
Norse · Anglo-Saxon Poetry · 185 of 343
The Paris Psalter: Psalm 101
Old English originals (Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records)
ðu min gebed, mære drihten, gehyr, heofenes weard, and gehlyde min to ðe becume, þeoda reccend. Na þu andwlitan æfre þinne 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 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;
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. 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. 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, 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. 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 ambyhtmæcgas ealle hæfdan, forðon þe þu stiðlice stanum and eorðan eallum ætgædere ær miltsadest.
Forþon neodlice on naman ðinum ealle eorðbuend egsan habbað, 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, 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. 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, 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. 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 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. 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, 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,
and þær eardedan ealle þrage, and heora sylfra cynn syððan to feore on worulda woruld well gerehtest.