A Prayer

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

æla, drihten leof! æla, dema god!
Geara me, ece waldend.
Ic wat mine saule synnum forwundod;
gehæl þu hy, heofena drihten,

5

and gelacna þu hy, lifes ealdor,
forþan ðu eðest miht ealra læca
ðæra þe gewurde side oððe wyde.
æla, frea beorhta, folkes scippend!
Gemilsa þyn mod me to gode,

10

sile þyne are þynum earminge.
Se byð earming þe on eorðan her
dæiges and nihtes deofle campað
and hys willan wyrcð; wa him þære mirigðe,
þonne he ða handlean hafað and sceawað,

15

bute he þæs yfeles ær geswyce.
Se byð eadig, se þe on eorðan her
dæiges and nyhtes drihtne hyræð
and a hys willan wyrcð; wel hym þæs geweorkes,
ðonne he ða handlean hafað and sceawað,

20

gyf he ealteawne ende gedreogeð.
æla, leohtes leoht! æla, lyfes wynn!
Getiþa me, tireadig kyning,
þonne ic minre sawle swegles bydde,
ece are. þu eart eaðe, god,

25

hæfst and waldest
ana ofer ealle eorðan and heofonas
syddra gesceafta. ðu eart soð meotod,
ana ofer ealle eorðbugende,
swilce on heofonum up þu eart hælend god.

30

Ne mæg þe aherian hæleða ænig;
þeh us gesomnie geond sidne grund,
men ofer moldan, geond ealne middaneard,
ne mage we næfre asæcgan, ne þæt soðe witan,
hu þu æðele eart, ece drihten.

35

Ne þeah engla werod up on heofenum
snotra tosomne sæcgan ongunnon,
ne magon hy næfre areccean, ne þæt gerim wytan,
hu þu mære eart, mihtig drihten.
Ac is wunder mycel, wealdend engla,

40

gif þu hit sylfa wast, sigores ealdor,
hu þu mære eart, mihtig and mægenstrang,
ealra kyninga kyning, Crist lifiende,
ealra worulda scippend, wealdend engla,
ealra dugeþa duguð, drihten hælend.

45

ðu eart se æðela þe on ærdagum
ealra femnena wyn fægere akende
on Bethleem ðære byrig beornum to frofre,
eallum to are ylda bearnum,
þam þe gelyfað on lyfiendne god

50

and on þæt ece leoht uppe on roderum.
ðyn mægen ys swa mære, mihtig drihten,
swa þæt ænig ne wat eorðbuende
þa deopnesse drihtnes mihta,
ne þæt ænig ne wat engla hades

55

þa heahnisse heofena kyninges.
Ic þe andette, ælmihtig god,
þæt ic gelyfe on þe, leofa hælend,
þæt þu eart se miccla and se mægenstranga
and se eadmoda ealra goda

60

and se ece kyning ealra gesceafta,
and ic eom se litla for þe and se lyðra man,
se her syngige swiðe genehhe,
dæges and nihtes do, swa ic ne sceolde,
hwile mid weorce, hwile mid worde,

65

hwile mid geþohte, þearle scyldi,
inwitniðas oft and gelome.
Ac ic þe halsige nu, heofena drihten,
and gebidde me to þe, bearna selost,
þæt ðu gemilsige me, mihtig drihten,

70

heofena heahkyning and se halga gast,
and gefylste me, fæder ælmihtig,
þæt ic þinne willan gewyrcean mæge,
ær ic of þysum lænan lyfe gehweorfe.
Ne forweorn þu me, wuldres drihten,

75

ac getyþa me, tyreadig kyning,
læt me mid englum up siðian,
sittan on swegle,
herian heofonas god haligum reorde
a butan ende. Amen.