The Paris Psalter: Psalm 54

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Gehyr min gebed,         halig drihten,
ne forseoh æfre         sariges bene;
beheald me holdlice         and gehyr me eac.
Grimme ic eom begangen;         forðon ic gnornige

5

and me forhtige         feondes stefne
and fyrenfulra         fæcne niðas.
Forðam me on sah         unrihtes feala;
wurdon me þa on yrre         yfele and hefige.
Ys me on hreðre heah         heorte gedrefed

10

and me fealleð on         fyrhtu deaðes.
Egsa me and fyrhtu         ealne forcwomon,
and me beþeahton         þeostru niðgrim.
Ic þa on mode cwæð,         hwa me sealde
to fleogenne         fiðeru swa culfran,

15

and ic þonne ricene         reste syððan.
Efne ic feor gewite,         fleame dæle,
and on westene         wunode lange,
bide þæs beornes         þe me bete eft
modes mindom         and mægenes hreoh.

20

Hat nu todælan,         drihten usser,
heora geðeode         geond þas woruld wide;
forðon ic þær on unriht         oft locade,
and wiðercwyda         wearn gehyrde;
drugon þæt on burgum         dæges and nihtes.

25

þunie him gewinnes wearn         ofer wealles hrof
and heom on midle wese         man and inwit
and unsoðfæstnys         ealle wealde.
Næfre on his weorþige         wea aspringe,
mearce mansceat,         man inwides;

30

forþon gif me min feond         fæcne wyrgeð,
ic þæt abere         bliðe mode.
þeah þe þa ealle         ðe me a feodon,
wordum wyrigen         and wearn sprecan,
ic me wið heora hete         hyde sneome.

35

þu eart se man         þe me wære
on anmede,         and æghwæs cuð
latteow lustum;         and wyt gelome eac
æton swetne mete         samed ætgædere,
and on godes huse         gangan swylce

40

mid geþeahtunge         þine and mine.
Hi ofer cume         unþinged deað,
astigon heo on helle         heonan lifigende.
Forðam on heora gasthusum         is gramlic inwit,
and on hiora midle         man inwitstæf.

45

Ic soðlice         to sylfum drihtne
cleopode on corðre,         and me cuðlice
gehyrde         hælend drihten.
Ic on æfenne,         eac on mergenne
and on midne dæg,         mægene sæcge

50

and bodie,         þæt þu bliðe me
mine stefne         stiðe gehyre.
A ðu symle         sawle mine
lustum alyse,         laðum wiðferige,
forðon me manige ymb         mægene syrewað.

55

þæt gehyreð god         and hi gehyneð eac,
þe ær worulde wæs         and nu wunað ece.
Nis him onwendednes         on woruldlife,
ne him godes fyrhtu         georne ondrædað.
Heo besmitað         swylce his sylfes

60

þa gewitnesse,         þær hi woh fremedon;
forðon hi synt on yrre         ut adælde,
ne hi sylfe wel         geseon æfre,
forðon hit wæs his heortan         gehygde neah.
Hi word hira         wel gesmyredon

65

ele anlicast;         eft gewurdon
on gescotfeohta         scearpe garas.
Sete on drihten         þin soð gehygd;
he þe butan fracoðum         fedeð syððan.
Ne syleð he soðfæstum         syððan to feore

70

þæt him yþende mod         innan hreðre;
ðu arlease         ealle gelædest
on soðe forwyrd         seaðes deopes.
Se blodhreowa wer         bealuinwites
fæcne gefylled         ne fæger lif

75

on middum feore         gemeteð ahwær;
ic me on minne drihten         deorne getreowige.