The Complete Old English Poems
Page 84
For the Lord boldly said: “From Bashan,
I will turn suddenly to the depths of the sea,
Till your feet are broken and run fast with blood. 70
Your fiendish enemies have the tongues of dogs—
They see and track you wherever you turn.”
The steps of my God are straight and true,
The King who abides in holy places.
There the wise elders came in haste, 75
Gathering in a group to sing praise-songs
Together with young people playing timbrels
And those plucking their tightly drawn strings.
In this assembly may Christ, the Lord God,
Boldly bless the children of Israel. 80
There were the young children of Benjamin
And the elders of Judah, leaders of the people,
And also the elders of Zabulun and Naphtali,
Fathers of the future as need would have it.
Command your power, almighty God, 85
Summon your strength, confirm with wisdom
Your work on the temple built long ago
And sanctified in Jerusalem, as great kings
Bear you beautiful gifts in this holy place,
Arriving from all four corners of the earth. 90
Rebuke the wild beasts of the woods
And the gathering of bulls among the people’s cows
With your fierce words. Those tempted and tried
With a treasure of silver will not be turned back.
But scatter those people [who long for war]. 95
* * *
68
Keep me safe and sound, O God,
For savage storms assail my soul,
And dark waters surge about my heart.
I am stuck in the mire with no sure footing,
Riding the sea-ridges, swallowed by salt-water, 5
Floundering in the powerful, tempestuous waves.
Wanting and weary, sad in spirit,
I have cried out continually, heavy at heart.
My throat is hoarse, dying for comfort.
My eyes grow dim, my sight is swamped, 10
Yet I readily hold onto my hope in God.
My enemies who hate me without any reason
Number far more than the hairs on my head.
They assail and attack me with hard hands.
They accuse me of crimes I did not commit, 15
And because of their perjury, their cunning lies,
I am constrained to return what I did not steal.
You know, God of glory, I am wanting in wisdom—
Never let my faults be hidden from you.
No one who awaits your arrival on earth 20
Should endure disgrace on my account.
You are the Lord of hosts. No one who seeks you,
O God of Israel, should meet with dishonor
Through me. I have borne censure and scorn
For your sake, Lord, suffering a loss of face. 25
Now I am alienated from my father’s sons,
My mother’s children, my brothers and sisters,
An unwelcome guest in my own home.
My zeal for your house has greatly consumed me,
And the reproaches of your enemies have fallen upon me. 30
When I set my soul to proper fasting,
They reviled me with all their slander and scorn.
When I traded all of my elegant clothes
For a plain sackcloth, they called me a spectacle.
Those who gathered apart at the gates 35
Were hostile to me; those who drank wine
Shouted at me scornfully with angry words.
But I will lift up my sweet prayer to you, O Lord.
May you hear my heartfelt pleading now
In the fullness of your mercy, your pure salvation. 40
Save me from the mire where I am stuck,
Pull me from my enemies, almighty Lord.
Lift me up from the dark, drowning waters
Of the sea where the tow pulls me down
Into the clutch of the deep. Save me, O Lord— 45
Don’t let the ocean swallow me up,
Or the greedy mouth of the abyss devour me.
Listen to me, Lord, in your devoted sympathy,
For your gentle spirit is always inclined
To offer compassion to those in need. 50
Look on me now with your many mercies.
Do not turn your perfect face from your servant,
For now my foes draw near to attack me.
Listen to me now and answer my need,
Marshal your might and come to my aid. 55
Regard my soul, rescue and redeem it
From my evil enemies, [for you alone know
My many sins, my suffering and] shame.
In your sight are all my enemies who assail me,
Who offer me nothing but torment and terror 60
Without any regret for what they have done.
My heart has endured heavy reproach,
My spirit has suffered endless woe.
I had no friend to share my sorrow;
I sought a comforter but could not find one. 65
My enemies mixed my food with gall
And gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.
May their own tables be turned into traps
For a banquet of evil, a feast of shame.
Let them taste terror and drink dishonor. 70
Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
Let their backs be bent so they cannot stand.
Pour on them all your indignation and anger.
Let your rage and wrath overwhelm their hearts.
May their houses be empty, their encampments barren; 75
May their world become an empty wasteland,
A forgotten homeland without inhabitants,
For they have persecuted those hard-pressed,
Anyone to whom you offered tribulation.
They have sharpened my pain, increased my woe. 80
Offer them the iniquity that they have earned
For the iniquity they committed, a reward of wrath.
