You hold in your power and wisely wield,
Almighty God, over heaven and earth
By the strength of your spirit, always abiding. 15
You are the King of kings, Lord of the living,
The triumphant Son, the true Savior
Of all of creation, angels and men.
You are the God who dwells in glory
In the celestial city in the heights of heaven, 20
The Lord of all lands, Ruler of all nations,
Just as you were in the bright beginning,
The Son equally blessed with his Father.
You are the heavenly Light, the holy Lamb,
Who cast down the sins of all middle-earth 25
In your might and mercy, your goodness and grace.
You drove out the devil, overcame your enemies,
Both fiend and foe, rescued and redeemed us,
Ransomed the children of Israel with your blood
When you raised up your body on the holy tree, 30
The cruel cross, and vanquished the power
Of sin and darkness so that you might sit,
Rejoicing in victory at the right hand
Of God your Father, mindful of souls.
Have mercy on us now, almighty God, 35
Release your cherished creation from sin,
Save us, Creator, Savior of men,
Sustain us here for the sake of your name.
You are forever holy, forever good.
You are the only eternal God. 40
You are the Judge of all of creation,
The living and the dead, our redeeming Christ,
For you rule in glory, in three-ness and one-ness,
The holy Trinity, the eternal Unity,
The high King of heaven, fairly fulfilled 45
In the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
PSALM 50
This is the second poem in MS Cotton Vespasian D.vi which is written in the Kentish dialect (see also the poem above). Krapp (1932b) rightly notes that Psalm 50 “is quite different in style from the metrical Psalms of the Paris Psalter, and [is] the work of a versifier possessed of an ampler art than that which appears in the Paris Psalter” (xx). Keefer, in her edition of the psalm, which she retitles The Kentish Great Miserere, notes that “careful reading of each meditation uncovers evidence to show that [the poet] was making use, not only of St Jerome’s Romanum and Gallicanum versions of the Book of Psalms, but also of a scholarly recension of Jerome’s third translation, the Hebraicum” (2010, 132). She goes on to explain the religious context and narrative structure of the poem:
Its poet has also constructed a narrative framework—the sin of King David in seducing Bathsheba and then sending her husband Uriah to certain death in the front lines of the battle—by which to contextualize the lengthy vernacular meditation. This narrative frames the actual confession of the king, which relies verse by verse on the Latin of the “Great Miserere” psalm with the same words, ðingode þioda aldor David [David prayed to the Lord of hosts], opening and then closing David’s confession to God. (2010, 130)
The narrator of the poem calls King David “the keenest of kings, dearest to Christ,” even though David was an Old Testament patriarch who was thought to be an ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth. The poem is laced with this sort of divine anachronism, as the Christian story places Christ both in the timeline of human history and in the timelessness of God’s eternal being.
The psalm begins with a panegyric to King David, lauding him for his wisdom as a ruler, his capacity as a singer and poet, and his might as a warrior, and then turns to an enumeration of his sins, reflecting the penitential mode of the psalm in the Latin psalter. The Latin lines from each verse of Psalm 50 appear in faded red ink in the manuscript, “functioning as a series of verse-headings” (Keefer, 1991, 22). These are followed by the OE lines which constitute both a translation and a poetic extension of the verse. Sometimes only a portion of the Latin verse appears in the manuscript, probably for reasons of scribal economy (Keefer, 1991, 24; 1998, 25 ff.), but the sense of the whole verse is almost certainly implied, so I have restored in brackets the rest of the missing verses. The Latin verses appear here in a slightly modernized version of the Douay-Rheims translation in italics. The Douay-Rheims translation follows the Gallican version of the psalm rather than the Roman version used by the poet, but as Keefer notes, “the differences are not major and the sense is apt” (2010, 33, n. 53). Note that because of numbering differences, Psalm 50 in the Vulgate and Douay-Rheims translation corresponds to Psalm 51 in other biblical versions.
For more on this psalm’s interactive relation with other psalmic texts and the sense of allusion and adaptation in the psalm, see Toswell, 2012 and 2014, 33 ff. In my translation, I have followed a number of Toswell’s suggestions in her articles and also in a private communication to me about the poem.
Psalm 50
A bold, brave-hearted warrior called David
Was ruler of Israel, royal and renowned,
A man of courage, mighty and noble,
The keenest of kings, dearest to Christ.
He was the greatest harper under heaven, 5
At least among the people we have heard about.
He was the truest and most righteous singer,
The most powerful poet, thoughtful and wise,
Praying for his people, interceding for them
With the mildest and most merciful Lord, 10
The compassionate Creator, the Shaper of men.
