In his endless expanse he heard my plea. 15
Since the Lord is my help, I fear no man.
Since the Lord is my help, I scorn my foes.
It is better to meditate earnestly on the Lord
Than to trust too easily the human heart.
It is better to hope earnestly in the Lord 20
Than to always trust a powerful prince.
When all the foreign peoples surrounded me,
I was saved by the formidable name of the Lord.
When many powerful ones surrounded me,
God’s name protected me steadfastly against them. 25
When they surrounded me like stinging bees
With their hot buzzing or raged against me
In a fire-storm like dried-up thorns
Set to blazing in a thick flame,
Then the name of the Lord protected me. 30
I was tossed and tormented, thrown about,
But I found my help and did not fall down;
I found my help and support in the Lord,
Who accepted me and came to my aid,
As was only fitting in my hour of need. 35
My steadfast strength came in praising the Lord,
Who is ever my shelter and my salvation.
The clear sounds of joy can always be heard
In the sweet mouths of the truthful and just.
The Lord’s right hand manifests his might, 40
And his right hand likewise raised me up
In my dire need. I shall not die now
From illness or affliction but live securely,
Affirming far and wide the works God.
He castigated me, who was guiltless himself 45
And exempt from shame, the almighty Lord,
But he would not deliver me to death forever.
Open up the doors of the just for me
So I may enter and acknowledge the Lord.
The righteous shall enter the gates of God. 50
I will acknowledge and praise you, eternal Lord,
For you heard my prayer in my heartfelt need
And are surely wise in the ways of salvation.
That same stone that the builders rejected
Has now become the greatest cornerstone. 55
The holy Lord in his endless wisdom
Appointed it as the wall’s powerful support.
That is a wondrous work in our eyes
For he has decorated it with beautiful designs.
This is the day the wise Lord made for us 60
And for all the generations of mankind to come,
As a source of joy for the human race.
O Lord, my God, deliver me now—
Save us, Lord, and make us whole;
Deliver us now into great prosperity. 65
Blessed is the man over all other men
Who does good deeds in the name of the Lord.
We will bless you here in the house of God,
For the Lord our God has given us light,
Illuminating our days with love forever. 70
Let us establish this as a festival day,
A day of celebration just for ourselves,
And frequently observe it with great joy,
Approaching the splendid horns of the altar.
You are my Lord God, the eternal one. 75
I acknowledge you with all of my actions;
You are my Savior—I shall always praise you.
I will acknowledge you now, my eternal Lord,
For you heard my prayer in my heartfelt need
And are surely wise in the ways of salvation. 80
I shall always acknowledge the eternal Lord,
For he is a good and gracious God,
And I know that his mercy abides forever.
118
Blessed are the undefiled ones who walk
Lovingly on the way in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are those who bear witness
And wisely contemplate his revealed testimony,
Who seek for his help with their whole hearts. 5
Evildoers who commit crimes cannot walk
In the glorious way of almighty God.
Lord, you have ordered all earth-dwellers
To earnestly keep your holy commandments.
I wish that my ways would follow your will, 10
So I could be true to your every command.
I will surely never be shamed or confounded,
If I faithfully follow all your precepts.
I acknowledge and praise you, my eternal Lord,
And thank you with my heart’s deep devotion, 15
As I honor your judgments and observe your decrees
In my words and works as long as I am able.
May I treasure your truth in my heart and mind,
So you do not leave me alone in this life.
How can a young man find his way 20
On the right road that is ready and waiting
Except by observing your wise words?
I will seek you fully with my whole heart;
Do not drive me away from your precepts.
I have hidden in my heart the gift of your words, 25
Lest I should sin against you, Lord.
You are blessed and beloved, my gracious Lord.
Teach me with love how to serve you well,
So I may clearly know and follow your truth.
With the words of my lips, I will always affirm 30
Your powerful laws, the judgments of your mouth.
I will also rejoice in walking on your path,
Where I understand your testimony, your true witness,
Just as I fully enjoy the greatest of treasures.
I will trust in your justice and never forget 35
Any of your words as long as I live.
I have always meditated upon your truth,
So I could abide by your wise words.
Reward your servant with good deeds.
I will fervently hold to your words of wisdom 40
And observe their meaning all the days of my life.
Open my eyes so I can fully observe
All of your laws, the wonders you have created.
