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 XLI.]

QUEMADMODUM desiderat ceruus ad fontes aquarum: ita desiderat anima mea ad te deus. ¶ As the hert ȝernys till the welles of waters; swa my saule ȝernys til the, god. ¶ This psalme is of all perfit men. that ere brennand with the flaumme of godis luf, and passis in till contemplatife life. and therfore it is songen in the office of dede men: for than haf thai that thai ȝernyd, that is, the sight of god. forthi says he, as the hert, that has etyn the neddire, gretly ȝernys to cum til the welles of waters, forto drynk and wax ȝonge agayn. swa destroyd in me vices & vnclennes, my saule desires with brennand ȝerenynge to cum til the, god.

2. Sitiuit anima mea ad deum fontem viuum: quando veniam & apparebo ante faciem dei. ¶ My saule thristid til god welle of life; when sall .i. cum, and .i. sall appere bifor the face of god. ¶ He shewis that his [S. U is.] ȝernynge is to drynke: that is, to cum and appere bifore god. forthi he says, when sall .i. cum. as wha say, .i. couaite to dye, and be with crist: me thynke lange that oght is thare til: me thristis in my ȝernynge [S rynnynge.] : .i. sall be fild in my comynge: and when sall .i. appere. for that is sone til god til my ȝernynge is it latly. swilk a hert in his rase suffirs hethyngis, and says.

3. Fuerunt michi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte: dum dicitur michi cotidie, vbi est deus tuus. ¶ My teris was til me brede day & nyght: whils it is sayd til me day be day, whare

is thi god. ¶ That is, anguys and tribulacioun was not til me bitternes. bot brede, that is, delite and fode. for in afflicciouns we ere lerid. cheson of there teris is the hethynge of wickid men, that says til me, whare is thi god. ilk man that thynge he makis his god that he mast lufis: for thai may shew ther goddis with fyngere. and my god may noght be sene, that suffirs me be in pyne, and thaim in welth: forthi make thai hethynge, as .i. had na god, or that he wild not help me.

4. Hec recordatus sum & effudi in me animam meam: quoniam transibo in locum tabernaculi admirabilis, vsque ad domum dei. ¶ There .i. haf vmthoght, and .i. helt in me my saule: forwhi .i. sall passe in stede of wondirful tabernakile, in til the house of god. ¶ There .i. vmthoght: that is, reproues and hethyngis, .i. thynke that thai sall be medfull: and forthi .i. helt in me my saule: that is, .i. enlargid it til luf of god, and myn enmy: .i. lete it noght raike in ydel thoghtis. for on this manere .i. sall passe thorght halykirke. thare is wondirful lufers, incomand [U in comoand. S in comande.] with thoght in til godis howse in heuen, takyn with na ȝernynge of this warld. how comes thou til the priuete of this howse.

5. In voce exultacionis & confessionis: sonus epulantis. ¶ In voice of ioiynge and of shrift: soun of eteand. ¶ Of the fest of heuen sounys in his hert a swete note, that makis him to last in [S brist out into the.] voice of ioiynge, for the wondirful softnes of myrth. and sange in his saule: and of shrift, that is, of endles louynge. and soun of eteand, that is, of ioyand of gastly dayntethis [S deynteys.] : for he is takyn in the melody of aungels louynge, that is in his thoght: as the mayster says in the glose.

6. Quare tristis es anima mea: & quare conturbas me. ¶ Whi ert thou sary my saule: and whi druuys thou me. ¶ Sen thou has thus mykil comfort in cristis luf. and doutis not that thou felis god, whi ert thou sary, or whi angirs thou my skill: aswha say, if thou bihalde wele, nathynge is in the warld wharefore thou sould be stird til sarynes.

7. Spera in deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salutare vultus mei & deus meus. ¶ Hope in god, for ȝit .i. sall shrife til him: hele of my face, and my god. ¶ If thou say, forthi .i. am sary. for .i. am not thare whither .i. am rauyst passand, and .i. am heuyd here in fleysse. lo remedy: hope in god, for ȝit .i. sall

shrife til him. that is, .i. sall loue him perfitly in his blisse: for he is hele of my face, that is, of oure fourme, that he toke: and my god, my makere.

