What is said in this recitation before the Bismallah?

Assalaamu alaikum brother,

The sentence is a'oothu billaahi min ash-Shaytaanir rajeem, which means, I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytaan.

Allah tells us in the Qur'an to seek refuge in Him before starting recitation of the Qur'an:



So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy]. (Surah an-Nahl, surah 16, verse 89)

This is also what we recite in the first rakat of our salaat before beginning Surah al-Fatihah. After Allahu Akbar, and the opening du'a, we then recite a'oothu billaahi min ash-Shataan ir-rajeem, then bismillaahir rahmaanir raheem, then Alhamdulillaahi rabbil 'aalameen to the end of Surah al-Faatihah, followed by aameen, then bismillaahir rahmaanir raheem and then another surah.