The Paris Psalter: Psalm 88

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Mildheortnesse þine,         mihtig drihten,
ic on ecnesse         awa singe;
fram cynne on cynn         and on cneorisse
ic þine soðfæstnesse         secge geneahhe

5

on minum muþe         manna cynne.
Forþon þa ðu cwæde         cuðe worde,
þæt on ecnesse         awa wære
þin milde mod         micel getimbrad
heah on heofenum         hæleða bearnum

10

and þin soðfestnes         symble gearwad.
Ic minum gecorenum         cuðe gesette,
hu min gewitnes         wolde gangan;
ic Dauide         dyrum esne
on aðsware         ær benemde,

15

þæt ic his cynne         and cneowmagum
on ecnesse         a geworhte
ful sefte seld,         þæt hi sæton on.
Heofenas andettað,         halig drihten,
hu wundor þin         wræclic standeð,

20

and þa halgan eac         hergeað on cyricean
þine soðfæstnesse,         secgeað geneahhige.
Nis under wolcnum,         weoroda drihten,
ænig anlic,         ne ðe ænig byð
betweox godes bearnum         gyt gelicra.

25

þu bist gewuldrad god,         þær bið wisra geðeaht
and haligra         heah gemetincg,
micel and egeslic         ofer eall manna bearn,
ða ðe on ymbhwyrfte         ahwær syndon.
þu eart mægena god,         mihtig drihten;

30

nis þe ealra gelic         ahwær on spedum,
is þin soðfæstnes         symble æghwær.
þu wide sæs         wealdest mihtum;
þu his yþum miht         ana gesteoran,
ðonne hi on wæge         wind onhrereð.

35

þu miht oferhydige         eaðe mid wunde
heane gehnægean;         hafast ðu heah mægen
þines earmes sped         wið ealle fynd.
Heofonas þu wealdest,         hrusan swylce;
eorðan ymbehwyrft         eall þu gesettest.

40

þu norðdæl and sæ         niode gesceope,
Tabor et Hermon         on naman ðinum;
hi mid strencgðe eac         upp ahebbað
þinne swiþran earm         swylce, drihten.
Wesan hea mihte         handa þinre

45

ahafen ofer hæleðas;         halig seo swyðre is,
þines setles dom         soð gegearwod.
Mildheortnes and soðfæstnes         mægene forgangað
þinne andwlitan;         þæt bið eadig folc
þe can naman ðinne         neode herigean.

50

þa on ðinum leohte         lifigeað and gangað
þe him ansyn þin         ær onlihte,
and on naman þinum         neode swylce
beoð ealne dæg         eac on blisse
and þine soðfæstnesse         symble æghwær.

55

Forþon þu heora mægenes eart         mærost wuldor,
and we þinum weldædum         wurdan ahafene.
Us an nimeð         ece drihten
and Israhela cyning         eac se halga.
þonne ðu ofer ealle         undearnunga

60

þine bearn sprecest         and bealde cwyst:
"Ic me on þyssum folce         fultum sette
ofermihtigne,         þone ic me ær geceas.
Ic me deorne scealc         Dauid gemette
and hine halige ele         handum smyrede.

65

Heo him fultumeð         and min fæle earm,
and hine mid mycle         mægene geswyðeð.
Ne mæg him ænig facen         feond æteglan,
ne unrihtes bearn         ænig sceððan.
Of his ansyne         ealle ic aceorfe,

70

þa ðe him feondas         fæcne syndon,
and his ehtendas         ealle geflyme.
Hine soðfæstnes min         samod ætgædere
and mildheortnes min         mægene healdeð,
and on naman minum         neode swylce

75

his horn bið ahafen,         heane on mihtum.
And ic his swiðran hand         settan þence,
þæt he sæstreamum         syþþan wealde.
He me him to fælum         fæder gecygde:
'Wæs me andfencge, god,         ecere hælu.'

80

And ic þonne frumbearn         forð asette
ofer eorðcyningas         ealra heahstne.
Ic him to widan feore         wille gehealdan
min milde mod         and him miht syllan,
mine gewitnesse         weorðe and getreowe.

85

Ic to widan feore         wyrce syððan
þin heahsetl         hror and weorðlic
swa heofones dagas         her mid mannum.
Gif mine bearn nellað         mine bebodu efnan
ne mine domas         dædum healdan,

90

Gif hi mine rihtwisnessa         fracoðe gewemmað
and hi mine bebodu         bliðe ne healdað,
þonne ic heora unriht gewrece         egsan gyrde
and hiora synne         swinglum forgylde.
Ne ic him mildheortnesse         mine wille

95

fægere afyrran,         ac him forð swa þeah
mine soðfæstnesse         syllan þence.
Ic æne swor         að on halgum,
þæt ic Dauide         dæda ne leoge,
þæt on ecnesse         his agen cynn

100

wunað on wicum;         bið him weorðlic setl
on minre gesihðe         sunnan anlic
and swa mona         meahte on heofenum,
þe is ece gewita         æhwær getreowe."
þu þonne wiðsoce         soþum criste

105

and hine forhogodest,         hwile yldest
and awendest fram him         gewitnesse
esnes þines;         ealle gewemdest
his halignesse         her on eorðan.
Ealle þu his weallas         wide todældest,

110

towurpe fæsten his         for folcegsan.
Hine þa towurpon         wegferende,
and he on edwit wearð         ymbsittendum.
Handa þu ahofe         heah ehtendra,
gebrohtest his feondas         fæcne on blisse.

115

Fultum þu him afyrdest         fagan sweordes,
nafað æt gefeohte         fælne helpend.
þu hine of clænnesse         clæne alysdest,
setl his gesettest         sorglic on eorðan.
þu his dagena tid         deorce gescyrtest

120

and mid sarlicre         sceame onmettest.
Wilt þu hu lange,         wealdend drihten,
yrre þin acyðan         swa onæled fyr?
Gemune, mære god,         hwæt si min lytle sped;
ne huru ðu manna bearn         on middangeard

125

to idelnesse         æfre geworhtest.
Hwylc is manna,         þæt feores neote,
and hwæþere on ende         deað ne gesceawige;
oððe hwylc manna is,         þæt his agene
fram helle locum         sawle generige?

130

Hwær is seo ealde nu,         ece drihten,
micel mildheortness,         þe þu mancynne
and Dauide         deope aðe
þurh þines sylfes         soð benemdest?
Gemune þinra esna         edwitspræce,

135

þa him fracuðlice         fremde þeode
utan ætywað,         oðre mægðe.
Cweþað him þæt edwit,         ece drihten,
feondas þine,         fæste ætwitað
and þæt þinum criste         becweþað swiðe.

140

A sy gebletsad         ece drihten
to widan feore.         Wese swa, wese swa!