The Old Ways

Norse · Anglo-Saxon Poetry · 226 of 343

The Paris Psalter: Psalm 142

Old English originals (Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records)

Drihten, min gebed deore gehyre, and mid earum onfoh ungemetum georne mine halsunge; heald me syððan on þinre soðfæstnesse and me on soðe gehyr. Ne ga þu mid þinum esne in to dome, forþon on þinre gesihðe ne bið soðfæst ænig þe on ðisse foldan feorhlif bereð. Forþon mine sawle swiðe feondas ealle ehtan ungemete strange, habbað me gehnæged heanne to eorðan and min lif swylce gelytlad is. Hi me on digle deorce stowe settan sarlice samed anlice, swa þu worulddeade wrige mid foldan;

is me ænge gast innan hreðres, and me is heorte on hearde gedrefed. þonne ic on mode gemyndgade, hu me ærran dagas oft alumpan, metegade on mode ealle þine mæran weorc and ymbe þine handgeweorc hogode georne. þonne ic mine handa to þe holde þenede and mine sawle sette mid mode, swa eorðan bið ansyn wæteres; gehyr me hrædlice, hæl me syþþan. Nu me deope is, drihten leofa, min sylfes gast swær geworden, ne awend fram me, wuldres ealdur, þine ansyne; wese ic earmum gelic

þe on sweartne grund syþþan astigað. Gedo þæt ic gehyre holde on morgene þine mildheortnesse, mihtig drihten, forþon ic hycge to ðe, helpe gelyfe. Do me wegas wise, þæt ic wite gearwe on hwylcne ic gange gleawe mode; nu ic to drihtnes dome wille mine sawle settan geornast. Afyrr me, frea drihten, feondum minum; nu ic helpe to þe holde gelyfe; lær me, hu ic þinne willan wyrce and fremme, forþon þu min god eart, þu me god dydest. Me þin se goda gast gleawe lædde, þæt ic on rihtne weg reðne ferde;

for naman þines neodweorðunge, drihten usser, do me halne, þæt ic on ðinum rihte rædfæst lifige. And þu of costunge clæne alæddest sawle mine, þær heo syððan forð on þinre mildheortnesse mote wunian; and þu mine feondas fæcne todrife, and eac forleose laðra gehwylcne þe mine sawle synne ætfæsten, forþon ic þin esne eom agen symble.