The Paris Psalter: Psalm 54

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Gehyr min gebed, halig drihten,
ne forseoh æfre sariges bene;
beheald me holdlice and gehyr me eac.
Grimme ic eom begangen; forðon ic gnornige

5

and me forhtige feondes stefne
and fyrenfulra fæcne niðas.
Forðam me on sah unrihtes feala;
wurdon me þa on yrre yfele and hefige.
Ys me on hreðre heah heorte gedrefed

10

and me fealleð on fyrhtu deaðes.
Egsa me and fyrhtu ealne forcwomon,
and me beþeahton þeostru niðgrim.
Ic þa on mode cwæð, hwa me sealde
to fleogenne fiðeru swa culfran,

15

and ic þonne ricene reste syððan.
Efne ic feor gewite, fleame dæle,
and on westene wunode lange,
bide þæs beornes þe me bete eft
modes mindom and mægenes hreoh.

20

Hat nu todælan, drihten usser,
heora geðeode geond þas woruld wide;
forðon ic þær on unriht oft locade,
and wiðercwyda wearn gehyrde;
drugon þæt on burgum dæges and nihtes.

25

þunie him gewinnes wearn ofer wealles hrof
and heom on midle wese man and inwit
and unsoðfæstnys ealle wealde.
Næfre on his weorþige wea aspringe,
mearce mansceat, man inwides;

30

forþon gif me min feond fæcne wyrgeð,
ic þæt abere bliðe mode.
þeah þe þa ealle ðe me a feodon,
wordum wyrigen and wearn sprecan,
ic me wið heora hete hyde sneome.

35

þu eart se man þe me wære
on anmede, and æghwæs cuð
latteow lustum; and wyt gelome eac
æton swetne mete samed ætgædere,
and on godes huse gangan swylce

40

mid geþeahtunge þine and mine.
Hi ofer cume unþinged deað,
astigon heo on helle heonan lifigende.
Forðam on heora gasthusum is gramlic inwit,
and on hiora midle man inwitstæf.

45

Ic soðlice to sylfum drihtne
cleopode on corðre, and me cuðlice
gehyrde hælend drihten.
Ic on æfenne, eac on mergenne
and on midne dæg, mægene sæcge

50

and bodie, þæt þu bliðe me
mine stefne stiðe gehyre.
A ðu symle sawle mine
lustum alyse, laðum wiðferige,
forðon me manige ymb mægene syrewað.

55

þæt gehyreð god and hi gehyneð eac,
þe ær worulde wæs and nu wunað ece.
Nis him onwendednes on woruldlife,
ne him godes fyrhtu georne ondrædað.
Heo besmitað swylce his sylfes

60

þa gewitnesse, þær hi woh fremedon;
forðon hi synt on yrre ut adælde,
ne hi sylfe wel geseon æfre,
forðon hit wæs his heortan gehygde neah.
Hi word hira wel gesmyredon

65

ele anlicast; eft gewurdon
on gescotfeohta scearpe garas.
Sete on drihten þin soð gehygd;
he þe butan fracoðum fedeð syððan.
Ne syleð he soðfæstum syððan to feore

70

þæt him yþende mod innan hreðre;
ðu arlease ealle gelædest
on soðe forwyrd seaðes deopes.
Se blodhreowa wer bealuinwites
fæcne gefylled ne fæger lif

75

on middum feore gemeteð ahwær;
ic me on minne drihten deorne getreowige.