The Complete Old English Poems
Page 89
They serve me well with truth and trust. 20
The proud man who longs to say
Wicked things and incite malice
Will not be welcome in the heart of my house.
In the morning I will slay the bold intruders
Who embrace evil, committing iniquities. 25
I will usher the wicked out my door,
Expelling those sinners from the city of God.
101
Listen to my prayer, O glorious Lord,
Guardian of heaven, and let my cry
Reach up to you, Ruler of all peoples.
Never turn your face away from me,
My Prince of glory. If I am troubled, 5
Incline your ear to me, kind Lord,
Hear my plea, help your petitioner.
My days drift by, disappearing like smoke.
My brittle bones, my marrow-sticks,
Are drying up, or so it seems, 10
Like crackling twigs in the night-fire
Or something in the cook’s frying pan.
Hear me, Lord. I am like the hay
That withers away after the mower’s swath,
A cruel cut from the hands of man. 15
My heart is also worn and wasted—
I have forgotten to eat my sustaining bread.
My heart laments, heavy with grief—
My bones barely cleave to my meager flesh.
I am like the pelican adrift in the desert 20
Or the night-raven holed up in a cave.
I am the sparrow, a solitary bird,
Perched on the edge of its own grief.
All day long my enemies taunt me,
Praise me, then mock me. They are quick to carp, 25
Keen to renew their swearing against me.
I have eaten the dry bread of ashes
And drunk the bitter wine of tears
In the face of your anger and indignation.
You raised me up and cast me down, 30
Delivering me only to destroy me afterwards.
My days disappear like dark shadows—
I wither away like yesterday’s grass.
You abide forever in eternity, Lord.
The memory of you will last as long 35
As the world exists. Rise up, mighty God,
Be merciful to Zion, for the time has come
To offer her aid. Your faithful servants
Are grateful to you for favoring the world,
For showing mercy to the stones and the land. 40
All earth-dwellers fear and revere your name;
Wise kings perceive and proclaim your glory.
The Lord has built and rebuilt Zion
With his own strength, his power made manifest.
The Lord has heard the cries of the needy 45
And does not scorn or shun their pleading.
These truths are wisely written down
And made known throughout the generations—
That God created mankind. Let them thank him
And praise him with devotion and gratitude. 50
The Lord looks down from his holy throne,
Gazing on earth from his heavenly heights.
He has heard the cries of the cruelly bound
And released the children of the brutally slain.
The true name of the Lord will be proclaimed 55
Gratefully in Zion by those he has freed,
All the children of the people in Jerusalem.
Their praise-songs will ring out a great rejoicing.
Then people will come from far nations
And gather faithfully to follow the Lord. 60
His might is manifest, his strength will endure.
He will always respond to those on life’s journey.
I declare from my heart that my days of misery
Are surely few, so you may not be able
To call me out in the midst of my days, 65
Summon me at once in my short span,
For your years endure forever, Lord.
In the beginning you created heaven and earth,
This wondrous world with all its adornments.
These are the great and glorious works 70
Of your own hands. One day they will perish,
But you will endure. All earthly things
Will finally wear out like old garments,
And you will change them like a tattered cloak,
So they will be altered forever afterwards. 75
Only you will be what you always were—
Your years will show no fade or fall.
The children of your servants now serve you;
They have taken up their ancestors’ dwellings.
Their descendants will take up their dwellings in turn, 80
And you will care for these endless generations
In an unbroken line forever and ever.
102
Bless the Lord gladly, O my soul.
Let everything within me, body and spirit,
Bless the name of the eternal Lord.
Bless the Lord surely, O my soul.
May you never desire to forget his favors, 5
All the good things he has done for you,
Offering you mercy for your sinful deeds,
Healing you of all your illness and infirmity,
Redeeming your dear life from destruction.
He has fairly fulfilled your desires with goodness. 10
He has made you triumphant, crowned with mercy,
And strengthened your spirit with true compassion—
So your life is renewed like that of an eagle
In molting, made keen and young again.
Lord, you maintain a meek disposition, 15
An abundance of power, and a fair sense
Of judgment and justice for all of those
Who suffer deep pain and affliction,
Insult and injury—the wretched and wronged.
The Lord made all his wise ways known 20
To the acclaimed Moses on many occasions,
And likewise his wishes to the people of Israel.
Eternal Lord, you are forceful and forbearing,
Patient and benevolent, as you’ve always been.
