Sacred Texts  Legends and Sagas  WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site]
Index  Previous  Next 

The Paris Psalter: Psalm 123

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Nymþe us on wese      ece drihten,
cweþað Israhelas      ealle nu ða,
nymþe us eardige on      awa drihten,
þonne us manfulle      menn onginnað;
5
wen is, þæt hi us lifigende      lungre wyllen
sniome forsweolgan,      gif hi swa magon.
þonne us ðara manna      mod yrsade,
and us wiðerwearde      wæron geneahhe;
wen is, þæt hi us woldan      wætre gelice
10
sona gesupan,      gif hit swa wolde.
Oft ure sawl      swyþe frecne
hlimman gedegde      hludes wæteres;
wene ic forþon,      þæt heo wel mæge
þæt swyðre mægen,      sawel usser,
15
wæteres wenan      ðæs wel gedegean.
Drihten si gebletsad,      þe þæt ne dyde æfre,
þæt us on hearde      hæftnyd sealde
þam þe us mid toðum      toteon woldan.
Wærun ure sawla      samod anlice
20
niþa generede,      swa swa neodspearuwa
of grames huntan      gryne losige.
Grin bið on sadan      grame torænded,
and we synd alysde      lifes wyrðe;
we us naman drihtnes      neode habbað
25
on fultume      fæstne and strangne,
þæs þe heofon worhte,      hrusan swylce.