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 XXX.]

IN te domine speraui, non confundar in eternum: in ius|ticia tua libera me. ¶ In the lord .i. hopid, .i. be noght shamed withouten end; in thi rightwisnes delyuer me. ¶ The voice of a rightwisman. lord .i. hopid in the, not in me. if men be in anguys and hope in god his comforth sall noght want. and therfor .i. be noght shamed in this life. in thi rightwisnes delyuer me. that is, in that rightwisnes that thou has gifen til me.

2. Inclina ad me aurem tuam: accelera vt eruas me. ¶ Held til me thin ere; hast that thou delyuer me. ¶ That did thi mercy when thou sent thi son. he says hast, for that is noght lange that has end. and that is lange til vs, in godis eghen it is shorte.

3. Esto michi in deum protectorem: & in domum refugij, vt saluum me facias. ¶ Be til me in god hilere; and in hows of fleynge, that thou make me safe. ¶ Be til me in god hilere: that is, be til me swilke a hilere as it falles til god: and be til me as a hows, til the whilke .i. fleand be safe.

4. Quoniam fortitudo mea & refugium meum es tu: & propter nomen tuum deduces me & enutries me. ¶ ffor my strenght and my fleynge ert thou; and for thi name thou sall lede me and fostire me. ¶ That is, nourewhare .i. fele me strenghti and sykere bot of the: and for thi name to glorifye, not for my meryt, thou sall lede me, that .i. ga not wil [S wile.] : and fostire me, that .i. be made myghty to ete in heuen at aungels borde. that is, thou sall be litell and litel brynge me forth til .i. be perfite.

5. Educes me de laqueo quem absconderunt michi: quo|niam tu es protector meus. ¶ Thou sall lede oute of the snare that thai hid til me; for thou ert my hilere. ¶ That is, thorgh thi grace .i. sall not be taken with the snare of endles pyne that thai hid til me, vndire the likynge of synn, as venome is hid vndire a swet morsell. for thou ert my hilere, that .i. assent noght til thaire eggynge.

6. In manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meum: redemisti me domine deus veritatis. ¶ In thi hend .i. betake my gast; thou boght me, lord god of sothfastnes. ¶ Verraly thou ert my hilere: for thou lord god of sothfastnes, that is, sothfastly fulfilland that thou hight, boght me fra the deuel, in crist criand in the crosse, In thi hend .i. be take my gast. Alswa we aghe to bitake oure saules in godis pouste ilk day, that he thaim kepe til his louynge, for we may noght.

7. Odisti obseruantes vanitates: superuacue. ¶ Thou hatid the kepand vanytes; outrageusly. ¶ Me thou boght: bot thou hatid, that is thou reprouyd, thaim that settis thaire hertis on the fals ioy of this warld. the whilke outrageusly is kepid, when a man for his life does ill, couaytand vanyte, and neuer the lattere he losis his lyfe.

8. Ego autem in domino speraui: exultabo & letabor in miserecordia tua. ¶ Bot .i. hopid in lord; .i. sall glade, and .i. sall ioy in thi mercy. ¶ I, that kepis na vanytes, hopid in my lord: for .i. hate that he hatis. wha sa hopis in katell or in honur

or in any heghnes of mannys myght. he kepis vanyte: for outher he dyes for [S of.] thaim, or thai perisch fra him: bot god lastys ay: forthi he hopis in him. and is glad in his mercy, that saues fra luf of vanytes, and bryngis him to luf sothfastnes.

9. Quoniam respexisti humilitatem meam: saluasti de necessitatibus animam meam. ¶ ffor thou lokid my meknes; thou saued fra nedyngis my saule. ¶ ffor meknes pays the, thou saued me of nedyngis. that ere many. as to knaw noght the hert of a nother. haf ill susspeccioun of a trew frend, or goed of an vntrew: vncertayne what thou sall be the [S to.] morne. will not dy, and bihoues dye: folow ald customes: he that is verraily meke god sall saf him of there, here a parcy [S party.] . in the tother warld plenerly.

10. Nec conclusisti me in manibus inimici: statuisti in loco spacioso pedes meos. ¶ Thou loukid me noght in hend of enmy; thou sett in rowmsted my fete. ¶ Hend of enmy is the myght of the deuel, that gildirs [S byndes.] men with couaitis of life and dred of ded. of tha hend ere thai delyuered that wele lifis and wele dyes. ill men ere loukid in thaim: bot thou sett my fete, that is my willes, in rowmstede: that is in charite, that is the rowm of haly men, and fere fra the deuels myght. bot for haly men suffirs pyne in this life, he says,

11. Miserere mei domine quoniam tribulon: conturbatus est in ira oculus meus, anima mea & venter meus. ¶ Haf mercy of me lord, for .i. am in anguys; druuyd is myn eghe in ire, my saule and my wambe. ¶ Haf mercy of me wreche man. for .i. am in anguys: .i. dred noght ded. bot pyne tourmentis me. druuyd is in ire of thaim that pynes me. myn eghe. that is my skil: it is not put out, for hateredyn: my saule, that is my sensualite, and myn wambe, that is my fleysse: alswa say, na thynge is fre of me, withouten pyne.

