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.

CANTICUM ANNE. (I. REG. ij.)

EXULTAUIT cor meum in domino: & exaltatum est cornu meum in deo meo. ¶ My hert gladid in lord; and my horn is heghid in my god. ¶ Helchana, that was fadire of samuel, had twa wifes. fenen and Anna. by fenen, that first wex in berynge of barnys, is bitakynd the synagog of iwes. by Anna, that was first barayn. and sithen bigan to be mare multiplyd than the tothere, is bitakynd the kyrk of cristen men. wharfore anna brast out in louynge of god. and made this psalme enditand it. the haly gaste stirand vs til the louynge of oure lord, that has takyn vs fra the errours of hathyn men. At the bigynnynge of hire sange sho shewis that in god is hire delit, and says, as in figur of vs. My hert gladid. in my lord, of the froyte of goed werke and of medful meditacioun, that was sary for my baraynhede. and heghid is my horn, that is, my gastly strenght, in whilke .i. put away my scorners, in my god, noght in my selfe, na in vanyte of the warlde.

2. Dilatatum est os meum super inimicos meos: quia letata sum in salutari tuo. ¶ Largid is my mouth abouen myn enmys; for .i. ioiyd in thi hele. ¶ That is, wilfully and with

gladnes .i. opynd my mouth in the louynge of god: abouen my fas, that is, mare than thai that shamyd me & despisid bifore. and that, for .i. ioiyd noght in pompe and vaynglory. bot in [U repeats in.] hele. that is, in ihū. that me has heghid in vertu.

3. Non est sanctus vt est dominus, neque enim est alius extra te: & non est fortis sicut deus noster. ¶ Nane is haly as is the lord. for nane other is out of the: and nane is stal|worth as oure god. ¶ Nane is haly, that is, fre of syn, as is the lord ihū crist. for nane othere is that is haly out of the. for in the and thorgh the is ilk haly man. and nane is stalworth to venge ill dedys as oure god is, that ȝeldis til ill men [U me. S menne.] eftire thaire ill will. forthi ye scorners & despisers of pore men. and honurers of riche men.

4. Nolite multiplicare loqui sublimia: gloriantes. ¶ Willis noght multiply to speke heghe thyngis: ioyand. ¶ Willis namare gif ȝoure tunge leue to speke proudly. for ȝe ere heghid in myght of this warld. for that myght is bot sorow and shame til ȝou, if ȝe be proud, ioyand in riches and in ȝoure delitys and licherys. and if ȝe vmthoght ȝou wele; ȝe sould hafe mare sorow than ioy. for ȝe [U om. S ȝee.] get nane other heuen. but if ȝe dispend thaim at godis will.

5. Recedant vetera de ore vestro: quia deus scienci|arum dominus est. & ipsi preparantur cogitaciones. ¶ Ald [U Als. S Old.] thyngis depart fra ȝowre mouth; for god of sciens is lord. and till him ere redyd the thoghtis. ¶ Ald thyngis ere leghis. fals athis. weriyngis. bakbityngis. the whilke shewis that ȝe dwell in ȝoure ald life. bot tha depart fra ȝoure mouth, that ȝe oyse thaim namare. bot take new speche in new life. for god of sciens, that all wate, and all may, is lord. straytly demand ȝoure ald errours. and til him ere thoghtis redid. for he knawis wele what ȝe thynke. and whare in ȝoure delit is maste. fyfe thyngis ere fundyn in a man. thoght. affeccioun. entent. werke. and speche. the thoght be haly. the affeccioun clene. the entent right. the werke rightwis. the speche a tempre.

6. Arcus forcium superatus est: & infirmi accincti sunt robore. ¶ The bow of stalworth is ouercumyn; and the seke ere beltid in strenght. ¶ The bow of stalworth is the trayst of riche

men. and couatous, that thai bend to wyn til the honur and lord|ship of this warld. and that is ouyre cumyn. for crist sall breke it. and kast it til the fyre of hell. and seke men, that is, meke men and febill in thaire aghyn eghyn withouten presumpcioun and pride. ere beltid in strenght. that is, thorgh gastly vertu thai ere made stabil. and lastand in thoght, forto feght agayns thaire enmys. for all goed men has many fas whils thai ere in this life.

7. Repleti prius pre panibus se locauerunt: & famelici saturati sunt. ¶ ffild first for lauys thai layd thaim: and hungry ere fild. ¶ Tha that first was fild in erthly lustis, and bolnyd in pride. for lafis. that is, for fode of saule. thai layd thaim, that is, thai gaf thaim mekly to resayfe the lare of heuen. and swa hungry. that is, desirand rightwisnes and the worde of life. ere fild in swetnes of endles ioy. and swa lange sall this gastly brede last.

