The Paris Psalter: Psalm 77

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Geheald þu, min folc, mine fæste æ;
ahyldað eowre earan, þæt ge holdlice
mines muðes word mihte gehyran.
Ic on anlicnessum ærest ontyne

5

mines sylfes muð, secggean onginne,
þa on worldricum wæron æt frymðe.
Ealle þa we oncneowan, cuð ongeaton,
and ure fæderas us æror sægdon.
Noldan hi þa swiðe heora synna dyrnan,

10

ac ylda gehwylc oðrum cyðde.
Sægdon lof symble leofum drihtne
and his þa myclan miht, mænigu wundur,
þa he geworhte wera cneorissum.
He aweahte gewitnesse

15

on Iacobe goode and strange,
and Israhelum æ gesette.
þa he fæste bebead fæderum ussum,
þæt hi heora bearnum budun and sægdun,
and cinn oðrum cyðden and mærden.

20

Gif bearn wære geboren þam fæder,
him sceolde se yldra eall gesæcgan,
þæt hi gleawne hiht to gode hæfdan,
and his weorðlicu weorc gemundon,
and godes bebodu georne heoldan.

25

Ne wesen hi on facne fæderum gelice;
þæt wæs earfoðcynn yrre and reðe;
næfdon heora heortan hige gestaðelod;
nis to wenanne, þætte wolde god
hiora gasta mid him gyman awiht.

30

Effremes bearn ærest ongunnan
of bogan stræle bitere sendan,
þæs hi on wiges dæge wendon æfter.
Ne heoldan hi halgan drihtnes
gewitnesse, ne his weorca æ

35

awiht wislice woldan begangan.
Ealra goddæda hi forgiten hæfdon,
and þara wundra, þe he worhte ær,
þara heora yldran on locadan.
He on ægypta agenum lande

40

him worhte fore wundur mære
and on Campotanea eac mid soðe.
He sæ toslat, sealte yþa
gefæstnade, and hi foran þurh.
Him wisode wolcen unlytel

45

daga æghwylce, swa hit drihten het,
and him ealle niht oðer beacen
fyres leoma folcnede heold.
He on westene wide ædran
him of stane let, strange burnan.

50

Of þam wæter cwoman weorude to helpe,
swyþe wynlice wætera þryðe.
þa hi hira firene furþur ehtan,
and hine on yrre eft gebrohtan,
heora heafodweard holdne on lande.

55

Hi þa on heortan hogedon to niðe,
and geornlice godes costadan,
bædan hiora feorum foddur geafe,
and gramlice be gode spræcan:
"Ac we þæs ne wenað, þæt us witig god

60

mæge bringan to beod gegearwod
on þisum westene widum and sidum,
þeah þe he of stane streamas lete
wæter on willan wynnum flowan,
Ne we hwæðere wenað, þæt he wihte mæge

65

mid hlafe þis folc her afedan."
Syþþan þæt gehyrde halig drihten,
he ylde þa gyt and eft gespræc;
wæs gegleded fyr on Iacobe
and his yrre barn on Israhelas,

70

Forþon þe hi ne woldon wordum drihtnes
lustum gelyfan, lare forhogedon.
Het he þa widan duru wolcen ontynan
hea of heofenum and hider rignan
manna to mose manna cynne,

75

sealde him heofenes hlaf hider on foldan,
and engla hlaf æton mancynn,
and hwætenne hæfdon to genihte.
And awehte þa windas of heofenum,
Auster ærest and þa Affricum.

80

Him þa eac feoll ufan flæsc to genihte;
swa sand sæs oððe þiss swearte dust
coman gefiðrade fugelas swylce.
And on middan þa wic manige feollan
and ymb hiora selegescotu swiðe geneahhe.

85

Swiðe ætan and sade wurdan,
and hiora lusta lifdan hwile;
næron hi bescyrede sceattes willan.
þa gyt hi on muðe heora mete hæfdon,
þa him on becwom yrre drihtnes

90

and heora mænige mane swultan,
æðele Israhela eac forwurdan.
In eallum hi þissum ihtan synne,
and noldan his wundrum wel gelyfan.
Hi heora dagena tid dædun idle

95

and heora geara gancg eac unnytte.
þonne he hi sare sloh, þonne hi sohton hine,
and ær leohte to him lustum cwoman.
Syððan hi ongeaton, þæt wæs god heora
fæle fultum, freond æt þearfe;