Your care and compassion are known to mankind. 25
Your righteous anger is never unbridled,
Your wrath is never unbounded rage.
You do not judge us simply on our acts,
Our deplorable deeds, our shameful sins,
Or requite us ever according to our iniquities— 30
For after shaping the splendor of heaven,
You made manifest your mercy, mighty Lord,
To those who loved you, who faithfully followed you.
As far as the eastern edge of heaven
Reaches out to the west, enveloping the earth, 35
Winding over the world, God has separated us
In this great scope from sin and transgression,
Iniquity and injustice, everywhere and always.
As a father forgives and loves his children,
So almighty God is gracious to us. 40
He loves those who love him—he knows our needs.
Always remember, almighty God,
We are shaped of soil, made of dust.
The days of man are like mown hay,
Like an ephemeral flower in every way. 45
His days are fleeting. His spirit fades,
His life draws down, and afterwards
Only the grave will embrace his body,
Envelop his flesh and bones forever.
No one will know any other dwelling, 50
Any other home for him except the ground.
But your mercy endures, almighty Lord,
Your steadfast love, your eternal wisdom,
Over all those here who fear and revere you.
Likewise the Lord’s justice endures 55
An
d abides for the children of all those children
Who observe his commands and obey his laws,
Keeping his teachings carefully in mind,
Faithfully following his glorious words,
Working joyfully to accomplish his will. 60
The holy Lord has built his throne
In his heavenly home from where he rules
The kingdoms of earth. Let all the angels
Boldly bless their eternal Lord,
Their kind master. Let the angelic orders, 65
The Virtues and Powers who work his will
And fulfill his words, earnestly bless
Their gracious Lord. May the hosts of his children,
And the gathering of all his faithful servants
Who firmly intend to work his will 70
Bless the Lord. Let the whole of creation,
Every glorious wonder, every earthly splendor,
Bless our eternal Lord in his presence and place—
Let our awe for him abide forever.
May my soul rejoice and bless the Lord. 75
103
Bless the Lord gladly, O my soul.
You are my God, glorious and powerful,
And your deeds are mighty over the sons of men.
You are clothed in splendor, robed in radiance,
Wrapped in a garment of ethereal light. 5
You stretch out the heavens like a hide
That holds up the force of the waters on high.
God created the heavens, the expanse of air,
So that he who walks on the wings of wind
Might easily ascend. He makes his angels 10
Ministers of the air; his steadfast servants,
A radiant flame. He crafted creation,
Fixing its foundation, the pillars of earth.
It will endure forever—indestructible, abiding.
He made the seas like a cloak of water 15
Over the depths. He made the heights,
The hills and mountains, towering over
The seas of men. They will dread your rebuke
And flee in terror from your voice of thunder,
Trembling in awe at the power of God. 20
The mountains shall rise and the high plains
In the places you have established for them.
They cannot advance beyond their boundaries
Like powers seeking to possess other spaces.
Deep springs will often issue from the valleys, 25
Water rise and flow in the midst of mountains.
All the wild animals of earth will drink.
Asses will wait to quench their thirst,
While the birds of the air maintain their nests,
Crying out from the rocks above. 30
The hills will be filled with leaves and fruit,
An abundance of food in high places.
Seeds and shoots, buds and blooms,
Will all be crops replenished from above
By the falling rain, the fruit of creation. 35
You also give us fodder to feed our animals
And sustain their lives. You made us herbs
And sweet spices as an aid to mankind.
You raised from the land bread and wine
To enliven and cheer the hearts of people. 40
Your oil anoints and refreshes our faces,
Your bread strengthens the hearts of mankind.
You fill the boughs with beautiful leaves,
The branches that soon hang heavy with fruit.
The thriving cedars in the hills of Lebanon, 45
Grow from the seeds you skillfully planted.
They hold the sparrows that carefully guard
Their young nestlings, a living treasure.
The highest house is like a lookout,
The house of the heron, a leader on land. 50
Often harts haunt the hostile peaks
Among the rocks where rabbits flee.
God made the moon in a glorious time,
And the sun to move and mark the hours
From dawn to dusk. You made the darkness 55
And the dread of night when wild beasts
Wake in hunger and roam about.
Then lion cubs come crying for food,
Greedily seeking what God may give them.
When the sun rises, it beckons them to rest, 60
Draws them home to their hidden dens.
People begin their great labors at dawn;
Their hard day’s work ends at evening.
