The Paris Psalter: Psalm 88

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Mildheortnesse þine, mihtig drihten,
ic on ecnesse awa singe;
fram cynne on cynn and on cneorisse
ic þine soðfæstnesse secge geneahhe

5

on minum muþe manna cynne.
Forþon þa ðu cwæde cuðe worde,
þæt on ecnesse awa wære
þin milde mod micel getimbrad
heah on heofenum hæleða bearnum

10

and þin soðfestnes symble gearwad.
Ic minum gecorenum cuðe gesette,
hu min gewitnes wolde gangan;
ic Dauide dyrum esne
on aðsware ær benemde,

15

þæt ic his cynne and cneowmagum
on ecnesse a geworhte
ful sefte seld, þæt hi sæton on.
Heofenas andettað, halig drihten,
hu wundor þin wræclic standeð,

20

and þa halgan eac hergeað on cyricean
þine soðfæstnesse, secgeað geneahhige.
Nis under wolcnum, weoroda drihten,
ænig anlic, ne ðe ænig byð
betweox godes bearnum gyt gelicra.

25

þu bist gewuldrad god, þær bið wisra geðeaht
and haligra heah gemetincg,
micel and egeslic ofer eall manna bearn,
ða ðe on ymbhwyrfte ahwær syndon.
þu eart mægena god, mihtig drihten;

30

nis þe ealra gelic ahwær on spedum,
is þin soðfæstnes symble æghwær.
þu wide sæs wealdest mihtum;
þu his yþum miht ana gesteoran,
ðonne hi on wæge wind onhrereð.

35

þu miht oferhydige eaðe mid wunde
heane gehnægean; hafast ðu heah mægen
þines earmes sped wið ealle fynd.
Heofonas þu wealdest, hrusan swylce;
eorðan ymbehwyrft eall þu gesettest.

40

þu norðdæl and sæ niode gesceope,
Tabor et Hermon on naman ðinum;
hi mid strencgðe eac upp ahebbað
þinne swiþran earm swylce, drihten.
Wesan hea mihte handa þinre

45

ahafen ofer hæleðas; halig seo swyðre is,
þines setles dom soð gegearwod.
Mildheortnes and soðfæstnes mægene forgangað
þinne andwlitan; þæt bið eadig folc
þe can naman ðinne neode herigean.

50

þa on ðinum leohte lifigeað and gangað
þe him ansyn þin ær onlihte,
and on naman þinum neode swylce
beoð ealne dæg eac on blisse
and þine soðfæstnesse symble æghwær.

55

Forþon þu heora mægenes eart mærost wuldor,
and we þinum weldædum wurdan ahafene.
Us an nimeð ece drihten
and Israhela cyning eac se halga.
þonne ðu ofer ealle undearnunga

60

þine bearn sprecest and bealde cwyst:
"Ic me on þyssum folce fultum sette
ofermihtigne, þone ic me ær geceas.
Ic me deorne scealc Dauid gemette
and hine halige ele handum smyrede.

65

Heo him fultumeð and min fæle earm,
and hine mid mycle mægene geswyðeð.
Ne mæg him ænig facen feond æteglan,
ne unrihtes bearn ænig sceððan.
Of his ansyne ealle ic aceorfe,

70

þa ðe him feondas fæcne syndon,
and his ehtendas ealle geflyme.
Hine soðfæstnes min samod ætgædere
and mildheortnes min mægene healdeð,
and on naman minum neode swylce

75

his horn bið ahafen, heane on mihtum.
And ic his swiðran hand settan þence,
þæt he sæstreamum syþþan wealde.
He me him to fælum fæder gecygde:
'Wæs me andfencge, god, ecere hælu.'

80

And ic þonne frumbearn forð asette
ofer eorðcyningas ealra heahstne.
Ic him to widan feore wille gehealdan
min milde mod and him miht syllan,
mine gewitnesse weorðe and getreowe.

85

Ic to widan feore wyrce syððan
þin heahsetl hror and weorðlic
swa heofones dagas her mid mannum.
Gif mine bearn nellað mine bebodu efnan
ne mine domas dædum healdan,

90

Gif hi mine rihtwisnessa fracoðe gewemmað
and hi mine bebodu bliðe ne healdað,
þonne ic heora unriht gewrece egsan gyrde
and hiora synne swinglum forgylde.
Ne ic him mildheortnesse mine wille

95

fægere afyrran, ac him forð swa þeah
mine soðfæstnesse syllan þence.
Ic æne swor að on halgum,
þæt ic Dauide dæda ne leoge,
þæt on ecnesse his agen cynn

100

wunað on wicum; bið him weorðlic setl
on minre gesihðe sunnan anlic
and swa mona meahte on heofenum,
þe is ece gewita æhwær getreowe."
þu þonne wiðsoce soþum criste

105

and hine forhogodest, hwile yldest
and awendest fram him gewitnesse
esnes þines; ealle gewemdest
his halignesse her on eorðan.
Ealle þu his weallas wide todældest,

110

towurpe fæsten his for folcegsan.
Hine þa towurpon wegferende,
and he on edwit wearð ymbsittendum.
Handa þu ahofe heah ehtendra,
gebrohtest his feondas fæcne on blisse.

115

Fultum þu him afyrdest fagan sweordes,
nafað æt gefeohte fælne helpend.
þu hine of clænnesse clæne alysdest,
setl his gesettest sorglic on eorðan.
þu his dagena tid deorce gescyrtest

120

and mid sarlicre sceame onmettest.
Wilt þu hu lange, wealdend drihten,
yrre þin acyðan swa onæled fyr?
Gemune, mære god, hwæt si min lytle sped;
ne huru ðu manna bearn on middangeard

125

to idelnesse æfre geworhtest.
Hwylc is manna, þæt feores neote,
and hwæþere on ende deað ne gesceawige;
oððe hwylc manna is, þæt his agene
fram helle locum sawle generige?

130

Hwær is seo ealde nu, ece drihten,
micel mildheortness, þe þu mancynne
and Dauide deope aðe
þurh þines sylfes soð benemdest?
Gemune þinra esna edwitspræce,

135

þa him fracuðlice fremde þeode
utan ætywað, oðre mægðe.
Cweþað him þæt edwit, ece drihten,
feondas þine, fæste ætwitað
and þæt þinum criste becweþað swiðe.

140

A sy gebletsad ece drihten
to widan feore. Wese swa, wese swa!