The Paris Psalter: Psalm 106

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Ic andette ecne drihten,
þæne goodan god, forðan ic hine gleawne wat;
is his mildheortnes mycel to worulde.
Secge þæt nu ða, þæt hi sylfa god

5

alysde, lifes weard, laðum of handa,
and hi of sidfolcum gesamnade.
Fram uppgange æryst sunnan
oþþæt heo gewiteð on westrodur
and fram sæ norðan swycedan geond westen;

10

ne meahton ceastre weg cuðne mittan,
þe hi eardunge on genaman.
Hæfde hi hungor and þurst heard gewyrded,
þæt him frecne on feorh aðolude.
And hi þa on þære costunge cleopedan to dryhtne,

15

and he hi of þam earfeðum eallum alysde.
Hi þa gelædde lifes ealdor,
þær hi on rihtne weg ricene eodan,
oðþæt hi cuðlice on becwoman
to hiora cestre eardungstowe.

20

Forðon hi mildheortnesse mihtigan drihtnes
ealle andettað, and eac sæcgeað
mycel wundur hys manna bearnum.
Forðon he gesedeð sawle idle,
and þa hungrian her mid godum

25

fæste gefylleð to feore syþþan,
þa þe her on ðystrum þrage sæton
and on deaðes scuan deorcum lifdan,
gebundene bealuwe feterum
on wædle wrace and on iserne.

30

Forðon hi dydan drihtnes spræce
æghwæs ægype, and his geðeaht swylce
þæs heahstan him hæfdan on bysmer.
Hiora heorte wæs hean on gewinnum
and untrume ealle wæran,

35

næfdan þa on foldan fultum ænne.
Hi on costunge cleopedan to drihtne,
and he hi of þam earfoðum eallum alysde.
And he hi of þam þystrum þanon alædde
and of deaðes scuan deorcum generede

40

and heora bendas towearp bitre sneome.
Forðan hi mildheort mod mihtigan drihtnes
ealle andettan, and eac cweþan
mycel wundur his ofer manna bearn.
Forðon he æren dor eaðe gescæneð

45

and iserne steng ana gebigeð.
He hi of unrihtum ealle swylce
þam wraðan wege wis alædeð,
þær hi wæron on woo ær wraðe besmitene.
Hi onhysctan æghwylcne mete,

50

mode mægen heora, oð unmihte,
þæt hy wið deaða duru drencyde wæran.
þa hi on costunge cleopedan to drihtne,
and he hi of þam earfoþum eallum alysde.
He him wisfæstlic word onsende,

55

þurh þæt hi hrædlice hælde wæron
and of heora forwyrde wurdan generede.
Forðon hi nu andettan ecum drihtne,
þæt he milde wearð manna cynne;
mycel ys his wundur ofer manna bearn.

60

Hi him sculon laces lof lustum bringan,
and his weorc wynsum wide sæcgean.
þa þe sæ seceað, mid scipe liðað,
wyrceað weorc mænig on wæterðryþum.
Hi drihtnes weorc digul gesawon

65

and his wundra wearn on wætergrundum.
Gif he sylfa cwyð, sona ætstandað
ystige gastas ofer egewylmum,
beoð heora yþa up astigene.
þa to heofenum up heah astigað,

70

nyþer gefeallað under neowulne grund;
oft þa on yfele eft aþindað.
Gedrefede þa deope syndan,
hearde onhrerede her anlicast,
hu druncen hwylc gedwæs spyrige;

75

ealle heora snytru beoð yfele forglendred.
Hi on costunge cleopedan to drihtne,
and he hi of earfeðum eallum alysde.
He yste mæg eaðe oncyrran,
þæt him windes hweoðu weorðeð smylte,

80

and þa yðe eft swygiað,
bliþe weorðað, þa þe brimu weþað.
And he hi on hælo hyþe gelædde,
swa he hira willan wyste fyrmest,
and he hig of earfoðum eallum alysde.

85

Hi andettan ealle drihtne,
hu he milde wearð manna cynne;
mære synd his wundur ofer manna bearn.
Forðon hine on cyrcean cristenes folces
hean ahebbað, and him hælu and lof

90

on sotelum soðfæstra secgean to worulde.
He on westenne wynne streamas
soðfæst sette, þær he sarig folc
geðewde þurste þa blissade.
He ða weaxendan wende eorðan

95

on sealtne mersc for synndædum
þara eardendra, þe hire on lifdan.
Westen he geworhte on widne mere,
and swylce eorðan eac butan wætre
on utgange æþelast burnan.

100

þær he hungrium ham staðelude,
and þær gesetton swylce ceastre,
þær hi eard namon awa syþþan.
Hi wingeardas wyrcean ongunnon,
sæde seowan, syþþan growan

105

lungre land heora aloden wæstmum.
þa he bletsade, and hi brade þa
weoxan weorðlice, wide greowan;
næs heora neata nan geyfelad.
Oft hi fea wurdan feondum geswencte

110

fram þære costunge þe him becwom æfter,
sares and yfeles, þe hi syþþan begeat.
Syððan hi forhogedan halige lare;
hiora ealdormen ealle wæron
sare beswicene, swicedan oftust

115

and on wegas werige wendan hwilum of.
þær he þearfendra þa miltsude,
and hi of wædle wean alysde,
sette heora staðol sceapum anlice.
Syþþan þæt soðfæste geseoð, sniome æfter

120

bliðe weorðað, beot geþenceað,
þæt unrihta gehwylc eft oncyrreð
and his sylfes muð symble hemneð.
Hwylc is wisra nu wel snotera,
þe þas mid gehygde healdan cunne,

125

and milde mod mihtigan drihtnes
full gleawlice ongite syþþan?