I am a wretched inhabitant of this earth—
Do not conceal your precious precepts from me. 45
My soul longs fervently for the security
Of your righteous words, your truth at all times.
You rebuked the proud, upbraided the arrogant,
Whom you knew for certain to be firmly cursed
For refusing to follow your righteous commands. 50
Remove far from me treachery and shame,
Reproach and contempt; then I will be sure
To remove the arrogant by all means,
For I want to seek out your revealed testimony.
Powerful princes have gathered in their halls, 55
Proud lords sitting on their high thrones,
Speaking against me with hostile words,
But I have remained your faithful servant
Striving with courage to put into practice
Your true words as a wise man would— 60
For your truth is my trust, your witness my worth.
I have weighed it in my mind, affirmed it in my heart.
It is my steadfast support as I seek out the truth.
My soul clings to the dust, cleaves to the ground;
Quicken me now according to your words. 65
I have wisely declared all my ways to you
And you have heard me with a welcoming spirit.
Teach me while I’m living how best to know
And follow your truth for the longest time.
Witness for me the way of your truth, 70
So I may take part in your wondrous works.
My soul grew weary with a weight of sleep
When grief and anxiety dragged me down.
Let m
e grow strong again with your words.
Deliver me now from wicked ways 75
And in your law have mercy on me.
I have wisely chosen the way of truth,
The road of righteousness, never hindered
Or led astray from your lawful judgments,
Clinging firmly to you and applying myself 80
To observe your witness and affirm your testimony.
You will never need to put me to shame.
Now I run on the road of your wise words
And your fair justice. Almighty Lord,
Make my heart hold a generous spirit. 85
Set the law before me, eternal Lord,
So I may walk steadily in the ways of truth
And always be able to seek them out.
Offer me the gift of true understanding,
So I can search out and contemplate your law 90
And faithfully hold it in the fullness of my heart.
Lead me now on the narrow path
Of your commandments where I can learn and thrive
With each step I take as I’ve truly desired.
Incline my heart so I may wisely turn 95
To your holy revelation, your true testimony.
Never let cupidity devour my heart.
Turn away my eyes from idle thoughts
And worthless works, lest I should witness
Nothing but vanity. Lead me, Lord, 100
On your true path, your precious road.
Set this down for your dear servant,
So he may learn the power of your words
And fulfill your will in awe and reverence.
Save me from shame, deliver me from disgrace, 105
Which is always a source of dread and doubt;
For this I will surely be glad of your judgments.
Wise in my will, I have boldly desired
To carry out your commands, always expecting you
To quicken my steps on the path of justice. 110
Let your gentle spirit descend on me now,
Eternal Lord, the gift of your gracious
And glorious salvation, according to your word.
I shall answer those who offer me reproaches,
Cruel words, contempt and derision, 115
That I place my hope entirely in you,
In the power and protection of your holy words.
Do not remove the words from my mouth
When I am speaking with force and faith,
For I hold in my trust those truthful words 120
And depend on the power and practice of your judgments.
I shall always follow and fulfill your law;
Let me abide in it for all eternity.
I shall walk far and wide into endless places
Because I have always affirmed your testimony. 125
Let me proclaim your truth in the presence of kings,
Where they sit and scrutinize everyone with their eyes.
Let me tell them your revealed testimony is true,
Your witness is honorable and trustworthy to me,
And they will never know shame in observing it. 130
Let me earnestly consider the course of your commands
And follow them because I have always loved them.
I have lifted up my hands, loving your precepts,
Which I faithfully follow among the people,
Trusting in the truth of all your pronouncements, 135
For your words were always beneficial to me.
Remember now, Lord, your promising words
As you imparted hope to your faithful servant.
You brought me comfort in my hard humiliation
With your quickening words in my time of shame. 140
Often the proud will perpetrate sin
Until they entirely perish on this earth,
But I have always followed your laws.
I remembered your excellent judgments, Lord,
And discovered in them a deep consolation. 145
My spirit fainted when I saw the iniquity,
The sinful deeds of the wicked ones
Who arrogantly and utterly abandoned your law,
But I always took as the subject of my song
How I upheld your justice in foreign lands. 150
I called out your name every night in my need,
Remembering to observe your law, my Lord.
All this occurred to me in this life
Because I sincerely sought your truth.
Lord, I affirm on my part a fitting commitment: 155
While I live I will fervently follow your law.