12. Quoniam defecit in dolore vita mea: & anni mei in gemitibus. ¶ fforwhi in wa wanyd my life; and my ȝeris in sorowynge. ¶ In wa of tourments til ded is my life broght: and my ȝeris, that is my tymes, ere not in clere voice, bot in sorowynge, that swa many wirkis ill, and leues the way of charite. in this maner the life of perfit men is profit of other men.

13. Infirmata est in paupertate virtus mea: & ossa mea conturbata sunt. ¶ Seke is made in pouert my vertu; and my

banes ere druuyd. ¶ My vertu, that is the trayst that .i. had in mennys goed dede, is waxand wayke, and wites away, in pouert of thaire gastly goed. for [S. U fo.] luf kelis and wickidnes brennys: and my banes, that is the strenght of my saule, is sary for thaire synn.

14. Super omnes inimicos meos factus sum obprobrium vicinis meis valde: & timor notis meis. ¶ Abouen all my faes .i. am made reproue; til my neghburs, and mykil dred till my knawyn. ¶ Abouen all my faes, that is abouen hathen men, .i. am made reproue til my neghburs: that is, til thaim that ere in poynt to be conuertid [S. U couertid.] , and for thai see the wickidnes of cristen men, that ere ware than hathen men, thai lefe thaire conuersion, and haldis thaim in thaire synn. and .i. am dred mykil til my knawyn: that is, thai ere in dout that all be swilke as thai see sum in haly kyrke or in relygion.

15. Qui videbant me foras fugerunt a me: obliuioni datus sum, tanquam mortuus a corde. ¶ Thai that saghe me out thai fled fra me; til forgetynge gifen .i. am, as ded fra hert. ¶ Worldis men that sees haly men haf thaire hope anly in thynge that is not in syght. thai fle out fra thaim in til lust and lykynge of body: and swa thai forget crist, as ded fra thaire hert: for all that lufis him noght has forgetyn him.

16. Factus sum tanquam vas perditum: quoniam audiui vituperacionem multorum commorancium in circuitu. ¶ I am made as vessell lost; for .i. herd myssagh of many duelland in vmgange. ¶ That is, me thoght that .i. perischt lifand til god. and wynand na saules til him, or losand that .i. had getyn. and this .i. say, for .i. herd myssaghe of many. for many myssays me that will noght cum with me til heuen. bot thai duell in the vmgange of couaitys. Ȝe wate wele that for ill men the goed ere myssayd: for thus thai say; thai ere all faitors and ypocrites and iogulors, that desayues men: bot thai erre fouly: for thai myssay and dampnes haly men with werid men.

17. In eo dum conuenirent simul aduersum me: accipere animam meam consiliati sunt. ¶ In that ewhils thai come samen agayns me; to take my saule thai ware counsaild. ¶ Thai com to gidere in that myssagh and vmgange: for thai will not out of thaire wickidnes: and than ware thai counsaild to sla my saule: that is, that it assentid til thaim in synn.

18. Ego autem in te speraui domine: dixi, deus meus es tu, in manibus tuis sortes mee. ¶ Bot .i. in the hopid lord: .i. sayd my god thou ert, in thi [S. U om.] hend my kuttis. ¶ Nathynge is halesumere than to hope in god in all anguys. in thi hend, that is, in thi pouste and knawynge, is my kuttis, that is, the chesun and the ordire that thou has chosen me til thi luf fra wickid men, and that .i. felle til the mare than a nother: and therfore,

19. Eripe me de manu inimicorum meorum: & a perse|quentibus me. ¶ Out take me of the hand of my faes; and of foluand me. ¶ Sen thou has chosen me of thi goednes, lat the deuel and his mynystres haf na maystri ouer me. that i ne [U ine. S that i(che) wyth all my hert ne luf the.] with all my hert luf the, and fulfil thi will. oure aghen fals brether mast folus vs in ill. for all haly kyrke has reprofe of thaire ill life.

20. Illustra faciem tuam super seruum tuum, saluum me fac in miserecordia tua domine: non confundar, quoniam inuocaui te. ¶ Lyght thou thi face on thi seruaunte, make me safe in thi mercy lord: be .i. noght shamed, for .i. inkald the. ¶ That is. make that it may be sene whilke is thi seruaunt, and whilke falles til the. and safe me in thi mercy: for thof .i. knaw that .i. luf the .i. trayst noght in my meryt, bot in thi mercy. and .i. be not shamed in thi dome, for .i. inkald the. in til me with luf.