Great were your works, almighty God,
Wonders you made in your infinite wisdom. 65
The earth is alive with your skill and shaping,
Your craft and creation. In the immense ocean
Are countless creatures, great and small,
Over which mighty ships glide swiftly.
You made the dark dragon of the deep, 70
Let it rule the waves far and wide
For its own great sport. Every living thing
Asks you, Lord, for food to eat.
As they gather together, may you bring the bounty
From your holy hands to offer them food. 75
If you ever turn away your face,
Then they will suffer a fierce fate,
And their lives will quickly be taken from them.
They will disintegrate into their own dust.
Lord, send forth your own sustaining spirit, 80
Renewing life, refreshing nature,
Restoring everything on the face of the earth.
Glory be far and wide to the Lord of hosts.
May the glory of the Lord continue forever.
May the Lord rejoice in his wondrous works. 85
He watches over the entire earth—
He makes it tremble in fear of him.
If he touches mountains, they will start to smoke.
I will sing his praise to the end of my days
And tell him the truth for the length of my life, 90
As long as I dwell in earthly joys.
Let my praise be a pleasure to God’s heart,
For I shall dearly love my Lord forever.
But the wicked sinners who inhabit this earth
Will be brutally destroyed all too quickly, 95
So they will no longer dwell in this world.
Bless the Lord gladly, O my soul.
104
Praise the Lord and his eternal name,
Call out to him with a pleasing voice,
Tell his wondrous works among the Gentiles.
Sing sweetly and play on the harp to him,
Declare his wonders far and wide. 5
Praise the Lord’s name in your earnest need.
The pure of heart passionately rejoice
In those who sincerely seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and you will be able
To resist all injury, all insult and enmity. 10
Earnestly seek the presence of the Lord.
Remember the many wonders he created,
The marvelous works, the judgments of his mouth.
Listen! He has honored the offspring of Abraham,
Who was his servant, over all peoples, 15
And the children of Jacob, whom he chose long ago.
He is our Lord, accomplished in deeds,
Bounteous in all his abundant works.
His judgments are bold, righteous and recognized
Everywhere on earth. He was mindful forever 20
Of the covenant he made, his true testimony,
That his chosen people were meant to maintain
Their special privilege for a thousand generations,
So that whoever held that lineage would thrive.
He offered an oath to Abraham and Isaac 25
And decreed to Jacob that the people of Israel
Should keep the covenant and honor his testimony.
And then the L
ord said to him these words:
“I shall give to your people the land of Canaan,
A true inheritance, a proper possession.” 30
That glorious tribe was not great in number,
Barely a few until their children were born.
Generation after generation of people were created.
Then other nations oppressed them with fear—
But the Lord would never let them be harmed 35
By the might of men, and he rebuked kings
On their account, saying sternly:
“You shall not touch my anointed people,
Harm my chosen ones in any way,
Or place a curse upon my prophets.” 40
Then hunger and famine descended on the land,
And everywhere mankind was deprived of bread.
Then God sent a servant into their presence,
A young man who was skillful and shrewd,
Joseph, son of Jacob, whose brothers sold him 45
Into cruel slavery. He was held in bondage,
Bound in fetters until God delivered him,
Raising him up through the wisdom of his words,
So that a righteous king showed him clear favor,
Releasing him promptly and establishing him 50
As a great leader over all the people.
He set him up in his house as a steward
And gave him control of all his goods,
So that he might teach the young noblemen
And also the elders with his words of wisdom 55
The many things that he had learned himself.
So Israel entered into Egypt, and afterwards
Jacob lived again in the land of Canaan.
The Lord increased the number of his people,
Showed them favor and firmly strengthened them 60
Over their enemies. First he began
To turn the hearts of all the Egyptians
To treachery and malice, so they hated his people
And deceived his servants. Then God sent
To his beloved people the glorious Moses, 65
His own servant, and also Aaron,
Whom he had chosen, teaching them both
The true wisdom of words and works,
Of wonders and portents, which they then revealed
To the best and most virtuous kinsmen 70
Until they overcame the people of Canaan.
First God punished his enemies with darkness,
For they did not acknowledge or accept the warnings
Of his chosen servants, Moses and Aaron.
Likewise he turned their water into blood, 75
Brutish pools where fish perished.
He sent to their land noxious frogs,
A living insult in the finest homes,
Even in the king’s own chambers.
He spoke and there swarmed gnats and flies— 80
Insect hordes attacked the borders.