The Old Ways

Norse · Anglo-Saxon Poetry · 186 of 343

The Paris Psalter: Psalm 102

Old English originals (Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records)

Bletsa, mine sawle, bliðe drihten, and eall min inneran his þæne ecean naman. Bletsige, mine sawle, bealde dryhten, ne wylt þu ofergeottul æfre weorðan ealra goda, þe he þe ær dyde. He þinum mandædum miltsade eallum and þine adle ealle gehælde. He alysde þin lif leof of forwyrde, fylde þinne willan fægere mid gode. He þe gesigefæste soðre miltse and ðe mildheorte mode getrymede; eart þu edneowe earne gelicast on geogoðe nu gleawe geworden. Hafast þu milde mod, mihta strange,

drihten, domas eallum þe deope her and ful treaflice teonan þolian. He his wegas dyde wise and cuðe Moyse þam mæran on mænige tid, swylce his willan eac werum Israhela. Mildheort þu eart and mihtig, mode geþyldig, ece drihten, swa þu a wære; is þin milde mod mannum cyðed. Nelle þu oð ende yrre habban, ne on ecnesse ðe awa belgan. Na þu be gewyrhtum, wealdend, urum wommum wyrhtum woldest us don, ne æfter urum unryhte ahwær gyldan. Forðon þu æfter heahweorce heofenes þines

mildheortnysse, mihtig drihten, lustum cyðdest, þam þe lufedan þe. Swa þas foldan fæðme bewindeð þes eastrodor and æfter west, he betweonan þam teonan and unriht us fram afyrde æghwær symble. Swa fæder ðenceð fægere his bearnum milde weorðan, swa us mihtig god, þam þe hine lufiað, liðe weorðeð, forðan he ealle can ure þearfe. Gemune, mihtig god, þæt we synt moldan and dust; beoð mannes dagas mawenum hege æghwær anlice, eorðan blostman, swa his lifdagas læne syndan.

þonne he gast ofgifeð, syþþan hine gærsbedd sceal wunian widefyrh, ne him man syððan wat ahwær elles ænige stowe. þin mildheortnes, mihtig drihten, þurh ealra worulda woruld wislic standeð, deorust and gedefust ofer ealle þa þe ondrædað him. Swa his soðfæstnyss swylce standeð ofer þara bearna bearn þe his bebodu healdað, and þæs gemynde mycle habbað, þæt heo his wisfæst word wynnum efnan. On heofenhame halig drihten his heahsetl hror timbrade, þanon he eorðricum eallum wealdeð. Ealle his englas ecne drihten

bletsian bealde, heora bliðne frean, mægyn and mihta, þa his mære word habbað and healdað and hyge fremmað. Bletsian drihten eall his bearna mægen and his ðegna ðreat, þe þæt þence nu, þæt hi his willan wyrcean georne. Eall his agen geweorc ecne drihten on his agenum stede eac bletsige, þær him his egsa, anweald, standeð; bletsige min sawl bliðe drihten.