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 XXXIII.]

BENEDICAM dominum in omni tempore: semper laus eius in ore meo. ¶ I sall blisse the lord in ilke tyme; euermare the louynge of him in my mouth. ¶ I sall blisse, that is, .i. sall loue my lord, in hert and mouth and werke: and that in ilke tyme, bath of wele and wa: and euermare the louynge of him in my mouth: that .i. enfourme other men, and that euermare. for all that he says or thynkis is withouten blame: and swa the louynge is ay in him.

2. In domino laudabitur anima mea: audiant mansueti & letentur. ¶ In lord loued sall be my saule; the deboner here and be fayn. ¶ My saule sall be louyd, noght [U nogh.] in my self, na in vttere thynge, bot in god: for my louynge is the prechynge of my lord. in him is sykire louynge and ioy. here this, noght wise men, noght fastand men, bot debonere men that has temperaunce in all thynge, that ere soft in saule: for he that is not debonere he wrethis soen: and be fayne to folow me, for it is diletabil thynge that .i. lere. and ye debonere.

3. Magnificate dominum mecum: & exaltemus nomen eius in idipsum. ¶ Worschips oure lord with me; and heghe we his name in it selfe. ¶ This he says of brennynge of luf: hegh we his name ihū in hert and dede: in it self, that is in an [S onehed.] , that of all be made an.

4. Exquisiui dominum & exaudiuit me: & ex omnibus tribulacionibus meis eripuit me. ¶ The lord .i. soght and he herd me: and of all my tribulaciouns he me out toke. ¶ I soght in clen consciens, noght gold na riches, bot my lord, and he herd me. bi this it semes that wha sa is noght herd he soght noght god. and of all myn anguys me out toke he: this he says. for eftere clen hert and pure consciens ere tribulaciouns: bot him he out takis hally on domes day.

5. Accedite ad eum & illuminamini: & facies vestre non confundentur. ¶ Comes til him and ȝe ere lightid: and ȝoure faces sall noght be shamed. ¶ Comys til him nere on the fote of luf [S. U om. 'of luf.'] : and lufand ȝe ere lightid in saule. for if ȝe turne fra him ȝe ere myrkid. bot in lyght ȝoure faces, that is ȝoure thoghtis, sall noght be shamed: that is, thai sall noght be desaifed of mede

of heuen. And in this life a rightwisman shames not, what sa bifalles him: bot he that is proud shames ofte.

6. Iste pauper clamauit & dominus exaudiuit eum: & ex omnibus tribulacionibus eius saluauit eum. ¶ This pore cried and lord him herd; and of all his tribulaciouns he saued him. ¶ This pore, [U ins. 'is.' S i. that loues.] he that lufis nan erthly thynge, cried and god herd him [S me.] : for a lufere of riches is noght herd. for thi be pore, if thou will be herd: and in his ded. passand til him, he safid him of all his anguys.

7. Immittit angelus domini in circuitu timencium eum: & eripiet eos. ¶ In sendes the aungel of lord in vmgange of dredand him: and he sall out take thaim. ¶ The aungel of lord, that is ihū, aungel of gret counsaile, insendis, that is he makis insendynge of goed thoghtis [U thoght is.] and ȝernyngis: in vmgange, that is that he be wardayn of thaim that dredis him purly.

8. Gustate & videte quoniam suauis est dominus: beatus vir qui sperat in eo. ¶ Swelighis [S Tastes.] and sees for soft is lord; blisful man that hopis in him. ¶ Swelighis [S Tastes & swalows.] the swetnes of his luf and swa sees, that is, undirestandis, that god is soft mete, and diletabile til the saule. for he is life, puttand away all angirs. he that hopis in him wham he swalighis sall be blisful in endles life: and alswa he is blisful for he has him in hope that is all goed.

9. Timete dominum omnes sancti eius: quoniam non est inopia timentibus eum. ¶ Dredis the lord all hys halighis; for ned is not til dredand him. ¶ ȝe halymen dredis, swa that he that standis loke that he fall not. and nane, thof he be neuer swa haly, leue of dred. for ned is not of bodily sustenaunce, na of gastly, til dredand him. other has oft ned, bot not his lufers: forthi forsake not god for dred of hungire. he hight til his lufers thaire necessaris, not outrage. Many forsakis him that thai be not in nede, and swa thai fall thare in.

10. Diuites eguerunt & esurierunt: inquirentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bono. ¶ The riche had ned, and thai hungird: bot sekand lord sall noght be lessid of all goed. ¶ Oft syth riche men and proude falles in pouert for thaire wick|idnes: bot thai haf ay nede and hungere in saule. for thai tharn god that is fode of saule. and swa thai haf noght. bot sekand oure

lord in all ther hert, and noght elles, sall not be lessid of all goed. that is, withouten lessynge thai sall haf god, that is all goed: for in god is all goed.