Let none of them enter into your righteous works.
Let them be blotted out from the book of life
And never written down in the list of the righteous. 85
I am wretched and poor, but the eternal face
Of the Lord, my God, surely favors me,
Graciously healing me without delay.
So I fervently praise the name of the Lord
And will lead the way with a song of devotion. 90
This will surely please my beloved God
More than an offering of a young calf,
Even one sprouting horns on his head
Or sturdy hooves to range in the fields.
Let the poor and sorrowful see this and rejoice. 95
Seek out the Lord and your soul shall live,
For the Lord listens intently to those in need.
He will never forsake his faithful believers
Or hold back his care from those in thrall.
Let heaven and earth praise almighty God, 100
The vast oceans and the creatures in them,
For the Lord will always save Zion,
And cities will be rebuilt among Judah’s tribe,
Where the servants of the Lord will come to dwell,
Laying proper claim to their promised inheritance, 105
Securing possession of their native land.
Then those who love the name of the Lord
Will abide in that land forever and ever.
69
Be a precious help to me, Lord God—
Look down on me now in my urgent need
And come to my aid without delay.
Let the vicious enemies who sought my soul
In spite and hatred be wholly confounded. 5
L
et them be apalled and suffer shame.
Let all my antagonists who plotted evil
Be wretchedly reversed, turned from treachery.
Let their mockery and malice be made remorse.
Let those who always taunted me, saying, 10
“What a pity!” be snared in their own scorn.
Let those who always seek the Lord,
Who faithfully desire your salvation, saying,
“May your power endure forever, Lord,”
Find the sweet joy they so deserve. 15
I am poor and powerless, without worldly goods.
Look down upon me, almighty God.
Be my steadfast helper, my holy Redeemer.
Deliver me Lord. Do not delay!
70
I deeply believe in you, Lord God,
And my hope rests firmly in you. In faith
May I never be confused or confounded.
Deliver me through the power of your right hand.
Incline your ear with a gracious spirit, 5
Rescue me gladly and deliver me, Lord.
Let my guardian always be the Lord God.
Keep me safe in your sheltering strength.
You were always my shield and surety before;
Now free me from the hands of my sinful enemies 10
Who willfully refuse to carry out your commands
And fulfill your law. They are workers of iniquity.
You were always a comfort to me in my youth,
My wise and steadfast source of patience.
You sheltered me, God, right from the beginning 15
In my mother’s womb, and your grace sustained
My early days. Let me sing to you always.
Now I have become like a portent to people,
And you are my staunch aid in my hour of need.
May my soul be strong, my mouth empowered 20
To proclaim your glory all day long,
Singing praise-songs to you in all places.
Do not cast me off, Lord of glory,
When old age finally descends on me.
When my strength dissolves inside my breast, 25
And my mind falters, do not forsake me,
My living Lord, in those final days.
Often my enemies speak evil of me
And lie in wait to ambush my soul.
They scheme openly together, saying: 30
“Let’s wait and see—his God will forsake him,
Leaving him abandoned like a stray dog.
Then we can assault him, attack him utterly,
Savage him when there’s no one left to save him.”
Do not forsake me, almighty God, 35
But deliver me from evil, offer me aid.
Let all those who fervently revile me
Be confounded with doubt, consumed with shame.
Let those who set out snares for my soul
Trap themselves in their own twisted nets. 40
I will place my trust wholly in God
And rejoice in praising you a long time in this land.
My mouth shall proclaim your abundant power,
Reveal your deeds, your righteous works,
And declare all day long your eternal salvation. 45
I know nothing of markets or mercenary trade
Or how to manipulate competitors with lies,
But I will put my trust in the absolute worth
Of almighty God, always remembering
Your truth and justice, your power and glory. 50
Lord, you first taught me kindness and respect
From the time of my youth. Now I am old,
Worn with years, but I will sing your praise
And raise up your glory in the days I have left.
Do not abandon me, my living Lord, 55
Until I finish singing the resolute strength
Of your righteous arm, your forceful power,
To this generation and the company to come,
Reminding them all of your many wonders,
The renowned justice that you raised up 60
And set out in the high halls of heaven.
King of glory, eternal Lord, there is no one
Quite like you anywhere in creation.
You have shown me in trials and temptations
The fair testing of many famous men, 65
Often afflicting me with inscrutable evils,
Only to reverse your anger in the end
And release me from the depths of the earth,
This worldly abyss that we all live in.
