem wel weren.
Moyſes was louered of ðat here,
ðor he wurð ðane egyptes were;
Bi a lond weige he wente rigt,
And brogte vn-warnede on hem figt;
He hadden don egipte wrong,
He bi-loc hem & ſmette a-mong,
And ſlug ðor manige; oc ſumme flen,
Into ſaba to borgen ben.
Moyſes bi-ſette al ðat burg,
Oc it was riche & ſtrong ut-ðhurg;
Ethiopienes kinges dowter tarbis,
Riche maiden of michel priſ,
Gaf ðiſ riche burg moyſi;
Luue-bonde hire ghe it dede for-ði.
ðor iſe fon he leide in bonde,
And he wurð al-migt-ful in ðat lond;
He bi-lef ðor(.) tarbis him ſcroð,
ðog was him ðat ſurgerun ful loð;
Mai he no leue at hire taken
but-if he it mai wið crafte maken:
He waſ of an ſtrong migt [&] wiſ,
He carf in two gummes of priſ
Two likeneſſes, ſo grauen & meten,
ðis doð ðenken, & ðoð_er_ forgeten;
He feſt is in two ringes of gold,
Gaf hire ðe ton, he was hire hold;
[And quan awei nimen he wolde
Gaf hire ðe toðer, he was hire colde]
Ghe it bered and ðiſ luue iſ for-geten,
Moyſes ðus haued him leue bi-geten;
Sone it migte wið leue ben,
Into egypte e wente a-gen.
By that time that he was a youth (young man),
For beauty and strength renowned,
Ethiopian folk on Egypt came,
And burnt, and slew, and vengeance took,
All to Memphis that rich city,
And anon to the Red Sea;
Then was Egypt's folk in dread,
And asked their gods' advice;
And they said to them in answer,
That one Hebrew could them well defend.
Moses became leader of that (Egyptian) army,
There he became then Egypt's protector;
By a land-way he went right,
And brought unwarned on them fight;
They had done Egypt wrong,
He compassed them and smote among,
And slew there many; but some fled
Into Sheba to be saved.
Moses beset all that borough (city),
But it was rich and strong out-thorough (throughout);
Tarbis, the Ethiopian king's daughter,
Rich maiden of great renown,
Gave this rich city to Moses;
As love-bond's hire she did it, therefore.
There his foes he laid in bond,
And he became all-powerful in that land;
He remained there, Tarbis him urged,
Yet was to him that sojourn full loath;
May he no leave of her take
Unless he it may with craft make:
He was of a strong might and wise,
He carved in two gems (stones) precious,
Two likenesses alike carved and depicted,
This one causes to remember, and the other to forget;
He fastened them in two rings of gold,
Gave her the one, he was dear to her;
[And when depart he would
Gave her the other, and was distasteful to her]
She it beareth and this love is forgotten,
Moses thus hath for himself leave begotten;
Soon it might with leave be,
Into Egypt he went again.
—(ll. 2665-2708.)