Psalm 23--Middle English

Study the following translations of Psalm 23 and discuss what you see as historical developments in the English language. Because of the early grounding on an Old English glossed psalter, use the other handout (showing several gloss texts) as necessary. Keep in mind that sometimes words are chosen for the poetic form, not just for meaning.

Surtees Psalter, Midlands or Northern (Yorkshire), c. 1250-1300

Yorkshire Writers: Richard Rolle of Hampole and His Followers. Ed. C. Horstmann. London : Swan Sonnenschein, 1895-1896. Kindly provided by Luuk Houwen via Medtextl@postoffice.cso.uiuc.edu.

This verse translator and Richard Rolle may both have used an Early Middle English (probably Northern) interlinear glossed psalter, itself a modernized Old English gloss. This text is based on Cotton Vespasian D vii (s. xiii 2/2); there are 5 othe r manuscripts.

  1. Lauerd me steres, noght wante sal me:
    In stede of fode þare me louked he.
  2. He fed me ouer watre ofe fode,
    Mi saule he tornes in to gode.
  3. He led me ouer sties of rightwisenes,
    For his name, swa hali es.
  4. For, and ife .I. ga in mid schadw ofe dede,
    For þou wiþ me erte iuel sal .i. noght drede;
  5. Þi yherde, and þi stafe ofe mighte,
    Þai ere me roned dai and nighte.
  6. Þou graiþed in mi sighte borde to be,
    Ogaines þas þat droued me;
  7. Þou fatted in oli me heued yhite;
    And mi drinke dronkenand while schire es ite!
  8. And filigh me sal þi mercy
    Alle daies ofe mi life for-þi;
  9. And þat .I. wone in hous ofe lauerd isse
    In lengþe of daies al wiþ blisse.

Richard Rolle's Psalter, Yorkshire, c. 1340

The Psalter or Psalms of David. Ed. H.R. Bramley. Oxford, 1884. Provided through the kindness of Paul Schaffner of the Middle English Dictionary, also via Medtextl.

Rolle was a hermit of sorts with a large popular following. His version of the psalms was apparently made for "dame Merget kyrkby," beginning perhaps 10 years before she was enclosed as an anchoress in late 1348. Rolle himself died the following yea r. Since this came by e-mail, I suppose thorns have been regularised away.

Lord gouerns me and nathyng sall me want; in sted of pasture thare he me sett.
On the watere of rehetynge forth he me broght; my saule he turnyd.
He led me on the stretis of rightwisnes; for his name.
ffor whi, if i had gane in myddis of the shadow of ded; i. sall noght dred illes, for thou ert with me.
Thi wand and thi staf; thai haf confortyd me.
Thou has grayid (vr. ordand) in my syght the bord; agayns thaim that angirs me.
Thou fattid my heued in oyle; and my chalice drunkynand what it is bright.
And thi mercy sall folow me; all the dayes of my lif.
And that i. won in the hows of lord; in lenght of dayes.

West Midlands Psalter, c. 1350

The Earliest Complete English Prose Psalter, Together with Eleven Canticles and a Translation of the Athanasian Creed. Ed. Karl D. Bülbring. EETS os 97. London, 1891.

  1. Our Lord gouerneþ me, and noþyng shal defailen to me; in þe stede of pasture he sett me þer.
  2. He norissed me vp water of fyllyng; he turned my soule fram þe fende.
  3. He lad me vp þe bisti3es of ri3tfulnes for his name.
  4. For 3if þat ich haue gon amiddes of þe shadowe of deþ, y shal nou3t douten iuels; for þou art wyþ me.
  5. Þy discipline and þyn amendyng conforted me.
  6. Þou madest radi grace in my si3t o3ayns hem þat trublen me.
  7. Þou makest fatt myn heued wyþ mercy; and my drynk makand drunken ys ful clere.
  8. And þy merci shal folwen me alle daies of mi lif;
  9. And þat ich wonne in þe hous of our Lord in lengþe of daies.

