The whole Psalter translated into English Metre which contayneth an hundreth and fifty Psalmes |
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Psalme. CII.
The Argument.
Here man in eare: most pituously,Wishth Syon built: defast in shame,
He moueth hys long: captiuitie,
Christes heauenly church: wishe we the same.
1
O Lord to thee: I cry and call.My prayer heare: O louinglye:
Thou art my Lord: most liberall,
Receyue my sute: admyt my cry.
283
2
While thus I mourne: hide not thy face,From my distresse: so wrathfully:
Enclyne thyne eares: and heare my case,
But soone in hast: O aunswer make.
3
My dayes lyke smoke: slyde fast apace,Consume they do: no rest they take:
As fier brandes: my bones are brent,
Theyr liuely powers: my sprites forsake.
4
My wounded hart: lyeth impotent,As witherd hay: cut downe by sithe,
To eate my bread: from me it went,
On me so sore: this trouble lyeth.
5
For gronyng lowde: in thys distresse,My wofull hart: oh panth and sith,
That scant to skin: cleaneth any flesh,
My bones be sene: thus wast I lay.
6
Lyke Pellicane: in wildernesse,I am, which sing: but wele away,
As Owle that fleeth: all birdes in sight,
In desert darke: which loueth to stray.
7
Full watch I kepe: both day and night,Myne eyes no slepe: can take for mone,
To Sparow like: that leaueth her flight,
In houses eues: which lowerth alone.
8
All day my foes: do me reuyle,Wyth tauntes they sport: when I do grone,
These boasters mad: at me so vyle,
Agaynst my soule all sworne they bee.
284
9
My bread that I: eate all this whyleWas ashes lyke: in taste to see,
My drinke with teares: with weping menkct.
So many griefes: afflicted mee.
10
My soule with cares: was full besprenct,To note thy wrath: and heauy frowne,
Thou liftst me vp: as I were strengthd,
But sone most weake: thou threwst me down
11
My dayes draw low: as shadow falth,When darke comth in: in field and towne,
I wyther like: as blosome palth,
My colour wanneth my moysture dryeth.
12
But thou yet Lord: as thee befalth,Art permanent: no man denieth,
Thy memory: shall aye remayne,
Where fast to dust: my nature hyeth.
13
I know thou wylt: once ryse agayne,To pitie (Lord) swete Syon mount,
To shew hys grace: the tyme constraynth,
The tyme is come: by iust account,
14
Thy seruants lo: desire in hart,To see her stones: to building mount,
They pitie her: to spie her smart,
To marke her thus: in dust opprest
15
The Gentils straunge: wyl ioyne their partTo feare Gods name: of all the best,
Ye kings of power: in earth all whole
Shall prayse thy name for worthiest.
285
16
When this the Lord: shall hye extoll,In buildinges fresh: this Zyon place,
And her in booke of fame enroll,
When glory bryght: shall her embrace.
17
And when they see: how he is bent,To poore mans sute: in tender grace
And will not be: ought discontent,
To scorne theyr cryes: both all and some.
18
This thyng thus done: as monument,Shall written be: for folke to come,
That countries whole: which shall arise,
May laud thys Lord: wyth hye renome.
19
For God from hye: hath cast his eyes,When holy is: his sacrary,
Thys Lord from heauen: in gentle wise,
Hath lookt to earth: to heare the cry.
20
To heare I say: the wofull playntes,Of men fast bound: in misery,
To losen them: from theyr constrayntes,
Which were at deathes dore very neare.
21
That they might shew: to all hys saintes,In Zyon place: Gods name so deare,
To tell all out: Ierusalem,
His worthy laudes: in open quere.
22
When people whole: shall mete in realme,Of all estates: which this shall know,
To serue this God: so good to them,
All reignes to hym: shall them bestow.
286
23
Though God as yet: my strength hath beateFrom captine state: to iourney slow
Though he my dayes: hath short extreat,
I Zyon trust: yet built to spy.
24
I wyll hym thus: wyth wordes intreat,Ah God my God: to wastefully,
Cut not my dayes: by halfe away,
Where thy yeares last: eternally.
25
Thou laydst the earth: in stable stayAt first full strong: by power deuine,
The heauens euen so: none will denay,
Be wrought by thee: wyth all their shyne.
26
They all shall quayle: thou yet shalt holde,As garmentes worne: waxe thinne and fine,
Thou shalt them change: as vestures olde
They shall be changd: thus temporall.
27
But thou art still: as we behold,And art that art: perpetuall,
Thy yeares in length: shal stand in deede,
For feele defect: they neuer shall.
28
We trust the more: thy seruants seede,Olde Abrahams stocke: shal not decay,
Their issue Lord: by thee shal spede,
Before thy face: to dwell for aye.
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