David was God’s servant, a bold battle-warrior,
A crafty champion, and courageous king,
When the crash of banners, the clash of soldiers,
Came together in days of hard conflict. 15
Yet guilt was stalking him with sinful thoughts,
His dreams of desire and bodily lust,
And the fear of God was tormenting him.
So it happened that he was sent a seer
By the God of hosts, the Savior of souls, 20
A wise prophet, skilled in word-craft,
Who was firmly commanded to confront the king
With God’s judgment, a righteous doom,
And reveal all of his offenses and iniquities
Which were the source of his sin and shame, 25
Putting his soul into great peril,
For King David had committed a crime
In causing Uriah to be abandoned in battle
And robbed of his life—a bold warrior
Suddenly entrapped, betrayed by his leader, 30
Meeting his death—all so that the king,
Could take Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife,
To bed with him in his greedy lust.
For that dreadful sin, he earned God’s ire,
As he soon discovered in the dire deeds 35
Of days to come. Then King David,
Ruler of nations, begged for himself,
Pleading earnestly, praying to the Lord,
Revealing his whole hoard of sins.
He eagerly confessed his crimes to God, 40
To the Lord of hosts, speaking these words:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy.
“Have mercy on me, Lord of nations,
Ruler of powers, now that you know
The thoughts of men, their dreams and desires. 45
Help me, my Savior, almighty God,
Offer the aid of your singular creation,
The help of your handiwork, your glorious making,
Through your great mercy, your kindness and compassion.”
And according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my iniquity. 50
“And according to your multitude of mercies, Lord,
Blot out my sins, erase my unrighteousness,
And offer forgiveness to my suffering soul.”
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
“Wash away my sins,
my soul of its stains, 55
Shaper of spirits, cleanse me of iniquity,
The crimes I have so long committed in life
By way of the wicked thoughts of my body.
For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
“For I acknowledge all my unrighteousness 60
And see everywhere the iniquity of my eyes.
The force of my sins is a terrible fury
That rises up and rushes against me—
Their evil nature is clearly known.
Forgive my faults, cancel my crimes, 65
My Source of light, my Sustainer of life,
And bring me the bliss of your merciful love.”
Against you only have I sinned and have done evil before you, so you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged.
“Often I have sinned against you alone,
Committing ongoing evils and offenses, 70
Driven by my fierce and hostile thoughts.
Now I ask for aid, Ruler of spirits,
Christ the Savior, my spiritual Lord,
So the sins of my soul might be forgiven,
The wounds of my spirit eased and forgotten, 75
And I might go forth to a brighter future,
A better life, since your words of promise
Will be fulfilled—that you do not desire
Death for anyone, but always attempt
To teach the sinful and transform the fallen, 80
So that by converting and praising Christ,
They can acquire a long-lasting life,
An eternity with you, just as you, O Lord,
Protector of peace, preserver of souls,
Have conquered at judgment all kinds of sins.” 85
For behold! I was conceived in iniquity, [and in sin did my mother conceive me.]
“Almighty Lord, you alone know
How I was conceived in sin, born of my mother
In guilt and shame, waking into a world
Of wickedness and woe. Forgive me, Lord, 90
And let me turn away from my own transgressions,
From my unrighteous return to sinful ways,
From the crimes I’ve committed, old and new,
Against you, O Lord, and against myself.”
For behold! You have loved truth; [the uncertain and hidden things of your wisdom you have made manifest to me.] 95
“Lord, you have always loved the truth,
So let me offer this supplication,
A prayer for life, a prayer for peace,
A prayer for favor, for mercy unmeasured.
You are the Lord of light, secretly revealing 100
Unknown truths and hidden meanings
From your hoard of wisdom, your true treasure.”
You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, [and I shall be cleansed; you shall wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow.]
“Cleanse me with hyssop, almighty God,
Merciful and mild. Then pure and pristine, 105
I can call out to Christ, beaming with bliss,
So I can rise up brighter than the snow,
To meet your familial love, O Lord.”
To my hearing you shall give joy and gladness, [and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.]
“Open up your song for my ears, Almighty, 110
So I may listen in bliss as I turn toward you.
Then my humbled flesh, my harrowed bones,
Will find rapture and joy in your radiant grace,
Merciful Lord, and escape from humiliation,
The sin and shame of my unrighteous ways.” 115
Turn away your face from my sins [and blot out all my iniquities.]
“Turn your face away from my sins, O Lord,
Avert your eyes from my evil deeds,
My uncounted crimes, O Savior of souls.
Forgive my faults through the power of your mercy, 120
Erase all my iniquity, almighty God.”
Create a clean heart in me, [O God, and renew] a right spirit [within my bowels.]
“Create a clean heart in me, Lord Christ,
And a resolute mind to endure your will,
To make wise decisions and holy judgments. 125
Lord of heaven, almighty God,
Renew the spirit of righteousness in my soul.”
