LIV.
[1]
Here, god, what es mi bede,
And ne forsake þou in na stede
Mi bisekinge .I. make to þe;
Take kepe to me and here me.
2
Dreried .I. am in mi bedgange;
And to-dreued am .I. lange
Of steuen of ilwiland,
And of drouinge of sinnand;
3
For þai helded in me wicnes ai,
And in wrath to me hakand war þai.
4
Mi hert es dreued in me to be,
And radnes of dede felle ouer me.
5
Drede and quaking ouer me come þa,
And weued me mirkenes in to ga.
6
And .I. saide: wha feþeres sal gif me beste
Als of douue, and .I. sal flegh, and reste?
7
Loke, .I. lenghþed fleand,
And in an[n]es .I. was wonand;
8
.I. abade him þat sauf me made
Fra littelhed of gast, and fra storme brade.
9
Felneþer, lauerd, þat it be swa,
And þe tunges twinne of þa;
For .I. sagh þe wickednesse
And þe againsagh in cite esse.
10
Vmgif sal it night and dai
Ouer walles of it wickednes ai;
And swinke in mid of ite be sal,
And vnrightwisnes with-al;
11
And noght waned of waies of ite
Okre and swikedome to be yhite.
12
For ife me weried had mi faa,
Tholed sothlike had .I. swa;
13
And if to þa þat hates me
Ouer me grete thinge spoken had he,
Thorgh hap swa might haue bitid
Þat .I. me had fro him hid.
14
Þou sothlik man of a mode,
Mi leder, and mi kouth sa gode,
15
Þat samen swete metes toke with me,
In goddes hous with [a] wille yhode we!
16
Come mote dede sone ouer þa;
And in helle liuand doune þai ga;
17
For nith in teldes of þam ai,
In middes of am, night and dai.
18
Sothlik to þe, god, cried .I.,
And lauerd heled me for-þi.
19
Late, and areli, and at middai euen,
Sal .I. telle and schew, and he sal here mi steuen.
20
Bi mi saule in pais sal he
Fra þam þat swa neghed me;
For bitwix mani þai ware
With me, bath þe lesse and mare.
21
Here sal god, and meke þa,
Bifor werldes þat es swa.
22
Noght es to þam formanginge,
And þar-with drede þai nathinge:
God forþi thorgh-out þe land
Tospred his hand in foryheldand.
23
Þai bismitted night and dai
His witeworde: todelt ere þai
Fra wreth of his face forþi;
And neghed hert of him sothli.
24
Nesched als oyle his saghs bene,
And þai ere gauelokes þam bitwene.
25
Thraw on lauerd þi wille to be,
And him-selfe sal fostre þe;
And noght sal he gif with-outen ende
Floddrede to rightwis to wende.
26
Bot þou, lauerd, lede salt þa
In pitte inrest for to ga.
27
Menslaer and swykel his dayes halfe sal;
And .I., lauerd, in þe hope sal al.
