The Paris Psalter: Psalm 101

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

ðu min gebed, mære drihten,
gehyr, heofenes weard, and gehlyde min
to ðe becume, þeoda reccend.
Na þu andwlitan æfre þinne

5

awend fram me, wuldres ealdor;
gif ic geswenced sy, þu swæs to me
þin eare onhyld and me ofestlice
gehyr, heofenes weard, helpys benan.
Forðon dagas mine gedroren syndan

10

smece gelice, and forspyrcende synd
mine mearhcofan, þæs þe me þinceð,
swylce hi on cocerpannan cocas gehyrstan.
Ic eom hege gelic, þam þe hraðe weornað,
ðonne hit byð amawyn mannes folmum;

15

is min heorte eac hearde geswenced,
forðon ic ær forgeat, þæt ic etan sceolde
minne swetne hlaf; forðon me is swære stefn
hefig gnorniende heortan getenge,
ætfeolen eac min ban flæsce minum.

20

Ic geworden eom pellicane gelic,
se on westene wunað; wat ic eac swiðe geare,
þæt ic genemned eam nihthrefne gelic,
þe on scræfe eardað, and ic spearuwan swa some
gelice gewearð, anlicum fugele.

25

Hwæt, me ealne dæg edwitspræce on
mine feondas fæste brohtan,
and ða me heredan; hi me hraþe æfter
full swyþe eft swerigean ongunnon.
Forðon ic anlic ætt æscean hlafe,

30

and ic minne drinc mengde wið tearum,
For andwlitan yrres þines;
feor þu me ahofe and gehnæctest eft.
Dagas mine gedruran swa se deorca scua,
and ic hege gelic, swa hit hraðe weornað.

35

þu on ecnysse wunast awa, drihten;
wunað þin gemynd, þenden woruld standeð.
Aris nu, mihtig god, miltsa Sione;
nu is hire helpe heahsæl cumen.
Forþon þæs þancunga þine scealcas

40

ambyhtmæcgas ealle hæfdan,
forðon þe þu stiðlice stanum and eorðan
eallum ætgædere ær miltsadest.
Forþon neodlice on naman ðinum
ealle eorðbuend egsan habbað,

45

and þin wuldor ongitað wise cyningas.
Eft timbrade ece drihten
and gesette Sion þurh his sylfes miht,
ðær wæs gesyne his seo soðe sped.
Oft he þearfendra bene ðance gehyrde,

50

and he ne forhogode heora hold gebed.
ða wislice awriten standað
and on cneoressum cyðed syndan,
þæt he folc gesceop; fægere drihten
herað holdlice hrore geþance.

55

Forðon he fæstlice forð locade
of his þam hean halgan setle;
drihten geseah of heofenum her on eorðan.
He þa gehyrde heahgnornunge
þæra ðe gebundene bitere wæron,

60

and ða bealdlice bearn alysde
þara ðe ofslegene sliþe wæran.
þonne byð on Sione sægd soð nama drihtnes,
and his lof swylce, leoda bearnum,
on Hierusalem gleawast and mærust.

65

Cumað folc syððan feorran togædere
and ricu eac, þæt hraðe drihtne
ful holdlice hyran syþþan.
He him andwyrdeð eallum sona
on wege worulde, þær his gewis mægen

70

fæste standeð: "Ic þe feawe dagas
minra mættra mode secge,
þæt þu me meaht on midle minra dagena
sona gecigean, gif þu sylfa wylt."
Earon þines anes gear awa to feore.

75

æt fruman þu, drihten, geworhtest
eorþan frætwe and upheofen;
þæt is heahgeweorc handa þinra.
Sweotule þa forweorðað and ðu sylf wunast;
eall forwisnað wædum anlice,

80

and ðu hi onwendest, swa man wrigels deð,
and hi beoð to worulde wended syþþan.
þu þonne byst se ilca, se þu ær wære;
ne beoð winter þin wiht ðe sæmran.
Bearn þinra scealca her bu namon,

85

and þær eardedan ealle þrage,
and heora sylfra cynn syððan to feore
on worulda woruld well gerehtest.