The Psalter, or Psalms of David and certain canticles / with a translation and exposition in English by Richard Rolle of Hampole ; ed. from manuscripts by the Rev. H. R. Bramley ... With an introduction and glossary.

[PSALM CXXXVI.]

SUPER flumina babilonis illic sedimus & fleuimus: dum recordaremur syon. ¶ Abouen the flodes of babilon thar we sat and gret: whils we vmthouȝt of syon. ¶ fflodis of babilon are all thinges that are lufid here. and passis, that holy men beholdis and forsakes, sittand abouen thaim. & gretis thair oun pilgrymage & thair synne. that are rauysht in til the flodis. whils thei thynk of syon. that is, of heuen, where nothing rennys, bot all that ioy is to gedur. worldis men gretis. bot nouȝt bot for tynsil [B 467. S tynselle. L losyng.] of thair godes. or thair frendis. as thei ioy nouȝt bot in thair welth [S welthe. L weth.] . ilk man shal grete. bot thinkand of syon.

2. In salicibus in medio eius: suspendimus organa nostra. ¶ In the wylghis in the myddis of hit: we hang [S hong.] vp our orgoyns. ¶ That is, in ful ill men. that are all wete in the flodes and baren of gode werkis, as welghis are. fro thaim we hang vp our orgyns. that is, we withdrogh goddis wordis. as fro swyn and houndis. whils thei dispise holy lore.

3. Quia illic interrogauerunt nos qui captiuos duxerunt nos: verba cancionum. ¶ ffor thar thei askyd vs. tho that caitifes led vs: wordes of songes. ¶ The deuyl & his aungels led vs caitifs in synne, and the ill men of babilon, in whom thei wirk, askis vs wordes of songes. that is, resons of our ioy. & coum|fort. nouȝt [S noght. L nouȝ.] for thei wol do wel. bot for thei are curiouse. & wold witt that thei are nouȝt worthi til.

4. Et qui abduxerunt nos: ympnum cantate nobis de canticis syon. ¶ And tho that [S. L om.] away led vs; ympne synges til vs. of the sanges of syon. ¶ The fendes led vs fro the ioy of aungels in til wrechidnes of this worlde. and thei in thair lymmes byddes vs syng til thaim a song of syon. bot we say [B 467. S sey. L sayn.] that babylone mires [S. B 467 myres. L mirischis. Other MSS. norischith, nureschith, norys|cheth.] thaim, and thei are ful of all couetyse, and knowes nouȝt gostly song. forthi we hyng vp our orgyn and seys.

5. Quomodo cantabimus canticum domini: in terra aliena. ¶ How shal we syng the song of lord: in aliens land. ¶ As who sey, nouther we drede ȝour malice. ne we coueyt ȝour delite or frenship. for ȝe are alien fro [S. L for.] goddis luf. & we dar not shew ȝow his priuetes.

6. Si oblitus fuero tui ierusalem: obliuioni detur dextera mea. ¶ If I forgete the ierusalem: til forgetyng be gifen my riȝthand. ¶ I song nouȝt til thaim; bot if i among thair wordes forgete the ioy of heuen. endles life tharne i. that is my riȝthand. for tharfore i do all that i do.

7. Adhereat lingua mea faucibus meis: si non meminero tui. ¶ My tong draw til my chekis: if i had thouȝt not of the. ¶ That is, domb be i in goddis louyng. if my thouȝt be not of the. that is coumfort of my wrechidnes. for he is dowmb that has not his mynd in god. the song of this worldis delite is a hethyn mannys tung. forthi he is dowmb til god that has not his thouȝt on him with luf.

8. Si non proposuero ierusalem: in principio leticie mee. ¶ If i sett nouȝt of the ierusalem: in begynnyng of my ioy. ¶ That is, of the and in the, ierusalem of heuen, is the hoolnes of my ioy. where nothing shal delite me bot god [S. L gode.] .

9. Memor esto domine filiorum edom: in die ierusalem. ¶ Be menand lord of the sunnys of edom: in day of ierusalem. ¶ Edom, that is, esau, was enemy til iacob. so all fleschly men are enemys til gostly. as who sey, ord delyuer holy men fro ill men. when thei shal be departid fro ierusalem, that ill men be [S. L om.] dampnyd. and gode men corownd.

10. Qui dicunt exinanite exinanite: vsque ad fundamen|tum in ea. ¶ The whilk seys temys temys: til the ground in hit. ¶ This is the saw of ill men. in dede. for thei do that in thaim is. that agode man were not laft [S left.] in holykirk, or not avertu [L ins. is. S &c. om.] in mannys soul. for thei are ill in thaim self, and thaim is woo that other are gode.

11. Filia babilonis misera: beatus qui retribuit tibi retri|bucionem quam retribuisti nobis. ¶ Dowȝghtur of babilon. wrech: blisful [S. L om. blis-.] he that shal ȝeld til the. the ȝeldyng that thou ȝeldid til vs. ¶ Dowgthturs of babylone, that is, of confusion, ere

all the soules that delites thaim. in erthly luf. and thei are wrechhis in thair ioy. and thair likyng. for crist ȝeldis til thaim. the pyne of helle. for thair ȝeldyng til vs. that is, hateradyn for our luf.

12. Beatus qui tenebit: & allidet paruulos suos ad petram. ¶ Blisful he that shal holde: and knok his smale til the stone. ¶ Thes smale er ill stirynges in man [S mans.] thouȝt, of pryde. couetyse and lechery. bot he blessid [S blisses.] that holdis thaim. that thei passe nouȝt til delite, & knokkis thaim til crist, that thei perisch thoro his myȝt. for if he let thaim wax. thei wol not so [S om.] sone be ouercomen. forthi we ow to make our thouȝt perfit. that no likyng be tharin bot of god. nouȝt as som foolis dos. that hatis asynne and lufis anothir.