The Old Ways

Norse · Anglo-Saxon Poetry · 146 of 343

The Paris Psalter: Psalm 62

Old English originals (Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records)

God min, god min, ic þe gearuwe to æt leohte gehwam lustum wacie. Min sawl on ðe swyðe þyrsteð and min flæsc on ðe fæste getreoweð. On westene and on wege swylce and on wæterflodum wene ic swiðe, þæt ic ðe on halgum her ætywe, þæt ic þin wuldur and mægen wis sceawige. Ys þin milde mod micele betere þonne þis læne lif þe we lifiað on; weleras ðe mine wynnum heriað. Swa ic ðe on minum life lustum bletsige and ic on naman þinum neode swylce mine handa þwea halgum gelome.

Ys sawl min swetes gefylled, swa seo fætte gelynd, fægeres smeoruwes; weleras mine wynnum swylce þinne naman nu ða neode heriað. Swa ic þin gemynd on modsefan on minre reste rihte begange, and on ærmergen on ðe eac gewene, forðon þu me on fultum fæste gestode. Ic beo fægere beþeaht fiðerum þinum and hiht on ðon hæbbe georne, forðon min sawl on ðe soðe getreoweþ; me ðin seo swiðre onfencg symble æt ðearfe. Forðon hi on idel ealle syððan sohton synlice sawle mine,

and geond eorðscræfu eodon geneahhe; nu hi wæran geseald under sweordes hand, syndon fracuðe nu foxes dælas. Kynincg sceal on drihtne clæne blisse hluttre habban, and hine heriað eac ealle þa ðe on hine aðas sweriað; forþon synt gemyrde muðas ealle þa unriht sprecað ahwær landes.