As I enter your presence, I entreat you here
With the meditation of my mind, the reflection of my heart,
That you will show kindness and compassion to me,
An abundance of care, according to your word. 160
I contemplate wisely your righteous road
And turn my feet to the way of witness,
So I may travel in the tracks of your testimony.
I am always ready and by no means reluctant
To observe your laws and accept your commands. 165
The cords of the wicked were wrapped around me,
The treacherous bonds of terrible iniquity,
But I never forgot to follow your law
With the strength of my mind, the intent of my heart.
I will rise up at midnight, whatever the season, 170
And hasten to a place to acknowledge your presence
And affirm your judgments, your justice in action.
I am one of the faithful who fear and revere you
And who earnestly keep your holy commandments.
The earth is filled with your mercy, mighty Lord, 175
Your kindness and compassion. Teach me your truth.
You have always done well by your servant, Lord,
Acting honorably according to your covenant.
I will keep my trust in the surety of your word.
Teach me the deep discipline of your learning, 180
The abundant wisdom offered in your words,
For I have completely believed in your commandments.
Before I was humbled, I often offended;
Before I was chastened, I often sinned.
But I kept your words as my soul’s source of strength. 185
You are good, gracious Lord, and in your goodness,
Teach me what I might observe and achieve
Of the goodness you shape and share with us,
So I might properly know your truthful works.
The crimes of the wicked, the evils of the arrogant, 190
Surround and assail me, so now I resolve
With a steadfast spirit and a resolute heart
That I will seek and follow your clear commands.
The heart of the wicked is like curdled milk,
But I remain pure in my love of your law. 195
It is good that you humbled me and made me abject
So that I could learn well your righteous works.
It is better for me to observe your precepts,
Understand your laws, the rule of your commands,
The words of your mouth, than to receive the gift 200
Of untold wealth in silver and gold.
Your hands have graciously shaped me, Lord—
With power and purpose you have formed my flesh.
Now grant me the gift of understanding,
So I can grasp well your joyful precepts. 205
Those who fear and revere you in life
And those who look fairly on me and rejoice
Will both know that I truly trusted in your words.
Your judgments have been both righteous and just;
Your ready justice has wholly humbled me. 210
May your gentle spirit, your merciful heart,
Grow strong and be my source of support,
Ju
st as you promised success to your servant
With your promising words in his days of distress.
May your mercies increase, your kindness and care 215
Grow strong and become my steadfast support,
So I may live and thrive in that safe shelter.
In quiet reflection, meditating in my mind,
I often reflect on your righteousness, contemplating
How to comprehend and carry out your law. 220
Let those who are proud be confounded and shamed,
Those who treat me with injustice and iniquity.
I will boldly follow your every command.
Let those who offered you loyalty out of fear
And those who wisely understood your witness, 225
The truth of your testimony, now turn to me.
Let my heart be pure, my soul unblemished.
Let me trust forever in your truthful words,
So I will never be blamed and corrupted,
Shamed and confounded for all time. 230
My soul languished, my beloved Lord,
When I thought about your precious salvation,
Seeking for a way to trust in your words.
My eyes have grown weary in the same way, 235
Seeking the substance of your spoken words.
Rightly they cry, “Who will comfort me
While I am living in this ephemeral world
And bring me some long-lasting consolation?”
Now I have become like most mortals, 240
A slender bottle exposed to hoar-frost,
But I will not forget to follow your judgments
And fully support your righteous works.
How many days remain for your servant,
Days in which you may judge my enemies, 245
Those who always persecute me unfairly?
The wicked have spun out their compelling fables,
But I could not see in them a revealing truth
Or recognize in them any of your lasting laws.
All of your statutes are noble and good, 250
Your precepts righteous, your commandments just.
The evildoers have often persecuted me.
Help me, O Lord! Those wicked ones
Who hate me so in their hostile hearts
Have always longed for the end of my life, 255
But I was not ready to leave your way,
To abandon your commands on the righteous road.
Almighty God, be gentle and gracious,
Kind and compassionate according to your mercy,
And I shall keep the testimony of your mouth, 260
The wonder of your words that you taught mankind.
Always and forever, eternal Lord,
Your word will endure, honored in heaven,
And likewise your truth will abide forever.
You created the earth—the earth endures 265
The Complete Old English Poems Page 92