100

wæs hea god heora alysend,
Hi hine lufedan lease muðe,
ne þæs on heortan hogedan awiht.
Næs him on hreðre heorte clæne,
ne hi on gewitnesse wisne hæfdon,

105

on hiora fyrhþe fæstne geleafan.
He þonne is mildheort and manðwære
hiora fyrendædum, nolde hi to flymum gedon.
He þa manige fram him mangewyrhtan
yrre awende, eall ne wolde

110

þurh hatne hyge hæleðum cyþan.
And he gemunde þæt hi wæran moldan and flæsc
gast gangende, næs se geancyr eft.
Hi hine on westenne wordum and dædum
on yrre mod eft gebrohtan,

115

aweahtan hine on eorðan oft butan wætere.
Oft hi grimlice godes costodan
and Israhela god eac abulgan.
Na gemynd hæfdan, hu his seo mycle hand
on gewindæge werede and ferede.

120

He ægypti egesan geþywde
mid feala tacna and forebeacna
in Campotaneos; þæt wæs cuð werum.
þær he wæterstreamas wende to blode;
ne meahte wæter drincan wihta ænig.

125

Sette him heard wite, hundes fleogan,
and hi ætan eac yfle tostan;
hæfdan hi eallunga ut aworpen.
Sealde erucan, yfelan wyrme,
let hiora wyrta wæstme forslitan,

130

and hiora gram gewinn hæfdan gærshoppan.
Heora wingeardas wraþe hægle
nede fornamon; nænig moste
heora hrorra hrim æpla gedigean.
Sealde heora neat eac swylce hæglum,

135

and heora æhta ealle fyre.
He æbyligðe on hi bitter and yrre,
sarlic sende oð sawlhord
and þæt wið yfele englas sende.
He him weg worhte wraðan yrres,

140

ne he heora sawlum deað swiðe ne sparude
and heora neat niðcwealm forswealh.
He þa on þam folce frumbearna gehwylc
on ægiptum eall acwealde
and frumwæstme folce Chames.

145

þa he his folc genam swa fæle sceap,
lædde geliccast leofe eowde
þurh westenas wegas uncuðe.
And he hi on hihte holdre lædde;
næs him on fyrhtu feondes egsa,

150

ac ealle þa yþa fornamon.
He hi þa gelædde on leofre byrig
and haligre, ða his hand begeat.
And he manige for him mære þeode
awearp of wicum, sealde him weste land,

155

þæt hi mid tane getugan rihte.
þa Israelas æhte gesætan
hrores folces, þa hi heanne god
gebysmredan, noldon his bebodu
fæste healdan.

160

Hi awendan aweg, nalæs wel dydan,
swa heora fæderas beforan heoldan,
and on wiðermede wendan and cyrdan.
Swa hi his yrre oft aweahtan,
þonne hi oferhydig up ahofan,

165

and him wohgodu worhtan and grofun.
þa þæt gehyrde halig drihten,
he hi forhogode, and hraðe syþþan
Israhela cynn egsan geðyde.
And he þa swa gelome wiðsoc snytruhuse,

170

wæs his agen hus, þær he eard genam
ær mid mannum, mihtig hæfde.
He hi þa on hæftnyd hean gesealde
and heora fæger folc on feondes hand.
Sealde þa his swæs folc sweorde under ecge,

175

and his yrfe eac eall forhogode.
Heora geoguðe eac grimme lige
fyr fæðmade; fæmnan ne wæran
geonge begrette, þeah ðe hi grame swultan.
Wæran sacerdas heora sweordum abrotene;

180

ne þæt heora widwan wepan mostan.
þa wearð aweaht wealdend drihten,
swa he slæpende softe reste
oððe swa weorð man wine druncen.
He þa his feondas sloh and him ætfæste eac

185

ece edwit awa to feore.
And he georne wiðsoc Iosepes huse,
ne þon ær geceas Effremes cynn,
ac he geceas Iudan him geswæs frumcynn
on Sione byrig, þær him wæs symble leof.

190

He þa anhornan ealra gelicast
his halige hus her on eorðan
getimbrade; het ðæt teala syððan
on worldrice wunian ece.
And him ða Dauid geceas, deorne esne,

195

and genam hine æt eowde ute be sceapum,
fostur feormade; he him onfencg hraðe.
He þonne fedeð folc Iacobes
and Israhela yrfelafe.
And he hi þonne butan facne fedeð syþþan,

200

and his folmum syþþan hi forð lædeð.