The Psalter of David newely translated into English metre in such sort that it maye the more decently, and wyth more delyte of the mynde, be reade and songe of al men, wherunto is added a note of four partes, wyth other thynges, as shall appear in the Epistle to the Reader [by Robert Crowley]

Crowley, Robert (1518?-1588)

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Take thou my stryfe in hande (O Lorde) assaute them that saute me:
Take the to shylde and speare and ryse myne helper for to be.

Pull out thy speare, come out to mete my persecutours fel;
Saye to my soule, I am thyne health, thy matters shall go well:

Let thē that seke my lyfe, take shame, and eke ignominie:

Let them be dryuen backe wyth shame, that thyncke euyll vnto me.

Let them be made lyke to the dust, that with the winde doeth flye:
And let the aungell of the Lorde dryue them vyolently.

Let their waye be darcke and slyprye, that they may slyde and fall:
And let the aungell of the Lorde persequute them wyth all.

For wythoute cause the pytte of their net haue they for me hyd:
Ryght so a great trenghe for my soule, causeles they haue digged.

Let the mysery that they did not fore se on them fall:
And let the net, they hyd, take them, and let them be made thraule.

But my soule shall greatly reioyce in the Lorde God for aye:
She shall reioyce in hys salfe garde, and all my bones shall saye:

O Lorde who is lyke the? that doest rescue the conquyred:
And take the poore and nedye from him that hath hym forced?

There dyd aryse fierse wytnesses, men violent in dede:
And asked me of thynges, that I neuer Imagyned.

They requited me euel for good, such was theyr cruell wyll:
And for ye helpe they had of me, they sought me for to kyll.

But when I hearde that they were sycke, and wyth disease greued:
I ware sacke cloth, and wyth fastynge my soule I afflicted.

The prayer that I made for them when they were in distresse:
I woulde should lyght vpon myselfe in tyme of heauines.

I went as though my faythfull frende or brother had dyed:
As one that mourneth hys mother in blacke I was clothed.

But in the tyme of myne haltynge when I was weakened:
They dyd reioyce excedyngly and were congregated.

The lame flocked agaynste me when I dyd thyncke nothynge lesse:
And frō theyr bytter raylynge wordes, they dyd then neuer cease.

And the dissemblynge hypocrites, that do serue theyr bealy:
Dyd grenne and gnashe theyr teeth at me, as men full of enuie.

O Lorde howe longe wylt thou beholde, thys and suffer them styll?

Rydde me from theyr oppression, and from theyr cruell wyll.

Then wyl I celebrate thy name, in a grat companie:
And will prayse the in a people that is strong and myghtie.

Let them not reioyce ouer me, that causelesse my foes be:
Neyther let them wyncke wyles wyth me, that wythout cause hate me.

They speake no worde that shoulde brede peace, peace is not theyr intent:
But agaynste the quiete they do disceytefull wordes inuent.

They thruste out the mouth agaynste me, and storne fully they saye:
Haha haha, our eie hath sene, this mans vtter decaye.

And thou (O Lorde) haste sene this thyng do thou not dissemble:
Neyther be thou far of from me, when they do assemble.

Aryse, awake, that thou mayste iudge my cause as ryght doeth stande:
My God & Lorde, arise that thou maiste take my cause in hande.

O Lorde my God, for thy iustice do thou geue me my right:
And suffer them not to reioyce, ouer me in thy syght.

Let them not saye thus in their hert, haha we haue our mynde:
Let them not saye, we haue eate hym, let thē no suche cause fynde.

Let them all take shame and rebuke, that of myne ylle reioyce:
Cloth them wyth shame that speake againste me with a braggynge voyce.

Let suche as woulde I had my ryght, reioyce greatly, and saye
The Lorde that woulde hys seruaūtes peace be magnifyed alwaye.

And on my tong (Lord) thy iustyce shal sowne dylygently:
And vpon thy most worthy prayse my tonge shal runne dayly.

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