A Prayer

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

æla, drihten leof!         æla, dema god!
Geara me,         ece waldend.
Ic wat mine saule         synnum forwundod;
gehæl þu hy,         heofena drihten,

5

and gelacna þu hy,         lifes ealdor,
forþan ðu eðest miht         ealra læca
ðæra þe gewurde         side oððe wyde.
æla, frea beorhta,         folkes scippend!
Gemilsa þyn mod         me to gode,

10

sile þyne are         þynum earminge.
Se byð earming         þe on eorðan her
dæiges and nihtes         deofle campað
and hys willan wyrcð;         wa him þære mirigðe,
þonne he ða handlean         hafað and sceawað,

15

bute he þæs yfeles         ær geswyce.
Se byð eadig,         se þe on eorðan her
dæiges and nyhtes         drihtne hyræð
and a hys willan wyrcð;         wel hym þæs geweorkes,
ðonne he ða handlean         hafað and sceawað,

20

gyf he ealteawne         ende gedreogeð.
æla, leohtes leoht!         æla, lyfes wynn!
Getiþa me,         tireadig kyning,
þonne ic minre sawle         swegles bydde,
ece are.         þu eart eaðe, god,

25

hæfst and waldest        
ana ofer ealle         eorðan and heofonas
syddra gesceafta.         ðu eart soð meotod,
ana ofer ealle         eorðbugende,
swilce on heofonum up         þu eart hælend god.

30

Ne mæg þe aherian         hæleða ænig;
þeh us gesomnie         geond sidne grund,
men ofer moldan,         geond ealne middaneard,
ne mage we næfre asæcgan,         ne þæt soðe witan,
hu þu æðele eart,         ece drihten.

35

Ne þeah engla werod         up on heofenum
snotra tosomne         sæcgan ongunnon,
ne magon hy næfre areccean,         ne þæt gerim wytan,
hu þu mære eart,         mihtig drihten.
Ac is wunder mycel,         wealdend engla,

40

gif þu hit sylfa wast,         sigores ealdor,
hu þu mære eart,         mihtig and mægenstrang,
ealra kyninga kyning,         Crist lifiende,
ealra worulda scippend,         wealdend engla,
ealra dugeþa duguð,         drihten hælend.

45

ðu eart se æðela         þe on ærdagum
ealra femnena wyn         fægere akende
on Bethleem ðære byrig         beornum to frofre,
eallum to are         ylda bearnum,
þam þe gelyfað         on lyfiendne god

50

and on þæt ece leoht         uppe on roderum.
ðyn mægen ys swa mære,         mihtig drihten,
swa þæt ænig ne wat         eorðbuende
þa deopnesse         drihtnes mihta,
ne þæt ænig ne wat         engla hades

55

þa heahnisse         heofena kyninges.
Ic þe andette,         ælmihtig god,
þæt ic gelyfe on þe,         leofa hælend,
þæt þu eart se miccla         and se mægenstranga
and se eadmoda         ealra goda

60

and se ece kyning         ealra gesceafta,
and ic eom se litla for þe         and se lyðra man,
se her syngige         swiðe genehhe,
dæges and nihtes         do, swa ic ne sceolde,
hwile mid weorce,         hwile mid worde,

65

hwile mid geþohte,         þearle scyldi,
inwitniðas         oft and gelome.
Ac ic þe halsige nu,         heofena drihten,
and gebidde me to þe,         bearna selost,
þæt ðu gemilsige me,         mihtig drihten,

70

heofena heahkyning         and se halga gast,
and gefylste me,         fæder ælmihtig,
þæt ic þinne willan         gewyrcean mæge,
ær ic of þysum lænan         lyfe gehweorfe.
Ne forweorn þu me,         wuldres drihten,

75

ac getyþa me,         tyreadig kyning,
læt me mid englum         up siðian,
sittan on swegle,        
herian heofonas god         haligum reorde
a butan ende.         Amen.