Cast me not away from your face and [take not] your holy spirit [from me].
“Do not cast me off from your countenance, Lord,
Or keep me away from your many mercies, 130
Or withhold the grace of your holy spirit,
Or separate me from your care and compassion,
Merciful Lord, almighty God.”
Restore unto me the joy [of your salvation and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.]
“Grant me your grace, merciful Lord, 135
The hope of salvation, holy Protector
Of all creatures. Strengthen me with your spirit,
Shepherd of the soul, living Lord of light,
So that I might honor and work your will
Nobly both now and forevermore.” 140
I will teach the unjust your ways, and the wicked [shall be converted to you.]
“I have always taught the weak-minded your ways
So the wayward and wicked would turn back again
To the Guardian of their souls, God himself,
And seek the spirit’s protection from you 145
Through your loving grace, your familial favor.”
Deliver me from blood, [O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue shall extol your justice].
“Free me in spirit, Father of mankind,
Free me from spite, from malice and bloodshed.
Cleanse me of sins, my living Lord— 150
Be my helper and healer, Guardian of heaven.
Then my faithful tongue may happily rejoice
In your firm truth, your fair justice.”
O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth shall declare [your praise.]
“Open my lips, Lord God, so my mouth 155
May eagerly praise your power and glory,
Saying forever as I’ve always said,
My true Lord of victory, that you alone
Are the joy and blessing of all people.”
For if you had desired [sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; with burnt offerings you will not be delighted.] 160
“I would have brought you a sacrifice, Lord of hosts,
If only you had desired or demanded it—
But you are the kind Lord of the living,
A Giver of life who took no delight
In a burnt offering of dead beasts 165
That I might bring to the sacrificial altar.”
A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; [a contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not despise.]
“O mighty Lord, O living Christ,
The more gratifying gift to you is always
A contrite spirit and a humbled heart— 170
A clean conscience you would never reject.”
Deal favorably, O Lord, in your good will [with Zion so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.]
“Grant favorably your gracious aid, O God,
Your comfort and consolation, to the good power
And purpose of the spirit, so the holy hill 175
Of Zion will be triumphant, the walls of Zion
Secure in joy, and the blessed Jerusalem
Strengthened and protected, O living Lord.”
Then you shall accept the sacrifice [of justice, oblations, and whole burnt offerings; then they shall lay calves upon your altar.]
“Accept now, mighty Lord, this loving gift, 180
The offering of your people, Lord of mankind,
As they set a holy calf on your altar
With a joyful purpose, O Lord of light.
And forgive me now, my living Lord,
For the sorrowful wounds I’ve inflicted on my soul
With my thoughtless sins and unbridled iniquity
From youth to age, beginning to end,
In the home of my flesh, my flawed body.
By the power of your love, your compassionate spirit, 190
Let my sins be forgiven and slide away.”
So King David, the prince of his people,
Mindful of his deeds, prayed to the Almighty,
So that the saving Christ, the ruling Redeemer,
Afterwards considered him worthy of kingship, 195
A comfort to his people, a consolation to mankind.
King David therefore atoned with a contrite conscience
For the hoard of evils he had long treasured,
His wicked thoughts and dark desires,
The wounds to his soul and his wayward mind. 200
Forgive us, O God, grant us the strength
To overcome our sins, a hoard of iniquity,
And earn for ourselves everlasting joy,
An eternal treasure in the land of the living.
Amen.
THE GLORIA II
Gloria II, found in MS Cotton Titus D.xxvii in the British Library, is the shorter of the two doxology poems (see above for the longer Gloria I). Keefer notes that the book in which it is found “was the private prayer-book of Ælfwine of Winchester when he was the dean of the New Minster but before he became its abbot (therefore written between 1023 and 1035) … [and] it contains a variety of materials in addition to private devotions, many of which would have been of use to an eleventh-century monastery official either for personal study or public responsibilities” (2010, 115). The doxology poem occurs at the end of a prose alphabet series in which each letter introduces a brief sentence that sounds like a maxim with overtones of fortune-telling (116). The last letter, Z, introduces the doxology so that the alphabet sequence “acquires Christian closure through the inclusion of a formula that is appropriate to the ending of prayer, psalm, and hymn [and] at the same time, the doxology for ‘z’ within itself becomes either a maxim, modeling a direction for the reader to a right way of thinking at the close of each daily task, or a prognostic solution that can never be inappropriate” (117).
The Gloria II
Glory and honor be to you, Lord of hosts,
And glory to the Father here on earth
In fair and harmonious fellowship
With your own Son and the true Holy Spirit.
Amen.
A PRAYER
The Complete Old English Poems Page 114
