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 XV.]

CONSERVA me domine quoniam speraui in te: dixi domino, deus meus es tu, quoniam bonorum meorum non eges. ¶ Kepe me lord for .i. hoped in the; i. sayd til lord my god thou ert, for of my goeds thou has na nede. ¶ The voice of crist in his manhed, prayand til the fadere, and sayand. lord fadere kepe me ymange perils, for i. hopid in the noght in me. i said til the, my god thou ert. in that at i. am man, for thou has na ned of my goeds. bot i. haf of the all that i. hafe. here is the vile pride of men confoundid, that wenes that thai hafe oght of thaim self bot synn.

2. Sanctis qui sunt in terra eius: mirificauit omnes vo|luntates meas in eis. ¶ Til halighis the whilke ere in his land; he selcouthid all my willes in thaim. ¶ Noght til wickid, bot til halighis, clen in saule and departid fra erthly besynes. the whilke ere in his land. that is. thai haf festid thaire hope in the land of heuen, and rotid in luf: the whilk hope is as ankere in stremys of this warld: he selkouthid all my willes. that is wondirful he made my willes of dyynge and rysynge, sett and fulfild in thaim. that is in thaire profit, whare in thai felid what it profitid thaim, my meknes that .i. wild dye, and my myght to rise.

3. Multiplicate sunt infirmitates eorum: postea accele|rauerunt. ¶ Many faldid ere thaire seknesis; and sithen thai hastid. ¶ That is at say, thai knew that thai ware fulseke in body and saule. and sythen thai hastid thaim till the leche: for he that felis him seke he sekis remedy. ill men wenes thare saule is noght seke, for thi thai dye in thaire synn.

4. Non congregabo conuenticula eorum de sanguinibus: nec memor ero nominum eorum per labia mea. ¶ I sall noght gadire the couentis of tha of blodis; na .i. sall be menand on thaire names thurgh my lippes. ¶ That is at say. the couentis of haly men my seruantes sall noght fleschly be bot gastly: for blode bitakyns synn and vnclennes that thai ere in. that folous thaire flesch. and the vanyte of thaire blode. that ere comen of

gret kyn. ne i. sall be menand of thaire names. for thai ere chawngid [U chawgid.] . fra synn til rightwisnes. on domesday when .i sall speke thurgh my lippes til thaim that haldis the name of wickidnes. ga ȝe werid til fire withouten end.

5. Dominus pars hereditatis mee et calicis mei: tu es qui restitues hereditatem meam michi. ¶ Lord is part of myn heritage. and of my chalice; thou ert that sall restore my heritage til me. ¶ Lord the fadere is part, that is, he is porcioun and mede of myn heritage. that is, of haly men whaim i weld in heritage. other men ches thaim what thaim list. my part is god. and he is part of my chalice. that is, he is cope of all my delite and ioy. warldis men drynkis the venomouse lustis. and the drubly delitis of lychery and couaitys: .i. and my halighis sall drynke god. for thou ert fadire that sall restore til me. that is til my men, myn heritage that thai lost in adam. that is thou restores til thaim the knawynge of my brighthede.

6. Funes ceciderunt michi in preclaris: etenim here|ditas mea preclara est michi. ¶ Strengis fel til me in ful|bryght; for whi myn heritage is fulbright til me. ¶ Strengis. that is. merkis of my possession, in thi brightnes fell. as with kut. als the possessioun of prestes and dekens in the ald laghe was god. forwhi myn heritage. that is haly men, is ful bright til me: thof thai seme laith. and outkastynge til some of the warld, til me thai ere faire and bright.

7. Benedicam dominum qui tribuit michi intellectum: insuper & vsque ad noctem increpuerunt me renes mei. ¶ I sall blis the lord that gaf til me vndirstandynge; & ouer that til the nyght snybid me my neris. ¶ That is .i. sall loue the fadere. that has gifen vndirstandynge til my seruauntes, thurgh the whilke the heritage of heuen may be sene and weldid. and ouer that, vn|dirstandynge in the whilke .i. sagh, says crist, all sothfast thyngis and haly. of that i. sall loue him. that my neris, that is the ioues, of whas kynd .i. toke flesch, that is my kyn. snybid me in wrangis and temptaciouns and passions: til the nyght. that is, til the ded, thai myssaid him. Alswa oure neris, that is, oure fleschly delites, makis vs worthi snybynge til oure ded. for perfitly may we noght be withouten synn. whils we lif.

8. Prouidebam dominum in conspectu meo semper: quo|niam

a dextris est michi, nec commouear. ¶ I poruayd god ay in my sight; for he is at the right hand til me, that .i. be noght stirid. ¶ And in all this angirs .i. forgat noght god, bot .i. puruaid him ay in my syght: that is. .i. cumand amange passand thyngis [U ins. '.i.'] toke noght myn eghe fra him. that ay is. bot i. festid it in him, swa that he was [S. U way.] ay in my syght: and he is not filed in synnes that assiduelly, with the eghe of his thoght, bihaldis god. for he is at the right hand til me, that .i. be noght stirid. that is. he helpis me in desire of endles goeds, that .i. last stabil in him: and for thi nane ill thynge may haf maystri of me.

9. Propter hoc letatum est cor meum, & exultauit lingua mea: insuper et caro mea requiescet in spe. ¶ Thare for gladid is my hert and my tonge ioyed; ouer that and my flesch sall rest in hope. ¶ This is ful ioy, that in hert is resaifid, and with tonge shewid. and ouer that ioy in hert and mouth my flesch sall rest in hope of rysynge.

10. Quoniam non derelinques animam meam in inferno: nec dabis sanctum tuum videre corupcionem. ¶ ffor thou sall noght leue my saule in hell; ne thou sall gif thi haligh to see corupcioun. ¶ That is at say, the saule that .i. haf as verray man sall noght be left in hell. and my body that thou halighid sall noght rote. here may men knaw that this is cristis word. for other mennys bodis rotis.

11. Notas michi fecisti vias vite: adimplebis me leticia cum vultu tuo, delectaciones in dextera tua vsque in finem. ¶ Knawyn thou maked til me the wayes of life; thou sall fulfill me of ioy with thi face, deliteyngis in thi right hand in till the end. ¶ Knawen thou makid thurgh me til myn the wayes of life. that is the wayes of meknes. and charite, that men come til heuen thurgh meknes, fra whethn thai fell thurgh pride: and thou sall fulfil me. that is my seruauntes, of ioy with thi face, that is in syght of the apertly: swa that thai desire nothynge ouere, when thai haf seen the face til face, and ay till than delityngis til thaim in way of this lif in thi right hand. that is in thi fauour and thi mercy. the whilk delityngis ledis thaim in til the end: that is in til perfeccioun of endles blisfulhed.