8. Donec sterilis peperit plurimos: & que multos habe|bat filios infirmata est. ¶ Till the barayn hafe born many; and sho that had many sunnys is made seke. ¶ Til the barayn, that is, til the kirke of cristen men. that first was barayn of trouth and goed werke, hafe born many sunnys gastly til crist. and the synagoge, that had many fleyssly sunnys. is made seke. that is, it is knawyn. that it broght na man til perfeccioun. and now it bryngis na man till saluacioun.

9. Dominus mortificat & viuificat: deducit ad inferos & reducit. ¶ Lord slas and he qwykyns; he ledis til hell and bryngis agayn. ¶ Oure lord slas thaim that lufis this life out|rageusly. and he qwykyns thaim that forsakis this warld. and despysis this life for the life endles. he ledis till hell. that is, he settis drede of hell in synfull men. and swa he bryngis thaim agayn till hope of life.

10. Dominus pauperem facit & ditat: humiliat & sub|leuat. ¶ Lord makis pore and he makis riche: he mekis and he vpliftis. ¶ Oure lord makis a pore man, mercifully refand his hert fra couaytis and erthly luf. and he makis him riche of endles goeds. for he made him noght riche thorgh rightwisnes. bot if he first had made hym pore thorgh mercy. he mekys the proude til the pyne of deuels. and vpliftis the meke til the ioy of aungels.

11. Suscitans de puluere egenum: & de stercore erigens pauperem. ¶ Raysand the nedy out of dust; and out of the fen rightand the pore. ¶ Raysand withinen thorgh grace. out of

the dust. that is, fra ill life. that is stird with ilke wynd of tempta|cioun. the nedy, that is, him that knawis his gastly nede, and forthi he is ay askand of god that he be noght dust. and out of the fen. that is, of the corumpcioun of body. rightand the pore. that is, despisere of this warld. and haly lufere of crist.

12. Vt sedeat cum principibus: & solium glorie teneat. ¶ That he sytt with pryncis: and hald the solere of ioy. ¶ That is, that he be in mede and rest with apostils. and in the day of dome halde the trone & the pouste of demynge.

13. Domini enim sunt cardines terre: & posuit super eos orbem. ¶ ffor the lordis ere the herrys of the erth; and he sett on thaim the warld. ¶ The herrys of erth ere the perfyt men of haly kirke in trouth & charite, thorgh whaim othere ere broght til stabilnes and festyngynge. and he sett on thaim the warld. that is, thaim he sett grund of his kirk. als wyde as it is thorgh the warld.

14. Pedes sanctorum suorum seruabit, & impij in tene|bris conticescent: quia non in fortitudine sua roborabitur vir. ¶ The fete of his halighis he sall kepe. and the wickid in myrknes sall be still: for noght in his stalworthnes sall man be strenghid. ¶ The fete, that is, the goed affecciouns. and the deuot ȝernyngis of his halighis. 'that is, of them wham he halowes' [S. U om.] and haldis clene. he sall kepe fra fallynge. for on tha fett thai ga till god. and wickid men, withouten pite. of thaire aghyn saule, in myrknes of ygnoraunce and ill dedis sall be still. that thai loue noght god na shrife thaire synnys verrayly. for noght in his stal|worthness is aman strenghyd. that is, haly [U repeats haly.] men has na presump|cioun of thaire aghyn vertu. and of strenght, as proud men has whas strenght is chesun of thaire dampnacioun.

15. Dominum formidabunt aduersarij eius: & super illos in celis tonabit. ¶ The aduersarys of oure lord sall dred him; and abouen thaim in heuyns he sall thonyre. ¶ Godis enmys ere all that dos agayns rightwisnes, or that lufis falshede. and if thai will noght drede him now. at the last thai sall drede him. when he bigynnys to deme, and thonyrs horribily abouen thaim, sayand til thaim. Ga ȝe werid in til fyre withouten end. that is graythid til the deuyl and till his aungels.

16. Dominus iudicabit fines terre, & dabit imperium regi suo: & sublimabit cornu xpi sui. ¶ Lord sall deme

the endis of the erth. and he sall gif empyre til his kynge: and he sall heghe the horn of his crist. ¶ Lord sall deme the endys of erth. noght the bigynnynge na the mydward, for ilke man sall be demyd of god swilke as he is funden in the endynge of his life. and than he sall gif empire. that is, all chosen men that lifid in his comaundment. till his kynge. that is, till his sun kynge. and he sall heghe the horn of his crist, thorgh the whilke he blew away all the myght of his enmy.