A translation of the psalms of David attempted in the Spirit of Christianity, and adapted to the divine service. By Christopher Smart |
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| X. |
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| XV. |
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| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
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| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXV. |
| XXXVI. |
| XXXVII. |
| XXXVIII. |
| XXXIX. |
| XL. |
| XLI. |
| XLII. |
| XLIII. |
| XLIV. |
| XLV. |
| XLVI. |
| XLVII. |
| XLVIII. |
| XLIX. |
| L. |
| LI. |
| LII. |
| LIII. |
| LIV. |
| LV. |
| LVI. |
| LVII. |
| LVIII. |
| LIX. |
| LX. |
| LXI. |
| LXII. |
| LXIII. |
| LXIV. |
| LXV. |
| LXVI. |
| LXVII. |
| LXVIII. |
| LXIX. |
| LXX. |
| LXXI. |
| LXXII. |
| LXXIII. |
| LXXIV. |
| LXXV. |
| LXXVI. |
| LXXVII. |
| LXXVIII. |
| LXXIX. |
| LXXX. |
| LXXXI. |
| LXXXII. |
| LXXXIII. |
| LXXXIV. |
| LXXXV. |
| LXXXVI. |
| LXXXVII. |
| LXXXVIII. |
| LXXXIX. |
| XC. |
| XCI. |
| XCII. |
| XCIII. |
| XCIV. |
| XCV. |
| XCVI. |
| XCVII. |
| XCVIII. |
| XCIX. |
| C. |
| CI. |
| CII. |
| CIII. |
| CIV. |
| CV. |
| CVI. |
| CVII. | PSALM CVII. |
| CVIII. |
| CIX. |
| CX. |
| CXI. |
| CXII. |
| CXIII. |
| CXIV. |
| CXV. |
| CXVI. |
| CXVII. |
| CXVIII. |
| CXIX. |
| CXX. |
| CXXI. |
| CXXII. |
| CXXIII. |
| CXXIV. |
| CXXV. |
| CXXVI. |
| CXXVII. |
| CXXVIII. |
| CXXIX. |
| CXXX. |
| CXXXI. |
| CXXXII. |
| CXXXIII. |
| CXXXIV. |
| CXXXV. |
| CXXXVI. |
| CXXXVII. |
| CXXXVIII. |
| CXXXIX. |
| CXL. |
| CXLI. |
| CXLII. |
| CXLIII. |
| CXLIV. |
| CXLV. |
| CXLVI. |
| CXLVII. |
| CXLVIII. |
| CXLIX. |
| CL. |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXV. |
 | A translation of the psalms of David |  |
PSALM CVII.
Your thanks return,
O ye that burn
With zeal's immortal blaze;
For mercies beam
From God supream
To claim perpetual praise.
O ye that burn
With zeal's immortal blaze;
For mercies beam
From God supream
To claim perpetual praise.
Let them repay
Their thanks to-day,
Who find themselves enlarg'd;
Whose galling yoke
The Lord has broke,
And from their foes discharg'd.
Their thanks to-day,
Who find themselves enlarg'd;
Whose galling yoke
The Lord has broke,
And from their foes discharg'd.
And call'd their bands
From distant lands
By mandate of his mouth;
From toil to rest
From east and west,
Cold north, and scorching south.
From distant lands
By mandate of his mouth;
From toil to rest
From east and west,
Cold north, and scorching south.
They took their rout,
And round about
Far from the ready road
In wilds remain'd,
Till they obtain'd
To settle their abode.
And round about
Far from the ready road
In wilds remain'd,
Till they obtain'd
To settle their abode.
In desarts rude,
For lack of food,
And waters of the brook,
A gen'ral damp
Throughout the camp
For thirst their spirits took.
For lack of food,
And waters of the brook,
A gen'ral damp
Throughout the camp
For thirst their spirits took.
So through distress
The Lord they press
By force of fervent pray'r,
And to their need
His angels speed
To save them from despair.
The Lord they press
By force of fervent pray'r,
And to their need
His angels speed
To save them from despair.
He led them right
By day and night,
His influence they felt,
Until they came
To build and name
The cities where they dwelt.
By day and night,
His influence they felt,
Until they came
To build and name
The cities where they dwelt.
O that our race
Had sense and grace
To bear a thankful mind,
And joyful own
His wonders shown
In goodness to mankind!
Had sense and grace
To bear a thankful mind,
And joyful own
His wonders shown
In goodness to mankind!
For in his courts
His word supports
All weakness, want and woe;
And for the poor
He will procure
What bounty can bestow.
His word supports
All weakness, want and woe;
And for the poor
He will procure
What bounty can bestow.
Whom men commit,
Disgrac'd to sit
In misery and bonds;
Whom cares consume,
And in the gloom
Of death whose heart desponds.
Disgrac'd to sit
In misery and bonds;
Whom cares consume,
And in the gloom
Of death whose heart desponds.
And for this cause—
Against the laws
Of Jesus they rebell'd,
And set no price
On God's advice,
When he the council held.
Against the laws
Of Jesus they rebell'd,
And set no price
On God's advice,
When he the council held.
He therefore brought
Their pride to nought,
And dash'd with gall their cup;
Which when they drunk,
In grief they sunk,
And none would help them up.
Their pride to nought,
And dash'd with gall their cup;
Which when they drunk,
In grief they sunk,
And none would help them up.
108
So through distress
The Lord they press,
By force of fervent pray'r,
And to their need
His angels speed
To save them from despair.
