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The Paris Psalter (Old English) · c. 10th century

Psalm 73

by Anonymous (Old English) c. 7th–11th century


For hwan þu us, ece god, æfre woldest
æt ende fram þe ahwær drifan?
Is þin yrre strang and egesa mycel
ofer þin agen eowde sceapa.
Gemun þin mannweorod, þæt þu, mihtig god,
æt fruman ærest fægere geworhtest.
þu þines yrfes æþele gyrde
sylfa alysdest and Sione byrig,
on þam ilcan þu eard gename;
hefe þu þine handa and hyn hiora oferhygd;
feala wyrgnessa wraðe feondas
þinum þam halgum hefige brohtan;
gylpað gramhydige, þa þin geo ehtan
and on þinra wica wuniað midle.
Settan hiora tacen, soþe ne ongeaton,
swa hi on wege wyrcean sceoldon
wundorbeacen, swa hi on wudu dydan.
Hi mid æxum duru elne curfan,
and mid twyecgum teoledan georne
þæt hi mid adesan ealle towurpan.
þa hi þæt þin fægere hus fyre forbærndan
and on eorðstede eac gewemdan,
þæt þinum naman gewearþ niode cenned.
Cwædan on heortan: "Wutan cuman ealle
and ure magas mid us; wutun þyder gemot habban
and symbeldagas swylce drihtnes
on eorðwege ealle towurpan.
Ne we sweotul tacen us geseoð ænig,
ne we on ænige wisan witegan habbað,
þæt us andgytes ma æfre secgen."
Wilt þu hu lange, wealdend drihten,
edwit þolian yfelum feondum
and naman þinne nu bysmriað
þa wiþerweardan wraþe wið ende?
For hwan awendest þu wuldres ansyne
æfre fram us, eac þa swyðran hand
of þinum sceate sylfa wið ende?
Usser god kynincg, geara þu worhtest,
ær woruld wære, wise hælu
on þisse eorþan efenmidre.
þu on þines mægenes mihte spedum
sæ gesettest, swylce gebræce
þæt dracan heafod deope wætere.
þu þæs myclan dracan mihtum forcome
and his þæt hearde heafod gescændest,
sealdest Siglhearwum syððan to mose.
þu sylfa eac toslite wyllas
and hlynnende hlude streamas
on æthane ealle adrigdest.
þu dæg settest and deorce niht,
swylce þu gesettest sunnan and monan;
ealle þu geworhtest eorðan gemæru,
sumor þu and lencten swylce geworhtest.
Wes þu gemyndig manna bearna,
þæra gesceafta þe þu gesceope ðe;
fynd ætwitað fæcne drihtne,
unwis folc ne wat þinne wyrðne naman.
Ne syle þu unscyldigra sawla deorum
þe þe andettað earme þearfan;
þara þu on ealdre ne forgit, ece drihten.
Geseoh þu nu sylfa, god, soð is gecyðed,
nu þin gewitnes ys wel gefylled,
hu deorce beoð dagas on eorðan
þam þe unrihtes æghwær wyrceað.
Ne byð se eadmoda æfre gecyrred,
þeah þe wædla and þearfa he wyle
naman þinne neode herian.
Aris, drihten god, dem þine nu
ealde intingan; eac wes gemyndig,
hu þe unwise edwita fela
þurh ealne dæg oft aspræcon.
Ne forgit huru godra manna
soðra stefna, þa þe seceað þe;
fyll þa oferhydigan, ða ðe feogeað þe,
and eft to þe ealle stigað.

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). The Paris Psalter (Old English), Psalm 73. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/work/paris-psalter-oe/22/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). The Paris Psalter (Old English), Psalm 73. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/work/paris-psalter-oe/22/.

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