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 XXXIV.]

IUDICA domine nocentes me: expugna impugnantes me. ¶ Deme lord noyand me; werray fightand agaynes me. ¶ Crist, in his person, and in person of his lufers, says. deme, that is dampne, noyand me with will. werray, that is ouercum, thaim that fightis agaynes me in ded. lo god fightis for vs, wha may be agayns vs.

2. Apprehende arma & scutum: & exurge in adiuto|rium michi. ¶ Gripe wapyns and sheld: and rise in help til me. ¶ Godis sheld is hilynge of his goed will: his armes we ere. for as we ere armed of hym, swa he of vs, when he with vs smytis his enmys: and namly with the saule of crist he did his enmys mykill shame and sorow. a wondirful syght, to see god armed for vs: and rise in helpe til me. that is, make it be knawn that thou helpis me.

3. Effunde frameam & conclude aduersus eos qui per|sequuntur me: dic anime mee salus tua ego sum. ¶ Out|hell the swerd, and louk agayns thaim that folus me: say til my saule thi hele .i. am. ¶ Outhell the swerd: that is, multiply ven|gaunce agayns my faes visibils and invisibils: and louk thaim in, that thai haf na roume to noy as thai wald. say til my saule, that .i. may here it in dede. what; thi hele .i. am, now and withouten end.

4. Confundantur & reuereantur: querentes animam meam. ¶ Thai be shamed & drede; sekand my saule. ¶ Shamed be thai of thaire synn, and drede the fire of hell. that sekis my saule, noght forto folou in vertus, bot forto sla in vices.

5. Auertantur retrorsum & confundantur: cogitantes michi mala. ¶ Turnyd be thai agayn and shamed; thynkand til me illes. ¶ That is, make thaim to folou. noght to ga bifore. that thai take gode counsaile. for thairs is venymouse. thynkand ill till me, for thai ere withouten luf.

6. Fiant tanquam puluis ante faciem venti: & angelus domini coartans eos. ¶ Made be thai as dust bifor the face of wynd; and aungel of lord straitand [S constranande.] thaim. ¶ That is, lightly be thai dryuen in ilk temptacioun, and soen assent till all eggynge [S ins. 'or entisynge.'] :

and the ill aungel of god be ay tourmentand thaim in that ilk sug|gestion. the prophet sais as it is, he cauaitid it noght.

7. Fiat via illorum tenebre & lubricum: & angelus domini persequens eos. ¶ The way of thaim be made merknes and sklither; and aungel of lord folowand tham. ¶ That is, ignoraunce and lichery be thare way, by the whilke thai fall in the lake of ded. this is vgly way. Wha is that vggis not with a way that is bath myrke and sklither, whare he may not fest his fete, and tharewith the deuel foluand & promttand, on that thai stand noght til light cum. swilk is the way of all synful men. and thai wen that thai fare wele. the fend he calles godis aungel, for he may doe na thynge bot at godis suffrynge, and he seruys god in tourmentynge of synful men, and rightwis, bath.

8. Quoniam gratis absconderunt michi interitum laquei sui: superuacue exprobrauerunt animam meam. ¶ ffor of selfwill thai hid til me ded of thaire snare: outrageusly thai vpbraidid my saule. ¶ Of selfwill, that is withouten cheson. for .i. did tham na harm, thai hid til me crist, ded of thaire snare: that is, wickid counsails thai soght, to sla me. bot that was thaire dede and noght myne: thai vpbraide [S vpbreyded.] my saule, accusand it outrage|usly, that is withouten profit, sayand fals thynge, and prouand na thynge.

9. Veniat illi laqueus quem ignorat: & capcio quam abscondit apprehendat eum, & in laqueum cadat in ipsum. ¶ Cum til him the snare that he not knawis: and the trap that he has hid him take, and in snare fall he in itt. ¶ Alswa say, thare aghen desaite desaife thaim self: nathynge is rightwisere than that cum til thaim that thai wild come til other men. for ilk man is bunden in his [S ins. 'owene.'] syn: and in snare fall he in it. that is, in that ilk that he hid til me.

10. Anima autem mea exultabit in domino: & delecta|bitur super salutari suo. ¶ Bot my saule sall ioy in lord; and it sall be delitid on his hele. ¶ Thai haf ioy in wickidnes. bot my saule sall ioy in my lord. in wham is verra ioy. ioy in otherthynge is woednes. the first blisfulhed of mannys saule is to ioy in crist, and be delitid on that. that it has hele of him.

