The Paris Psalter: Psalm 77

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Geheald þu, min folc,      mine fæste æ;
ahyldað eowre earan,      þæt ge holdlice
mines muðes word      mihte gehyran.
Ic on anlicnessum      ærest ontyne

5

mines sylfes muð,      secggean onginne,
þa on worldricum      wæron æt frymðe.
Ealle þa we oncneowan,      cuð ongeaton,
and ure fæderas us      æror sægdon.
Noldan hi þa swiðe      heora synna dyrnan,

10

ac ylda gehwylc      oðrum cyðde.
Sægdon lof symble      leofum drihtne
and his þa myclan miht,      mænigu wundur,
þa he geworhte      wera cneorissum.
He aweahte      gewitnesse

15

on Iacobe      goode and strange,
and Israhelum      æ gesette.
þa he fæste bebead      fæderum ussum,
þæt hi heora bearnum      budun and sægdun,
and cinn oðrum      cyðden and mærden.

20

Gif bearn wære      geboren þam fæder,
him sceolde se yldra      eall gesæcgan,
þæt hi gleawne hiht      to gode hæfdan,
and his weorðlicu      weorc gemundon,
and godes bebodu      georne heoldan.

25

Ne wesen hi on facne      fæderum gelice;
þæt wæs earfoðcynn      yrre and reðe;
næfdon heora heortan      hige gestaðelod;
nis to wenanne,      þætte wolde god
hiora gasta mid him      gyman awiht.

30

Effremes bearn      ærest ongunnan
of bogan stræle      bitere sendan,
þæs hi on wiges dæge      wendon æfter.
Ne heoldan hi      halgan drihtnes
gewitnesse,      ne his weorca æ

35

awiht wislice      woldan begangan.
Ealra goddæda      hi forgiten hæfdon,
and þara wundra,      þe he worhte ær,
þara heora yldran      on locadan.
He on ægypta      agenum lande

40

him worhte fore      wundur mære
and on Campotanea      eac mid soðe.
He sæ toslat,      sealte yþa
gefæstnade,      and hi foran þurh.
Him wisode      wolcen unlytel

45

daga æghwylce,      swa hit drihten het,
and him ealle niht      oðer beacen
fyres leoma      folcnede heold.
He on westene      wide ædran
him of stane let,      strange burnan.

50

Of þam wæter cwoman      weorude to helpe,
swyþe wynlice      wætera þryðe.
þa hi hira firene      furþur ehtan,
and hine on yrre      eft gebrohtan,
heora heafodweard      holdne on lande.

55

Hi þa on heortan      hogedon to niðe,
and geornlice      godes costadan,
bædan hiora feorum      foddur geafe,
and gramlice      be gode spræcan:
"Ac we þæs ne wenað,      þæt us witig god

60

mæge bringan to      beod gegearwod
on þisum westene      widum and sidum,
þeah þe he of stane      streamas lete
wæter on willan      wynnum flowan,
Ne we hwæðere wenað,      þæt he wihte mæge

65

mid hlafe þis folc      her afedan."
Syþþan þæt gehyrde      halig drihten,
he ylde þa gyt      and eft gespræc;
wæs gegleded fyr      on Iacobe
and his yrre barn      on Israhelas,

70

Forþon þe hi ne woldon      wordum drihtnes
lustum gelyfan,      lare forhogedon.
Het he þa widan duru      wolcen ontynan
hea of heofenum      and hider rignan
manna to mose      manna cynne,

75

sealde him heofenes hlaf      hider on foldan,
and engla hlaf      æton mancynn,
and hwætenne      hæfdon to genihte.
And awehte þa      windas of heofenum,
Auster ærest      and þa Affricum.

80

Him þa eac feoll ufan      flæsc to genihte;
swa sand sæs      oððe þiss swearte dust
coman gefiðrade      fugelas swylce.
And on middan þa wic      manige feollan
and ymb hiora selegescotu      swiðe geneahhe.

85

Swiðe ætan      and sade wurdan,
and hiora lusta      lifdan hwile;
næron hi bescyrede      sceattes willan.
þa gyt hi on muðe      heora mete hæfdon,
þa him on becwom      yrre drihtnes

90

and heora mænige      mane swultan,
æðele Israhela      eac forwurdan.
In eallum hi þissum      ihtan synne,
and noldan his wundrum      wel gelyfan.
Hi heora dagena tid      dædun idle

95

and heora geara gancg      eac unnytte.
þonne he hi sare sloh,      þonne hi sohton hine,
and ær leohte to him      lustum cwoman.
Syððan hi ongeaton,      þæt wæs god heora
fæle fultum,      freond æt þearfe;

