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.