The Paris Psalter: Psalm 77

 
Geheald þu, min folc,      mine fæste æ;
 
ahyldað eowre earan,      þæt ge holdlice
 
mines muðes word      mihte gehyran.
 
Ic on anlicnessum      ærest ontyne
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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,
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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,
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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,
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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;
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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,
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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
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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,
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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.
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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.
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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,
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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,
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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,
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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.
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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,
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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,
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þæt hi mid tane      getugan rihte.
 
þa Israelas      æhte gesætan
 
hrores folces,      þa hi heanne god
 
gebysmredan,      noldon his bebodu
 
fæste healdan.     
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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,
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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,
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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,
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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;
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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
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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.
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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,
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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,
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and his folmum syþþan      hi[?] forð[?] lædeð.