100

wæs hea god      heora alysend,
Hi hine lufedan      lease muðe,
ne þæs on heortan      hogedan awiht.
Næs him on hreðre      heorte clæne,
ne hi on gewitnesse      wisne hæfdon,

105

on hiora fyrhþe      fæstne geleafan.
He þonne is mildheort      and manðwære
hiora fyrendædum,      nolde hi to flymum gedon.
He þa manige fram him      mangewyrhtan
yrre awende,      eall ne wolde

110

þurh hatne hyge      hæleðum cyþan.
And he gemunde      þæt hi wæran moldan and flæsc
gast gangende,      næs se geancyr eft.
Hi hine on westenne      wordum and dædum
on yrre mod      eft gebrohtan,

115

aweahtan hine on eorðan      oft butan wætere.
Oft hi grimlice      godes costodan
and Israhela god      eac abulgan.
Na gemynd hæfdan,      hu his seo mycle hand
on gewindæge      werede and ferede.

120

He ægypti      egesan geþywde
mid feala tacna      and forebeacna
in Campotaneos;      þæt wæs cuð werum.
þær he wæterstreamas      wende to blode;
ne meahte wæter drincan      wihta ænig.

125

Sette him heard wite,      hundes fleogan,
and hi ætan eac      yfle tostan;
hæfdan hi eallunga      ut aworpen.
Sealde erucan,      yfelan wyrme,
let hiora wyrta      wæstme forslitan,

130

and hiora gram gewinn      hæfdan gærshoppan.
Heora wingeardas      wraþe hægle
nede fornamon;      nænig moste
heora hrorra hrim      æpla gedigean.
Sealde heora neat eac      swylce hæglum,

135

and heora æhta      ealle fyre.
He æbyligðe on hi      bitter and yrre,
sarlic sende      oð sawlhord
and þæt wið yfele      englas sende.
He him weg worhte      wraðan yrres,

140

ne he heora sawlum deað      swiðe ne sparude
and heora neat      niðcwealm forswealh.
He þa on þam folce      frumbearna gehwylc
on ægiptum      eall acwealde
and frumwæstme      folce Chames.

145

þa he his folc genam      swa fæle sceap,
lædde geliccast      leofe eowde
þurh westenas      wegas uncuðe.
And he hi on hihte      holdre lædde;
næs him on fyrhtu      feondes egsa,

150

ac ealle þa      yþa fornamon.
He hi þa gelædde      on leofre byrig
and haligre,      ða his hand begeat.
And he manige for him      mære þeode
awearp of wicum,      sealde him weste land,

155

þæt hi mid tane      getugan rihte.
þa Israelas      æhte gesætan
hrores folces,      þa hi heanne god
gebysmredan,      noldon his bebodu
fæste healdan.     

160

Hi awendan aweg,      nalæs wel dydan,
swa heora fæderas      beforan heoldan,
and on wiðermede      wendan and cyrdan.
Swa hi his yrre      oft aweahtan,
þonne hi oferhydig      up ahofan,

165

and him wohgodu      worhtan and grofun.
þa þæt gehyrde      halig drihten,
he hi forhogode,      and hraðe syþþan
Israhela cynn      egsan geðyde.
And he þa swa gelome wiðsoc      snytruhuse,

170

wæs his agen hus,      þær he eard genam
ær mid mannum,      mihtig hæfde.
He hi þa on hæftnyd      hean gesealde
and heora fæger folc      on feondes hand.
Sealde þa his swæs folc      sweorde under ecge,

175

and his yrfe eac      eall forhogode.
Heora geoguðe eac      grimme lige
fyr fæðmade;      fæmnan ne wæran
geonge begrette,      þeah ðe hi grame swultan.
Wæran sacerdas heora      sweordum abrotene;

180

ne þæt heora widwan      wepan mostan.
þa wearð aweaht      wealdend drihten,
swa he slæpende      softe reste
oððe swa weorð man      wine druncen.
He þa his feondas sloh      and him ætfæste eac

185

ece edwit      awa to feore.
And he georne wiðsoc      Iosepes huse,
ne þon ær geceas      Effremes cynn,
ac he geceas Iudan him      geswæs frumcynn
on Sione byrig,      þær him wæs symble leof.

190

He þa anhornan      ealra gelicast
his halige hus      her on eorðan
getimbrade;      het ðæt teala syððan
on worldrice      wunian ece.
And him ða Dauid geceas,      deorne esne,

195

and genam hine æt eowde      ute be sceapum,
fostur feormade;      he him onfencg hraðe.
He þonne fedeð      folc Iacobes
and Israhela      yrfelafe.
And he hi þonne butan facne      fedeð syþþan,

200

and his folmum syþþan      hi forð lædeð.