[Poems from the Vernon MS] :: :: University of Virginia Library

744

30. A Morning Thanksgiving and Prayer to God.

1

I þonke þe, lord god, ful of miht,
Wiþ al þat euer I con & may,
Þat hast me sauet þis ilke niht
And suffret me forto abyde þis day.
I-blesset be þou euer & ay,
And halewed be þin hyȝe name;
And worschypet be þou, lord, al-way,
Wiþ hyȝe & lowe, wylde & tame.

2

In þe name of god þat al þing wrouȝth,
Heuen & erþe and vche creature;
In þe name of ihesu þat me dere bouȝth,
Þat is god, godus sone so pure;
Þe holygost, god in o figure,
To þe, o god in persones þre,
I be-take þis day of me cure,
And wiþ þi tokene I marke me:

3

Lord god, þat þis day woldust make,
And schope me to lyue þer-ynne,
My body & soule I þe be-take.
Þis day, lord, kep me out of synne,
Wiþ trouþe þis day my lyflode to wynne,
So þat I do þe non offens,
ffrom þi lawe þat I ne twynne,
Ne breke þi ten commaundementes.

4

Lord god Ihesu, as þou were boren in a dawynge,
Of a virgyne pure & clene,
Kepe me, lord, þis morewenynge,
Þis day in dedly synne þat I not byn lene,
ffor wyninge of erþelyche godus:
ffrom flessch[ly] lustus & lykynge,

745

Kepe me, lord, wiþ þi pressyos blod,
ffrom temptacions of þe fende.

5

And as þou were turmentud sore
In þat selue tyde of niht,
Wiþ bobbyng, scorny[n]ge & wel more,
ffort hit were dayes light
[[OMITTED]ight]
Sende me þis day do sum good dede
In lettyng wrong & doyng riht,
Þat þou, lord, mouwe quyte me my mede.

6

As þou were lord, when hit was day,
Ofte examnet wiþ wordus grete,
Wiþ bysschopes of ful gret aray,
Wiþ proude prynces þat þe con þrete,
Sende me þis day drynk & mete,
And susteyne me in þi seruise;
Ȝif I be mys-hap, lord, þe fo[r]ȝete,
Þorw þe, lord, let me aryse!

7

Lord I be-take þe my fiue wyttes;
Myn yȝen, þat I synge not in syȝth.
Lord, my mouth open hit in þi werkes,
Þer-wiþ þat I may speke truþe & riȝth.
Myn heryng, lord god, dele & dyȝh
To here noþing aȝeyn þi wille;
My nese, lord ihesu ful of myȝth,
Kepe hit þat I non vuel smel.

8

Lord, kep & lede my feet also
Þat heo don þi seruyse,
Þat with hem I not mys go.
Myn honden, lord, kep on alle wyse,
And set hem, lord, in such asyse
Þat I, [o] lord, with hem not synne.
And ȝif I do, lord, let me aryse,
And let me not longe lygge þerynne.

746

9

Þeyȝ I haue syngut her-be-fore,
Let me not for-garte þi grace.
I crye þe mercy, lord, euer more;
Of amendement, lord, sende sum space,
And sende my soule for my trespace.
Þenke, lord, I am þi creature,
And sende me, lord, help now in þis cas
Þi mercy out ouer al mesure.

10

Lord, wharto woldust vengaunce take
On me þat ȝelde me þus gulty?
I may not amendus make,
But put me holly in þi mercy,
And for my synne I am sorye:
Þenk, of my self no myȝth I haue;
But þou me help, in synne I dye:
Þi grace, mercy, lord, may me saue.

11

My soule, my body, lord god ihesu,
I now by-take in þi kepynge;
Kepe me, lord, in þi vertu,
In al my werk & al my worchynge.
In þi nome be al my doynge!
In þe nome of Ihesu I be gynne:
Lord god ihesu al weldynge,
Þis day kepe me out of synne!

Amen!