11. Omnia ossa mea dicent: domine quis similis tibi.

¶ All my banes sall say; lord wha is like til the. ¶ That is, all the vertu of my thoght sall say, for a nother may not say this, lord wha is like til the. nane: for thou ert.

12. Eripiens inopem de manu forciorum eius: egenum & pauperem a diripientibus eum. ¶ Out takand the helples of hand of stalworthere of him: nedy and pore of robband him. ¶ Thou out takis the helples, that is mannys kinde, fra the pouste of the deuel, that was stalworthere: for he ouercome him, and robbid the nedy and the pore: that ware we, for oure syn: bot now he lesis vs of his hand, thorgh his passion.

13. Surgentes testes iniqui: que ignorabam interroga|bant me. ¶ Risand wickid witnessis: that .i. not knew thai askid me. ¶ Syn is that crist says he knew not: for he did it noght: aswha say thai wild haf made me culpabil of syn, bot thai myght noght.

14. Retribuebant michi mala pro bonis: sterilitatem anime mee. ¶ Thai ȝeldid til me illes for goed: baranhede til my saule. ¶ Crist come to safe thaim. and thai therfor ȝeldid him the ded: and agayns his goed lare thai ȝeldid him baranhede: for nan wild conuert thaim til him, bot duellid forth in thaire wickidnes, withouten goed froite.

15. Ego autem cum michi molesti essent: induebar cilicio. ¶ Bot when thai ware angri til me; cled .i. was in haire. ¶ That is, when thai shewd thaire hatredyn in me, .i. hid me in mannys fleysse: and shewid noght agayns thaim the myght of my godhed. We fynd noght writen that crist werd the haire: forthi it bitakyns his fleysse, whare in he was prikide.

16. Humiliabam in ieiunio animam meam: & oracio mea in sinu meo conuertetur. ¶ I mekid in fastynge my saule; and my prayere in my bosom sall be turnyd. ¶ That is, .i. tourmentid my saule in fastynge, for .i. fand na werkis in thaim that .i. delitid me in. and for thi my prayere turnys in til my bosum: that is, it profits til nane bot that ere in my bosum, my men that .i. hafe chosen.

17. Quasi proximum & quasi fratrem nostrum sic com|placebam: quasi lugens & contristatus sic humiliabar. ¶ As neghbure, as oure brother, swa .i. qwemyd: as sorowand & sary made. swa .i. was mekid. ¶ That is, .i. quemed til my fadere, hafand thaim as neghbure and brother: and for all this,

when thai wild not be conuertid, .i. was mekid as a fadire sorowand and sary for ded of his sune.

18. Aduersum me letati sunt & conuenerunt: congre|gata sunt super me flagella & ignoraui. ¶ Agayns me thai ioyde and samen come: gadird ere on me swyngyngis, & .i. not knew. ¶ I was sary for thaim and thai ware wickidly glad agayns me. thai toke counsaile, and gadird tourmentis agayns me, & .i. not wist. that he says for thai wend swa. bot he wist all.

19. Dissipati sunt nec compuncti temptauerunt me, subsannauerunt me subsannacione: frenduerunt super me dentibus suis. ¶ Thai ere scatird not stungen, thai temptid me, thai skornyd me with scornynge: thai gnaystid on me with thaire tethe. ¶ Thai ere scatird when thai saghe the myracles in the [S. U om.] passion: bot for hardnes of hert thai ware not stongen. to doe penaunce: thai temptid me sayand. say vs if thou be crist: thai scornyd me with scornynge of enmy: and thai gnaystid on me as bestis wild & cruel.

20. Domine quando respicies, restitue animam meam a malignitate eorum: a leonibus vnicam meam. ¶ Lord, when thou sall loke, restore my saule fra ill willandnes of thaim: fra lyons myn anlepi. ¶ Lorde, when sall thou loke that thou rayse me, restore my saule til the body: and fra lyons, that is wickid princes, myn anlepi, that is my fleysse, or my kirke.

21. Confitebor tibi in ecclesia magna: in populo graui laudabo te. ¶ I sall shrif til the in kirke gret; in folke heuy .i. sall loue the. ¶ Gret kirke it is. for it is of all kyndes [S. U kyndnes.] of men: in heuy folke, the whilke wynd of temptacioun may noght lift fra stabilnes of thoght, .i. sall loue the: for in caf [S chaffe.] , that is light to fle with the wynd in til syn, na louynge is.

