2:1
15 Domino sancto ac beatissimo 16 atque apostolico et in 17 toto orbe primo omnium sacerdotum, papae Vigilio, Arator subdiaconus S. 18 Moenibus undosia bellorum incendia cerneng, Pars ego tunc populi, tela paventis, eram. 19 Publica libertas, Vigili, sanctissime papa, Advenis incluso solvere vincla gregi. 20 De gladiis rapiuntur ores, pastore mi- [nistro, Inque humeris ferimur, te revocante, piis. 21 Corporeum satis est sic evasisse periclum, At mihi plus animæ nascitur inde salus. 22 Ecclesiam subeo dimissa naufragus aula; Perfida mundani desero vela freti. 23 Transferor ad niveas Petri, sine turbine, [caulas, Et fruor optati jam statione soli.
致那聖潔、至福、有使徒之尊、在全世界眾祭司中居首的主、維吉里教宗，副執事阿拉托爾問安。當我看見戰火臨到波濤圍困的城牆，我那時也是懼怕刀兵之眾民中的一員。維吉里啊，至聖的教宗，你來作公眾的自由，為那被困的羊群解開鎖鏈。羊群從刀劍之下被奪回，有牧人施行服事，我們因你的呼召被擔在虔誠的肩上。如此脫離了肉身的危難已是足夠，然而對我而言，由此卻生出更大的靈魂之救恩。我如遭船難之人，離了那殿堂進入教會；撇棄了塵世之海那詭詐的帆。我無風無浪地被渡到彼得潔白如雪的羊圈，如今得享那所渴慕之地的安歇。
To the holy and most blessed and apostolic lord, first of all priests in the whole world, Pope Vigilius, Arator the subdeacon sends greeting. Beholding the fires of war upon the wave-beset walls, I was then part of the people that dreaded the weapons. You come, O Vigilius, most holy pope, as public liberty, to loose the chains for the enclosed flock. From the swords the sheep are snatched, with the shepherd ministering, and we are borne upon pious shoulders, at your recall. It is enough thus to have escaped bodily peril, yet for me a greater salvation of the soul is born thereby. Shipwrecked, I enter the Church, having left the hall; I forsake the treacherous sails of the worldly sea. I am carried over, without storm, to the snow-white folds of Peter, and now I enjoy the station of the longed-for soil.
2:2
24 Littoris ille sinus ad carbasa nostra pa[ravit, Fluctibus in mediis, cui via sicca fuit. Esse reus potero, grates si reddere cessem. Unius officio displicuere novem. 25 Sensibus ardor inest horum celebrare la[bores, Quorum voce fides obtinet orbis iter. Versibus ergo canam, quos Lucas rettulit actus, Historiamque sequens carmina vera loquar. 26 Alternis resecabo modis, quod littera pan[dil, Et res si qua mihi mystica corde datur. 27 Metrica vis sacris non est incognita li[bris; Psalterium lyrici composuere pedes; 28 Hexamelris constare sonis in origine linguae Cantica, Hieremiae, Job quoque dicta ferunt.
那一位為我們的帆預備了海岸的灣澳，他乃是那在波濤之中得着乾路而行的人。我若停止獻上感恩，便要有罪：那一個人的感恩，使那九個人顯為可憎。我心中有一股熱忱，要頌揚那些人的勞苦——藉他們的聲音，信德得以走遍世界的道路。所以我要以詩句歌詠路加所記述的使徒行傳，並隨着這段歷史說出真實的詩歌。我要以交替的格律，鋪陳那字句所顯明的；又凡有奧義之事，若蒙賜給我心，也一併述說。格律之力對聖書並非陌生；抒情的音步寫成了詩篇；據說《雅歌》、《耶利米哀歌》、以及約伯的言語，在其原文中也是由六音步之韻組成的。
That one prepared a curve of shore for our sails, he for whom in the midst of the waves there was a dry path. I shall be guilty if I cease to render thanks: by the gratitude of one, the nine gave displeasure. An ardor is in my senses to celebrate the labors of those by whose voice faith obtains the world's journeying. In verses therefore I shall sing the acts which Luke recounted, and, following the history, I shall speak true songs. In alternating measures I shall set forth what the letter reveals, and any mystical matter, if it be granted to my heart. The power of meter is not unknown to the sacred books; lyric feet composed the Psalter; they say that in their original tongue the Canticles, the laments of Jeremiah, and the sayings of Job too consist of hexameter sounds.
2:3
29 Hoc tibi, magne Pater, cum defero munus [ amoris, Respice, quod meritis debita solvo tuis. Te duce tiro legor, te dogmata disco ma- [gistro; Si quid ab ore placet, laus monitoris erit.
偉大的父啊，當我向你獻上這愛的禮物時，求你顧念：我所償還的，乃是欠你功德的當還之債。有你作我的元帥，我這新兵才得編入行伍；有你作我的師傅，我才學得這些教義；倘若我口中有什麼令人喜悅的，那稱讚當歸於我的勸導者。
When I offer you this gift of love, O great Father, consider that I am paying the debt owed to your merits. With you as my leader I, a raw recruit, am enrolled; with you as my master I learn the teachings; if anything from my lips please, the praise shall belong to my counselor.