The Psalter, or Psalms of David and certain canticles
Rolle, Richard, of Hampole, tr. 1290?-1349., Bramley, Henry Ramsden, ed. 1833-1917.

[PSALM LXIX.]

DEUS in adiutorium meum intende: domine ad adiuuan|dum me festina. ¶ God bihald in my help; lord forto help me haste. ¶ Euermare hafe we nede of godis help, for ay we ere here in feghtynge, what of men, what of fendis: and if his mercy dwell fra vs; oure tourmentis waxis. god hastis to help vs. when he kepis vs fra synn. whils we ere in temptaciouns. bot to thaim he hastis him noght to help, whaim he suffirs to erre in ill delite.

2. Confundantur & reuereantur: qui querunt animam meam. ¶ Shamed be thai and drede: that sekis my saule. to sla. ¶ Many ere swa malicious men that thai afforce thaim to refe other men thaire goed fame. the whilke*. [U repeats 'the whilke.'] thai will not folow.

3. Auertantur retrorsum & erubescant: qui volunt michi mala. ¶ Turnyd be thai bihynd and shame: that will til me illes. ¶ That is. lif thai eftere the counsaile of halymen. noght eftere yaire aghen*. [U eghen. S owene.]. and shame thai that thai angire goed men. in worde or dede. that will till me illes. that is. that wild hafe ioy of my fallynge.

4. Auertantur statim erubescentes: qui dicunt michi euge euge. ¶ Away be thai turnyd sone shamand: that says till me, euge. euge. ¶ ffra thaire wickid willes and thaire foule presumpcioun of pride be thai turnyd away till luf and meknes sone knawand that thai have erred. shamand with thaire bakbi|tyngis. that says till me. euge. euge. that is. that makis me ioy as thai lufid me. & sithen spekis ill of me. Blamynge & louynge is fire in the whilke a rightwisman is proued. he entirs in the fournas whils he is temptid with reproue or louynge. he cumes pure out as gold, if he be takyn with nowther.

5. Exultent & letentur in te omnes qui querunt te: & dicant semper, magnificetur dominus, qui diligunt salutare tuum. ¶ Glade thai and fayn be in the all that sekis the: and say thai euermare, lord worschipid be, that lufis thi hele. Page  247 ¶ Glad thai, wele cherid in thaire werkis, and fayn be thai*. [S thei. U om.] in clennes of consciens in the noght in thaim self. na in vanyte. thus dos all that felis in thaire hert the swete brennynge of cristis luf. and say thai euermare, in thoght and voice or dede. oure lord be worschipid, that kalles the synfull. forgifes till the sorowand. and guuernes the rightwisly lifand. and glorifies the lastand. all says noght this. bot that lufis thi hele. that is. ihū. thurgh whaim we ere safe. this luf is in twa thyngis if we will wreth him for na thynge. and hald his name in oure hert with delite.

6. Ego vero egenus & pauper sum: deus adiuua me. ¶ Sothly .i. am nedy and pore: god thou help me. ¶ Nedy he is that has noght to life with. pore he is that knawis his nede. swilke. am .i.: forthi .i. pray god thou help me out of this nede. and lede me in till thi light, whare na nede is na pouert.

7. Adiutor meus & liberator meus es tu: domine ne moreris. ¶ My helpere and my delyuerere ert thou; lord dwell noght. ¶ Thou .ihū. ert my helpere in feghtynge and perils of this life. and my delyuerere of all ill when .i. cum til the. forthi, lord ihū, dwell noght. that thynge vs thynke dwellis lange fra vs. that we luf with gret desire, and ilke day lokis when it cumes. swilke is the ȝernynge of haly saules til cristis cumynge: bot thai couait noght that he cum are the tyme that he has ordaynd. for thai abide ilke day his cumynge. and that is the last degre of per|feccioun when man couaits to dye and be with crist, whaim thai lufid verraly, sikere of endles bliss with aungels.