22. Non supergaudeant michi qui aduersantur michi inique: qui oderunt me gratis & annuunt oculis. ¶ Abouen ioy thai noght til me, that aduersaries ere til me: wickidly that hatid me of selfwil, and takyns with eghen. ¶ Abouenioy thai not. that is, thai sall na ioy haf abouen my lufers, for thai sall not ouercum thaim. thai hate me wickidly: and not forthi thai takyn with eghen, as thai lufid me: swa does ypocrites, that makis ther face semand that is not in thaire hert.

23. Quoniam michi quidem pacifice loquebantur: & in

iracundia terre loquentes dolos cogitabant. ¶ ffor sothly til me pesfully thai spake: and in breth [S wrethe.] of erth spekand tresons thai thoght. ¶ Thai spake pesfully, bot thai thoght tresons. and that in breth [S wrethe.] of erth. that is, for the erth. the whilke in wreth. thai drede to lose.

24. Dilatauerunt super me os suum: dixerunt euge euge, viderunt oculi nostri. ¶ Thai bradid on me ther mouth; thai sayd euge euge oure eghen saghe. ¶ Thai bradid thaire mouth. for thai spake ouer bradely. when thai cried doe crist on ye crosse. and in his ded thai sayd euge. euge. wele is vs: oure eghen saghe of the that we ȝernyd.

25. Vidisti domine, ne sileas: domine ne discedas a me. ¶ Thou saghe lord, stil not; lord departe noght fra me. ¶ Lord thou saghe my buxsomnes and thaire wickidnes: forthi stil not, that is, gif sentence of dome. on thaim, and depart not fra me in passyon.

26. Exurge & intende iudicio meo: deus meus, & domi|nus meus, in causam meam. ¶ Rise and bihald til my dome: my god, and my lord, in my chesun. ¶ Rise to ȝeld my aduer|saries, and bihald to my dome, gifand me name that is abouen all names. and bihald in chesun of my passion.

27. Iudica me secundum iusticiam tuam, domine deus meus: & non supergaudeant michi. ¶ Deme me eftere thi rightwisnes: lord my god, and abouen ioy thai noght til me. ¶ Thai deme me vnrightwisly: bot thou deme me eftere thi rightwis|nes, that thou has gifen til me: and abouen ioy thai not til me, bot grete thai mare than ioy that tha haf doen ill.

28. Non dicant in cordibus suis euge euge anime nostre: nec dicant deuorabimus eum. ¶ Say thai noght in thaire hertis, euge euge, til oure saule: na say thai, we haf swalu|ghid [S schal swalow.] him. ¶ Thof thai say in thaire mouth, say thai noght in thaire hertis, euge euge, til oure saule. that is. wele is vs, we haf doen that we wild. as wha say, shew thaim that thai hafe noght doen.

29. Erubescant & reuereantur simul: qui gratulantur malis meis. ¶ Shame thai, and drede to gidire: that ioyes of myn illes. ¶ Shame thai in my risynge, and drede all to gidere pyne.

30. Induantur confusione & reuerentia: qui magna [S maligna. U mala. S & U grete.]

loquuntur super me. ¶ Cled be thai in shame and drede: that grete spekis on me. ¶ That is, that spekis proudly on me, cled be thai in shame in hell.

31. Exultent & letentur qui volunt iusticiam meam: & dicant semper, magnificetur dominus, qui volunt pacem serui eius. ¶ Glade thai and fayn be that will my rightwisnes: and say thai ay, worschipid be lord, that will the pes of his seruaunt. ¶ Glade thai noght that is proude of thaire rightwisnes, bot that will folu my rightwisnes: and that will the pees of his seruaunt, that is crist, that biddis vs halde pees: and ioyand say thai, worschipid be oure lord ay. that is, swa be he worschipid til the ende of the warlde as he is now in conuersion of sum.

32. Et lingua mea meditabitur iusticiam tuam: tota die laudem tuam. ¶ And my tonge sall thynke thi rightwisnes: all day thi louynge. ¶ Thoght is of hert, noght of tonge: bot fore the voice of mouth aghe to acord hally to the hert. he says that his tonge sall thynke the rightwisnes of god. and all day his louynge. for in all wordis and dedis he louyd god. He louys all day that does all thynge wele. and he styntis not of louynge whils he haldis his rightwisnes, and erres not fra godis luf.