Wycliffite Versions, c. 1380-95

The Holy Bible...by John Wycliffe and His Folowers. Ed. Josiah Forshall and Frederic Madden. Oxford, 1850.

The history of this translation is highly complicated and still to be worked out. Basically, the Early Version was probably a finished draft translation, which was then smoothed out for the Later Version. In some of the earliest manuscripts, the EV has alternate translations underlined in red, as well as some glossing material underlined in red. Such passages do not exist here in FM, but the EV does show the more literal rendering typical of it in general.

Early Version

The Lord gouerneth me, and no thing to me shal lacke; in the place of leswe where he me ful sette. Ouer watir of fulfilling he nurshide me; my soule he conuertide. He bro3te doun me vpon the sties of ri3twisn esse; for his name. For whi and if I shal go in the middel of the shadewe of deth; I shal not dreden euelis, for thou art with me. Thi 3erde and thy staf; tho han confortid me. Thou hast maad redi in thi si3t e a bord; a3en hem that trublyn me. Thou hast myche fattid in oile myn hed; and my chalis makende ful drunken, hou ri3t cler it is. And thi mercy shal vnderfolewe me; alle the da3is of th e Lord; in to the lengthe of da3is.

Later Version

The Lord gouerneth me, and no thing schal faile to me; in the place of pasture there he hath set me. He nurschide me on the watir of refreischyng; he conuertide my soule. He ledde me forth on the pathis of ri3tfulnesse; for his na me. For whi thou3 Y schal go in the myddis of schadewe of deeth; Y schal not drede yuels, for thou art with me. Thi 3erde and thi staf; tho han coumfortid me. Thou hast maad redi a boord in my si3t; a3ens hem that troblen me. Thou hast maad fat myn heed with oyle; and my cuppe, fillinge greetli, is ful cleer. And thi mercy schal sue me; in alle the daies of my lijf. And that Y dwelle in the hows of the Lord; in t o the lengthe of daies.

A Prymer Version, before 1400

The Primer or Prayer-Book of the Lay People in the Middle Ages. Ed. Henry Littlehales. London, 1891. Also provided by Paul Schaffner, as above. Again, thorns have probably been regularized.

Ovre lord gouerneth me and nothyng schal lacke me; in place of pasture there he hath sett me.
He hath brow3te me foorth up on the water of rehetynge; he conueertede my soule.
He ladde me upon the pathes of ri3twesnesse; for his naame.
For whi thou3 y go in myddes the schadwe of deeth; y schal nou3t dreede yueles. for thou art with me.
Thow hast greythed a table in my sy3t; a3ens hem that trowbleth me.
Thou madest fatt myn heued in oyle; and my dronkelew coppe is ri3t cleer.
And thy mercy schal folwe me; all the dayes of my lyf.
And that y wonye in the hous of oure lord; in to lengthe of dayes.

Another Prymer Version, c. 1400

The Prymer or Lay Folks' Prayer Book. Ed. Henry Littlehales. EETS os 105. London, 1895.

The lord gouerneþ me, and no þing schal faile to me; in þe place of pasture, þere he haþ set me.
He nurschide me on þe watir of refresching; he conuertid my soule.
He ledde me forþ on þe paþþis of ri3tfulnesse, for his name.
For whi, þou3 y schal go in þe myddis of schadewe of deeþ, y schal not drede yuelis; for þou art wiþ me:
Thi 3erde & þi staf, þo han confortid me.
Thou hast maad redi a boord in my si3t, a3enes hem þat trublen me;
Thou hast maad fat myn heed wiþ oile; & my cuppe fillynge gretli is ful cleer.
And þi merci schal sue me in alle þe daies of my liyf;
And þat y dwelle in þe hous of þe lord, in-to þe lengþe of daies.

All versions of Psalm 23 compiled and coded by Juris Lidaka.