8. Ad meipsum anima mea conturbata est: propterea memor ero tui de terra iordanis, & hermonijm a monte modico. ¶ Til my self druuyd is my saule: therfore .i. sall be menand of the, fra the land of iordane, and fra the litill hyll of hermon. ¶ Till my selfe, that is, .i. sett [S rette.] it til myn aghen slawnes, that my saule is stird or sary: for turnand me til god .i. am gladid. Warne the vices of oure body were, oure saule sould ay be in rest and delite. therfore, that is, for lettyngis of my saule, .i. sall be menand of the: that is, .i. hast me til the in all my hert, for thou dos away all ill: and my mynde sall be fra the land of iordane, that is, fra my baptem, or fra penaunce, whare thou for gaf me my syn. and mekid me, and makid me erth to bere froite. He that thynkis this, he is not druuyd in angirs: and .i. sall be menand of the fra hermon, the litill hill. that is, for thou made me to myspay my self, and forsake the deuel, & heghe in vertus and litell in meknes. Jordane is als mykil at say. as down lightynge. and hermon as weriynge.

9. Abissus abissum inuocat: in voce catharactarum tuarum. ¶ Depnes incalles depnes: in voice of thi gutters. ¶ I am lettid and drery, for depnes, that is, the dome that thou punyst adam with. wharfore we ere in trauaile and dyes. incalles depnes, that is, shewis another dome, in the whilk ill men sall be dampned. for if he punyst adam sa hard for a syn, what hopis thou he sall doe til tha that will na penaunce doe for thare syn, bot chesis are to dye thare in. than thai will lefe it. forthi there twa domes druuys a rightwisman: and that in voice of thi gutters. that is, thurgh the lare of thi lufers. that shewis thaim til men.

10. Omnia excelsa tua & fluctus tui: super me trans|ierunt. ¶ All thi heghe thinges [S. U om.] and thi stremys: on me passid. ¶ That is, the mare pyne & the lesse, that ouercome my [S. U bi.] body swa passid. that is, thai sall passe away all at the lest [S last.] when .i. dye.

11. In die mandauit dominus miserecordiam suam: & necte canticum eius. ¶ In day lord bade his mercy: and in nyght the sange of him. ¶ That is, when we ere in wele god

biddis that we bere gladly anguys. that is of his mercy, that we be safe. and swa in nyght, that is, when we [S. U om.] ere in that ilke angire, he biddis vs synge and ioy in him.

12. Apud me oracio deo vite me: dicam deo, susceptor meus es. ¶ Anence me prayere til god of my life: .i. sall say til god, myn vptakere thou ert. ¶ That is, in me .i. hafe that .i. may offire til my god, deuocioun and goed will. that gifis me life: me thare not seke kalf na shepe: for in that he is myn vptakere, to sett me in his blis. forthi,

13. Quare oblitus es mei: & quare contristatus incedo dum affligit me inimicus. ¶ Whi has thou forgen me: and whi saryd .i. ga, whils the enmy tourmentis me. ¶ That is, whi suffirs thou me sa lange be trauaild in this wrichidnes. he this felid of the swetnes of heuen, and vggid [S dred.] the perils of the warld: and he ȝed til god saryd, whils his enmy the deuel tourmentid him, temptand and angirand hym [S. U om.] , that he gars sa many kele fra godis luf.

14. Dum confriguntur ossa mea, exprobrauerunt michi: qui tribulant me inimici mei. ¶ Whils my banes ere brokyn, vpbraydid til me: that angirs me my faes. ¶ Oure banes ere brokyn when the vertu of paciens failis. that ill men scornys. on this manere.

15. Dum dicunt michi per singulos dies: vbi est deus tuus. ¶ Whils thai say til me day by day: whare is thi god. ¶ As whasay. outher nane is, or he rekis not of the. or if he reke, delyuer he the if he may. bot not forthi,

16. Quare tristis es anima mea: & quare conturbas me. ¶ Whi ert thou sary my saule: and whi druuys thou me. ¶ The thare not be sary for thaire saghe: for thai ere fals, and not wate what thai sai:

17. Spera in deo quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salu|tare vultus mei & deus meus. ¶ Hope in god, for ȝit .i. sall shrife til him: hele of my face and my god. ¶ Here he says the shrift, and reherces confermynge of hope.