The Paris Psalter: Psalm 87

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

þu eart me, drihten god, dyre hælend;
ic on dæge to ðe dygle cleopode,
and on niht fore þe neode swylce.
Gange min ingebed on þin gleawe gesihð;

5

ahyld eare þin and gehyr min gebed.
Forðon is sawl min sares and yfeles
fæste gefylled; is min feorh swylce
to helldore hylded geneahhe.
Wenað þæs sume, þæt ic on wraðne seað

10

mid fyrenwyrhtum feallan sceolde;
ic eom men gelic mære geworden,
þe mid deadum bið betweox deaðe freo.
Swa gewundade wraðe slæpe
syn þonne geworpene on widne hlæw,

15

þær hiora gymynde men ne wænan,
swa hi syn fram þinre handa heane adrifene.
Hi me asetton on seað hinder,
þær wæs deorc þeostru and deaþes scua.
þær me wæs yrre þin on acyþed,

20

and þu me oferhige on ealle gelæddest.
Feor ðu me dydest freondas cuþe;
settan me symble, þær me unswæsost wæs;
eam ic swære geseald, þær ic ut swican ne mæg.
Eagan me syndon unhale nu

25

geworden for wædle; ic me to wuldres gode
þuruh ealne dæg elne clypige
and mine handa to þe hebbe and ðenige.
Ne huru wundur wyrceað deade,
oþþe hi listum læceas weccean

30

and hi andettan þe ealle syþþan.
Ne on ðeostrum ne mæg þances gehygdum
ænig wislicu wundur oncnawan,
oððe þin soðfæstnes si on þam lande
þe ofergytnes on eardige.

35

Cwist þu, oncnawað hi wundru ðine
on ðam dimmum deorcan ðystrum,
oððe ðine rihtwisnesse recene gemeteð
on ofergyttolnesse manna ænig?
Ic me to ðe, ece drihten,

40

mid modgehygde mægene clypade,
and min gebed morgena gehwylce
fore sylfne þe soðfæst becume.
Forhwan ðu min gebed æfre woldest,
soð god, wiðsacan, oððe þinre gesihðe me

45

on þissum ealdre æfre wyrnan?
Wædla ic eom on gewinne, worhte swa on geoguðe;
ahafen ic wæs and gehyned, hwæðere næs gescended.
Oft me þines yrres egsa geðeowde,
and me broga þin bitere gedrefde.

50

Hi me ealne dæg utan ymbsealdan,
swa wæterflodas wæron ætsomne.
þu me afyrdest frynd þa nehstan
and mine cuðe eac cwicu geyrmdest.