You immediately multiplied your righteous actions 70
When you offered me aid, comfort and confirmation,
Strengthening my spirit so I could control my life.
So I acknowledge you again, my eternal Lord.
With my hand on my harp, I shall sing out psalms,
Making music on the sweet psaltery, 75
O God of Israel, holy and eternal.
My lips will rejoice, raising praise-songs to you,
My Lord of glory, my victory-king,
And my soul will also sing in rapture,
The soul that you yourself redeemed. 80
My tongue has acclaimed your truthful words
And glorified your works as is only fitting.
Let those who sought to snare my soul
Be brought down low and utterly confounded,
Discovering the dread of their own lost lives. 85
71
Grant your judgment to the king, O Lord;
Grant it also to the king’s son,
So that he may observe and uphold the truth.
Judge your beloved people graciously;
Judge the poor, the unpowerful, the needy 5
With loving truth and discerning judgment.
Let the mountains receive your radiant peace,
Your gathering glory; let the hills receive
The true grace of your wondrous works,
A source of pleasure to all your people. 10
Let the Lord judge all people fairly and justly,
The poor and wretched in their fearful need,
And rescue their unfortunate, innocent children.
Let him unmask the deceiver, shame the slanderer—
Our Lord who lives with the sun and moon, 15
Who abides with them forever and ever.
He will descend on the earth like steady rain,
A gentle shower on field and fleece.
In his own days his peace will spring up,
His righteousness will flourish, his justice abound 20
Till the clear moon rises beyond our reckoning.
He will rule the generations between the seas
From running rivers to the ends of the earth,
A vast kingdom of all creation.
All the Ethiopians shall come before him, 25
And all his enemies shall lick the dust.
Those favored with fame will come from Tharsis;
Kings will come from the far islands,
Bearing offerings from Arabia and Saba.
Everyone on earth shall please the Lord 30
And honor him publicly with great gifts.
The kings of the world shall worship him;
People everywhere will pay him homage.
He will deliver the poor and wretched ones
From the wrath of rich men who oppress them. 35
He will rescue the needy who hold no hope
Of earthly aid and save their souls
From usury and iniquity. His name will be blazoned
Boldly before them. The Lord exists
For all his peoples—to him is given 40
The gold of Arabia, the gift of nobles.
Generations shall worship and bless the Lord
From sunrise to sunset all day long.
The glorious firmament will guard the earth,
Its radiant light raised ove
r the mountains. 45
His fields will flourish with waves of grain
Flowing above Lebanon. The towns will brighten
With beautiful flowers and rich fruit.
A harvest of hay will adorn the land,
And grasses will cover the countryside. 50
Let his name be blessed by the children of men
Far and wide for all eternity.
Let his name be steadfast before the sun,
Let his throne be set before the moon.
In him everyone on earth is blessed, 55
And all peoples will boldly praise him.
Blessed is the Lord of the Israelites,
Their own God who works great wonders.
Blessed is his name, his sustaining spirit,
Now and forever. May the earth be refreshed, 60
Renewed by his power, restored by his grace.
God’s grandeur abides. So be it. So be it.
72
How good is the eternal God to those Israelites
Who hold righteousness in their hearts and minds!
But my feet are slipping on solid ground
In following the ways of sinful people,
Emulating evildoers, wandering into wickedness. 5
The wretched who prosper seek no peace.
The powerful are eager to pursue sin—
They can’t see death, the dark end of days.
There is no surety that they will endure suffering;
They do not struggle like others on earth, 10
Staggering home weary after a day’s work.
They are never subject to the scourge of power.
Pride has seized them, squeezing their souls,
Revealing their unrighteousness. Evil oozes
From their thick skins like oil from fat. 15
They plot and scheme how to lubricate sin
In their high houses. They cook up deceit.
They set their devious mouths against heaven
And twist their sinuous tongues over earth.
(So my people shall return home here 20
Where the faithful will find a fullness of days.)
And they said, “How will God discover all of this?
How will this knowledge be known on high?”
The sinful have seized the goods of the earth
And the wealth of the world. Then I said to myself: 25
“Though my heart is always ruled and righteous,
And no one complains about my control,
And even though I have washed my hands
In innocent waters without any malice,
I have been scourged all day long for my sins, 30
Accepting the finger of blame each morning.”
I might say to some, “Remember my foretelling—
Look to the lives of your children to come.”
With wisdom I have pondered, trying to perceive
How this difficult struggle might be resolved 35