21. Erubescant impij, & deducantur in infernum: muta fiant labia dolosa. ¶ The wickid shame, & broght be in til hell; dumb be made swikil lippes. ¶ Nane sall shame that lufis the. bot the wickid that lufis vanites thai be shamed. and be broght in till hell. that is, felaghid [S filed.] be thai. with the shadus of hell. thare is endles shame. and swikil lippes. that ere here ianglers, & dredis noght the dome, dumb be thai in pyne.

22. Que loquuntur aduersus iustum iniquitatem: in superbia & in abusione. ¶ The whilke spekis agayns the rightwis wickidnes; in pride and in abusion. ¶ In pride thai speke [U spake. S spekyne.] , for thai heghe thaim self agayns god when thai dispise his seruauntis: in abusion. of godis giftis, for thai ere vnkynd til god, and oyses wrange his benefices.

23. Quam magna multitudo dulcedinis tue domine: quam abscondisti timentibus te. ¶ How gret the multitude of thi swetnes lord; the whilke thou has hid til the [S to the. U om.] dredand the. ¶ Thai

ere proude: bot lord the swetnes of ioy that thou hides, that it be mare desired, til the dredand the. and in heuen it sall be shewid til thaim, that is sa mykil that naman may tel it.

24. Perfecisti eis qui sperant in te: in conspectu filiorum hominum. ¶ Thou made perfit til tha that hopis in the; in the syght of mennys sunnes. ¶ That is, thou has made perfit that swetnes til hopand in the. that is that swa hopis that thaim shame noght of thaire hope & luf, bot grantis it bifor men.

25. Abscondes eos in abscondito faciei tue: a conturba|cione hominum. ¶ Thou sall hide thaim in dern of thi face; fra druuyinge of men. ¶ Swa perfit is the swetnes, that thou sall hide thaim tharin, that ill men see thaim noght, in derne of thi face: that is, that thai see the face til face, that is swa dern that na man may see it bot that is clen as purged gold: and that fra the druuyinge of men. that is, when ill men are dampned.

26. Proteges eos in tabernaculo tuo: a contradiccione linguarum. ¶ Thou sall hile thaim in thi tabernakile; fra gayn|sayinge of tonges. ¶ In this life thou sall hile thaim fra syn in haly kirke, and fra gaynsaiynge of heresis and discord: for thai hald right trouth and stabil luf.

27. Benedictus dominus, quoniam mirificauit misere|cordiam suam michi: in ciuitate munita. ¶ Blissid lord, for he selkouthid his mercy til me: in cyte warnyst. ¶ That is, louyd be my lord, for he made wondirful his mercy til me, that is, til my hele. in cyte warnyst. that is, in this warld, that is armed agayns god in witt of fleysse, & connynge of ill, and clomstnes [S clennes.] in syn.

28. Ego autem dixi in excessu mentis mee: proiectus sum a facie oculorum tuorum. ¶ Bott .i. sayd in outpassynge of my thoght; .i. am ferre kastyn fra the face of thin eghen. ¶ I sayd in outpassynge of my thoght. that is, when my thoght is rauyst til heuen in contemplacioun. than .i. say that .i. am ferkasten fra the clere syght of thi fairhede. ffor ay the mare we knaw the heghnes of god the lawere vs thynke oure self.

29. Ideo exaudisti vocem oracionis mee: dum clamarem ad te. ¶ ffor thi thou herd the voice of my prayere; whils .i. crid til the. ¶ ffor thi that .i. knaw me a wreche, and fere fra thi sight, thou herd me. Cries til god noght in the mouth bot in the hert. for thi cry withinen [S wyth inne. U withouten.] whare god heris.

30. Diligite dominum omnes sancti eius: quoniam veri|tatem requiret dominus, & retribuet habundanter facienti|bus superbiam. ¶ Lufis the lord all his halighis; for sothfastnes he sall seke, and he sall ȝeld haboundanly til doand pride. ¶ Ȝe halymen that lufis noght the warld, na ought that is thar in. lufis oure lord, that is, seruys til him in luf mare than in dred. for he sall seke in his dome sothfastnes. that is, that ilke man serfe til his god. this he sall seke of halymen. what sall synful do that serued the warld? and than he sall ȝeld endles pyne til thaim that now does pride, haboundanly: for thai doe na penaunce for thaire synn: bot synnes til the ded.

31. Viriliter agite & confortetur cor vestrum: omnes qui speratis in domino. ¶ Wirkis manly, and comfortid be ȝoure hert; all that hopis in lord. ¶ Wirkis, that ȝoure luf be noght ydell: and if anguys comes agayns ȝou, comfortid be ȝoure hert in luf of crist, ȝe all that hopis in him. In this vers is expressid the vertu and the entent of all the psalme: that is, that the frelte of oure fleysse dred noght swa many illes of the warld.