The Paris Psalter: Psalm 108

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Nelle ic lofes þines,      lifigende god,
geswigian,      þeah þe me synfulra
inwitfulra muðas      on ganian.
Hio þa innwit feala      ywdan on tungan,

5

and me wraðra wearn      worda spræcon,
fæcne firenlicu,      and afuhtan me
ealle earwunga      ungemete swyðe.
Hi me wið lufan      laþum dædum
torne telnysse      teodan mænige;

10

ic him a gebæd      ungemete georne.
Hi me yfel settan      a wið goode
and feounge      for minre lufan.
Gesete him synnfulle      symble to ealdrum,
stande him on þa swyþeran hand      swylce deoful.

15

Gange of dome gehwam      deope gehyned,
and him his gebed      hweorfe to fyrenum.
Gewurðe him weste      eall his onwunung
and on hys eardungstowe      næfre gewurþe
þæt þær on gewunige      awiht lifigendes.

20

Wesan him dagas deorce      and dimme and feawe,
and his bisceophad      brucan feondas.
Weorðan his agene bearn      ealle steopcild
and his wif wyrðe      wydewe hreowlic.
Syn his bearn swylce      toboren wide,

25

and he ut weorpe      earme þearfan,
þonne hi to his huse      hleowes wilnian.
Ealle his æhta      unholde fynd
rice reðemann      rycene gedæle,
and his feoh onfon      fremde handa.

30

Ne him ahwær wese      ænig fultum,
ne his steopcildum      stande to helpe.
Gangan ealle his bearn      on ece forwyrd,
and on anum cneowe      eall gewyrðe
his nama nyhsta      nede adilgad.

35

Eall þæt unriht      þe his ealdras ær
manes gefremedan,      on gemynd cume
and on ansyne      ures drihtnes;
ne adilgode wesan      deorce fyrene,
þa his modur ær      mane fremede.

40

Wesan hi wið drihtne      dædum swylce,
and hine adilgie      dome ealne
of ðysse eorðan      awa to feore.
Næs him milde gemynd      on modsefan,
and he þearfendra      ðriste ehte;

45

symble þæt on heortan      hogode geornust,
hu he mid searuwe      swylce acwealde.
He wolde wergðu      wyrcean georne,
and hine seo ylce on      eft gesette;
nolde he bletsunge      biddan ne tilian,

50

forðon hio him wæs afyrred      of ferhðcofan.
He hine gegyrede      mid grame wyrgðu,
swa he hine wædum      wræstum geteode,
and sio his innað      ywde swylce
wan wætere gelic      and wynele,

55

se þe banes byrst      beteð and hæleð.
Wese he hrægle gelic      þe her hraðe ealdað,
and gyrdelse,      ðe hine man gelome gyrt.
þis is weorc þara      þe oft wraðe me
trage tældan;      tyne hine dryhten

60

þam þe sar sprece      sawle minre.
And þu, min drihten god,      do me þine nu
mycle mildheortnesse      for þinum þam mæran naman,
swa ðu oft þin milde mod      manegum cyðdest.
Alys me, lifes weard,      forþan ic eom lama þearfa;

65

is me heorte on      hearde gedrefed.
Ic eom scuan gelic      swyþe ahylded,
oðlæded godum      swa se gærshoppa.
Me synt cneowu swylce      cwicu unhale
for fæstenum;      is min flæsc swylce

70

for fægrum ele      frecne onwended;
eom ic to edwitstæfe      eallum geworden.
Swa hi me gesawon,      sona hig wegdan,
hrerdan heora heafod;      help min, drihten god,
and me halne gedo,      hælynde Crist,

75

for þinre þære myclan      mildheortnysse.
þæt hi soð witan,      þæt si þin sylfes hand
and þu þas gedydest,      drihten usser.
Weorðan þa awyrgde,      wes þu gebletsad;
and þa þe me mid unryhte      ænige styrian,

80

and hi þær sceande      sylfe agon;
wese þin esne on þe      ungemete bliðe.
Syn ða butan are      ealle gegyrede
þe me tælnysse      teonan ætfæstan,
and him si abrogden      swa of brechrægle

85

hiora sylfra sceamu      swyþust ealra.
Ic on minum muðe      mihta drihtnes
ealle andette,      and eac swylce
hine on midle      manna herige.
He sylfa gestod      on ða swyðran hand,

90

þær he þearfendra      þinga teolode;
he mine sawle      swylce gehealde
wið ehtendra      egsan griman.