11. Venite filii, audite me: timorem domini docebo vos. ¶ Cummys sunnes, heris me; dred of lord .i. sall ȝow lere. ¶ Cummys with trouth and luf, sunnes whaim .i. get in haly lare. heris me with ere of hert: .i. sall lere ȝow, noght the fabils of poetis, na the storis of tyraunts, bot the dred of oure lord, that will brynge ȝow til the felaghschip of aungels: and thare in is life, of the whilke he spekis.

12. Quis est homo qui vult vitam: diligit dies videre bonos. ¶ Whilke is the man that will life; lufis goed dayes to see. ¶ Whilke is the man that will endles life, and lufis goed dayes, that neuer mare ere in this warld: all men couaitis this thynge [S thurghe skile.] , bot thai seke it noght in the [S their.] aghen land: for thi he leris to seke it right.

13. Prohibe linguam tuam a malo: & labia tua ne loquantur dolum. ¶ ffor bede thi tonge fra ill: and thi lippes that thai speke not treson. ¶ Thou that will life doe this: falshed and bakbytynge and vnnaite speche he will that thou hate: and alswa.

14. Diverte a malo & fac bonum: inquire pacem & per|sequere eam. ¶ Turn fra ill and doe goed; seke pees and per|fitly folow it. ¶ Turnynge fra ill eschapis dampnacioun. doynge of goed deseruys the coroun. seke pees itwix thi body and thi saule, that may not be plener in this life: or pees is god: seke him and perfitly folou it, that is, lastandly, in till heuen: for thare sall thou haf him perfitly.

15. Oculi domini super iustos: & aures eius ad preces eorum. ¶ The eghen of lord on rightwis; and the eren of him in thaire prayers. ¶ That is, the lokynge of his mercy is on rightwis men: and his eren ere in prayers of thaim. forto gif tham that thai aske, & that tite.

16. Vultus autem domini super facientes mala: vt perdat de terra memoriam eorum. ¶ Bot the face of lord on wirk|and illes; that he lose fra erth the mynd of tha. ¶ He that does ill, wen he not to be vnpunyst: for godis knawynge is on hym, that he lose fra the erth of heuen thaire mynde, swa that na prayere be

made for thaim til god. sa fast thai ere that is in heuen in godis rightwisnes.

17. Clamauerunt iusti, & dominus exaudiuit eos: & ex omnibus tribulacionibus eorum liberauit eos. ¶ Rightwis cryed and lord thaim herd; and of [S. U om.] all thaire tribulaciouns he delyuerid thaim. ¶ Gode cries with luf and gastly voice: forthi god heris thaim sone, and delyueres thaim.

18. Iuxta est dominus hijs qui tribulato sunt corde: & humiles spiritu saluabit. ¶ Bisyd is lord til tha that ere of angird hert; and meke in gaste he sall safe. ¶ He is not besyde til all that ere angird in body, bot til angird in hert. that is, til tha that brekis the hardnes of ther hert and gers it melt in cristes luf.

19. Multe tribulaciones iustorum: & de omnibus hijs liberauit eos dominus. ¶ Many tribulaciouns of rightwis; and of all tha lord has delyuerd thaim. ¶ Many ere thaire tribulaciouns for thai ere [S thei ere. U om.] of the deuel. of enuyouse men, and of thaire fleysse. ffor thi he that suffirs not he is not rightwis: faere anguys ere of wickid men.

20. Custodit dominus omnia ossa eorum: vnum ex hijs non conteretur. ¶ Lord kepis all thaire banes; an of thaim sall not he brokyn. ¶ In the tother warld god is delyuerer of his seruauntis, bot in this [S. U his.] life he kepis all thaire banes, that is charite and sufferaunce and other vertus. and an of thaim sall not be brokyn, that is not an sall be ouercomen.

21. Mors peccatorum pessima: & qui oderunt iustum delinquent. ¶ The ded of synful aldirwarst; and thai that hatid the rightwis. sall trespas. ¶ The ded of synfulmen is not anly ill, bot it is werst: for it rauysse thaim til hell, thof it be endid in riches and honurs and waymentynge of men: for thai that hatid the rightwis, that is crist, that rightwisly punys syn, thai sall trespas. that is thai forsake god. ffor all that will not luf him, thai hate him, and forsakis him.

22. Redimet dominus animas seruorum suorum: & non delinquent omnes qui sperant in eo. ¶ Lord sall bye the saules of his seruaunts; and thai sall not trespas all that hopis in him. ¶ That is, thai sall not syn til ded: for thai hope in him, in whaim thai hafe remyssion of synnes.