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 XXII.]

DOMINUS regit me & nichil michi deerit: in loco pascue ibi me collocauit. ¶ Lord gouerns me and nathynge sall me want; in sted of pasture thare he me sett. ¶ The voice of a rightwisman. lord crist is my kynge, and forthi na thynge sall me want. that is, in him .i. sall be sikere and suffisaunt. for .i. hope in him gastly goed and endles: and he ledis me in sted of pasture, that is, in vndirstandynge of his word, and delite in his luf, whare i. am sikere to be fild: thare, in that sted, he set me to be norist til perfeccioun.

2. Super aquam refeccionis educauit me: animam meam conuertit. ¶ On the watere of rehetynge forth he me broght; my saule he turnyd. ¶ On the water of grace ere we broght forthe, that makes vs to recouere oure strenght that we lost in syn, and rehetis vs to doe goed werkis. my saule he turnyd: that is, of a syn|full wreche he made hit rightwis, in waxinge of luf and meknes. first he turnys oure saule til him. and than he ledis and fedis it. ten graces he telles in this psalme, the whilke god gifes til his lufers.

3. Deduxit me super semitas iusticie: propter nomen suum. ¶ He led me on the stretis of rightwisnes; for his name. ¶ That is he gaf me lastynge in his biddyngis, and rotid me, and made me perfite in charite. for the stretis of rightwisnes ere his

straitere counsails. the whilk ere noght kepid bot of a fa. that ere perfite. on there he led me, noght for my merit. bot for his name, that is ihū. that he be lufid and louyd.

4. Nam & si ambulauero in medio vmbre mortis: non timebo mala quoniam tu mecum es. ¶ ffor whi, if i. had gane in myddis of the shadow of ded; i. sall noght dred illes, for thou ert with me. ¶ Gret vertu is in man when he dredis na ill. that may fall: for [S ins. 'here.'] he settis the werst. If i. had gane ymyddis of the shadow of ded, that is, thof i. ware dwelland amange thaim that nouther has knawynge of god, na luf: or in mydys of this lif, that is shadow of ded. for it is blak with myrknes of syn and [U ant. S &.] it ledis til ded. and ill men, amange whaim goed men wonnes, beris the figure of ded, that is, the ymage of the deuel, for him thai folow in syn. bot if i ga amange all there i. sall not dred ill, priue ne apert. for thou ert with me in my hert, whare i. fele the. swa that eftere the shadow of ded i. be with the in verray life.

5. Virga tua & baculus tuus: ipsa me consolata sunt. ¶ Thi wand and thi staf; thai haf confortyd me. ¶ Sothly i. sall dred nan ill: for thi wand. that is thi light discyplyne that chasties me as thi sun, and thi stafe, that is thi stalworth help. that i. len me till. and haldis me vp. thai haf confortid me, lerand me what i. sould doe, and haldand my thoght in the, that is my comfort.

6. Parasti in conspectu meo mensam: aduersus eos qui tribulant me. ¶ Thou has grayid [S ordand.] in my syght the bord; agayns thaim that angirs me. ¶ That is, thou has purged my hert, and liftid vp to haf the ioy of contemplacioun, and thoght of the bord of heuen, swa that i. sett noght bi all that my enmys may angire me.

7. Inpinguasti in oleo caput meum: & calix meus in|ebrians quam preclarus est. ¶ Thou fattid my [S. U me.] heued in oyle; and my chalice drunkynand what it is bright. ¶ That is, thou made glad my thoght in gastly ioy, and my chalice. that is, the wyne of thi luf, hetand and strenghtand me withinen. myn, for i. take it of the: and drunkynand. that is, gerand me forgete all vayn delites of this warld. what it is bright [S. U brightere.] . for it gifes me the brightnes of lif withouten end.

8. Et miserecordia tua subsequetur me: omnibus diebus vite mee. ¶ And thi mercy sall folow me; all the dayes of my

lif. ¶ Thi mercy, that come bifor me, that i. resaifid grace. that sall [S shal. U om.] folow me helpand. and kepand me in grace: and that all the dayes of my lif whils i. lif here.

9. Et vt inhabitem in domo domini: in longitudinem dierum. ¶ And that i. won in the hows of lord; in lenght of dayes. ¶ That is thi mercy saf me in this lif fra synn, and in the tother brynge me til heuen. This psalme is songen in the office of ded men: for thurgh the graces here neuend, as bi iournes, right|wismen comes til endles lyf, the whilk thai couaite.