A.
Own me, Almighty God!
Help me, Holy Lord!
You made heaven and earth
and every miracle, my Glory-King,
and you exist in there, Eternal Lord,
great and multifold. I commend to you,
famous God, my soul and my own body,
and my words and my works, Wise Lord,
and all my limbs, Herdsman of Light,
and the unfoldings of my thought. (1-9)
Show me, Shepherd of Stars,
where my soul may best
observe the desires of the Measurer,
so that I may flourish in you in all matters,
and rear your counsel in me, Truth-fast King.
Nor allow the ultimate thief harm me in the shadows,
though I may harden what is weaker
for the shaping King of Glory, the powerful Lord,
when my good may exist. (10-18)
Endow me in graciousness, Living God,
from the bitterness of baleful deeds.
I keep the salve for it in mind,
the glory of kings—I shall arrive there,
if I am allowed (19-21)
Grant me, my Lord, the time and understanding
and patience and memory of every matter
that you, Truth-fast King,
wish to send my way as an experiment. (22-25a)
Now you know in me many sinful deeds,
yet feed me nonetheless, O Measurer,
for your mercy, though I may do
more grim guilts, when God permits me to. (25b-28)
Then I will have need to strive for your favor
nevertheless, O Holy Heaven-King
with my days passing away — I see and I seek
one life after another, that honor-fast God
grants me in eternal joy, allowing me existence,
though I amend my wicked deeds more slowly
than your commandments of holy and heavenly power. (29-36a)
Enough — you gave me many things in this world.
Establish my hope in you, fearful consideration,
so that it fixes a firm standing. Elevate my mind,
Good King of Souls, in your ready counsel.
Now I flurry on to you, Father of Mankind,
from this world, now I know what I must do,
full of unlovely faults—feed me then,
Sovereign of Result, in your worldly joys,
and permit me to pass away,
dearest Lord, comfort of my soul. (36b-46a)
Too many are angry there, eaten by envy,
when I have comfort with the Lord,
although I earlier earned little mercy
in my time. Allow the angels
to take me in your proximity even so
Delivering King, Measurer, for your mercy. (46b-51a)
Though I have committed much wickedness
in my days, yet do not let me, body of your body
be led unto the devil on that loathsome journey.
So few were allowed to rejoice in your forward mind
and so they, angels more prideful than Eternal Christ,
seemed to themselves to be better than they were.
They deceived themselves in their belief—
therefore they must for a long time…
those accursed creatures, suffer revenge. (51b-58)
Defend me and disturb them, when the storm strikes
against my spirit—then comfort my soul,
Mighty Lord, protect her and feed her,
Father of Mankind, thinking brightly,
whole, Eternal God, Measurer so powerful. (59-64a)
Now is my soul besmirched with sin, and I am
fearful for my spirit about the distant journey,
though you have granted me many graces upon this earth.
All thanks are yours for the rewards and the mercies,
which you have allowed me. None of them
merit any of these deserts— (64b-70a)
B.
Yet I wish to keep courage for all
and laugh and hope for myself,
to spangle myself on the spirit-way
and hasten along onto this journey,
which I must set out upon, readied in my soul,
and endure all that for God with a blithe mind—
now I am bound fast in my spirit. (1-7a)
Indeed the Master knows some of my sins
which I unwisely know not how to understand.
I have angered God, the Prince of Mankind—
therefore I am punished bitterly thus for this world,
as my deeds were so great before men,
so that I suffered a deep martyrdom. (7b-13a)
I am not sound sage, wise before the assembly—
therefore I spoke this word hastening in my spirit,
as it happened to me at the start, misery upon the earth,
so that I suffered always every year—All thanks to God!—
more roiling of mind in others, fright among folk—
therefore I am hurried along, wretched in my homeland. (13b-20a)
Nor can the lone-dweller, deprived of the joys of men,
survive for long after, an exile bereft of friends—
For him the wrath of the Measurer—grieving for his youth,
and men assist them in every occasion,
augmenting his misery—and he suffers all that,
the painful words of men, and his mind
is more wretched, a spirit morning-sick. (20b-27a)
I speak this pained message mostly about myself,
and jabber on about the journey, ready for longing,
and upon the waters ponder
knowing not my own—
why I should buy a boat upon the sea,
the float upon the shore—I do not have much gold—
nor indeed any friends who may aid me
upon this venture. Now I cannot achieve my own desires
on account of my scanty hoard. (27b-35)
His wood might increase, awaiting the outcome,
leading its branches—I cannot love in my mind
any of mankind for my malice, a noble in his homeland.
Alas my Lord, mighty Protector,
that I am sick of heart, enraged bitterly!
The remedy is with you, it lies along my life.
I cannot in the light abide for anything in the earth
hardly owning health, having only hardship— (36-44)
When I have been freed from this alien homeland,
a desirable country, sorrows of my love
were always mine as reward.
Yet it will be best, when one cannot
avert these events from himself,
what he may well endure. (45-49)