The Lord they press,
By force of fervent pray'r,
And to their need
His angels speed
To save them from despair.
From horror's wing,
And from the sting
Of death they gat release;
He broke their gyves,
And sav'd their lives
For plenty and for peace.
And from the sting
Of death they gat release;
He broke their gyves,
And sav'd their lives
For plenty and for peace.
O that our race
Had sense and grace
To bear a thankful mind,
And joyful own
His wonders shown
In goodness to mankind!
Had sense and grace
To bear a thankful mind,
And joyful own
His wonders shown
In goodness to mankind!
For gates of brass,
That we might pass,
He threw into the moat;
Embattl'd cars
Drove o'er the bars
Of steel in sunder smote.
That we might pass,
He threw into the moat;
Embattl'd cars
Drove o'er the bars
Of steel in sunder smote.
His vengeance schools
The heart of fools
To purge them of offence;
And from their sins
By grace he wins
To thought and sober sense.
The heart of fools
To purge them of offence;
And from their sins
By grace he wins
To thought and sober sense.
Left by the Lord,
Their souls abhorr'd
To take a crumb or drop,
As throes convulse,
The vital pulse
Was at the point to stop.
Their souls abhorr'd
To take a crumb or drop,
As throes convulse,
The vital pulse
Was at the point to stop.
So through distress
The Lord they press
By force of fervent pray'r,
And to their need
His angels speed
To save them from despair.
The Lord they press
By force of fervent pray'r,
And to their need
His angels speed
To save them from despair.
He sent his word,
And though they err'd,
Their grievances he heal'd;
Perdition stav'd,
Their souls he sav'd,
And sentences repeal'd.
And though they err'd,
Their grievances he heal'd;
Perdition stav'd,
Their souls he sav'd,
And sentences repeal'd.
O that our race
Had sense and grace
To bear a thankful mind,
And joyful own
His wonders shown
In goodness to mankind!
Had sense and grace
To bear a thankful mind,
And joyful own
His wonders shown
In goodness to mankind!
That all and each
Would heart and speech
To blaze his works employ,
And praise prefer,
With spice and myrrh,
To Christ in thanks and joy.
Would heart and speech
To blaze his works employ,
And praise prefer,
With spice and myrrh,
To Christ in thanks and joy.
They that go down
To seek renown,
Which ships of war maintain,
Or ply their trade,
By winds convey'd
Upon the mighty main;
To seek renown,
Which ships of war maintain,
Or ply their trade,
By winds convey'd
Upon the mighty main;
These men behold
The sea controul'd,
And in observance keep
Each day and hour
God's work of pow'r,
And wonders in the deep.
The sea controul'd,
And in observance keep
Each day and hour
God's work of pow'r,
And wonders in the deep.
For as he speaks,
All ocean reeks,
The stormy winds arise,
And boist'rous blow
The tides that flow
In billows to the skies.
All ocean reeks,
The stormy winds arise,
And boist'rous blow
The tides that flow
In billows to the skies.
Then up as high
As heav'n they fly,
And down again they drive
To gulphs beneath;
They scarce can breathe
To keep their souls alive.
As heav'n they fly,
And down again they drive
To gulphs beneath;
They scarce can breathe
To keep their souls alive.
109
With frequent shocks
The vessel rocks,
They stagger as in drink;
And as they toss,
Are at a loss
For pow'r to act or think.
The vessel rocks,
They stagger as in drink;
And as they toss,
Are at a loss
For pow'r to act or think.
So through distress
The Lord they press,
By force of fervent pray'r,
And to their need
His angels speed
To save them from despair.
The Lord they press,
By force of fervent pray'r,
And to their need
His angels speed
To save them from despair.
For when he chides,
The storm subsides,
Submissive to his will;
And all the rage
Of winds assuage,
When he says “PEACE, BE STILL!”
The storm subsides,
Submissive to his will;
And all the rage
Of winds assuage,
When he says “PEACE, BE STILL!”
Then they rejoice,
Because his voice
Has still'd the meek profound,
And as they sail,
A fav'ring gale
Conveys them where they're bound.
Because his voice
Has still'd the meek profound,
And as they sail,
A fav'ring gale
Conveys them where they're bound.
O that our race
Had sense and grace
To bear a thankful mind,
And joyful own
His wonders shown
In goodness to mankind!
Had sense and grace
To bear a thankful mind,
And joyful own
His wonders shown
In goodness to mankind!
That when they throng
To pray'r and song
They would exalt his laud,
And at the seat
Where senates meet
His glorious arm applaud!
To pray'r and song
They would exalt his laud,
And at the seat
Where senates meet
His glorious arm applaud!
His word can make
The spacious lake
A verdant lawn and wood;
And sent by him,
Whole navies swim
Where hilly desarts stood.
The spacious lake
A verdant lawn and wood;
And sent by him,
Whole navies swim
Where hilly desarts stood.
A fruitful soil
Of wine and oil
He turns to thorns and weeds;
And this event
From discontent
Of thankless lords proceeds.
Of wine and oil
He turns to thorns and weeds;
And this event
From discontent
Of thankless lords proceeds.
Again he pours
The floods in show'rs
To make the wild a pool,
And gives the heath
A turfy sheath
Midst fountains fresh and cool.
The floods in show'rs
To make the wild a pool,
And gives the heath
A turfy sheath
Midst fountains fresh and cool.
And there prescribes
His hungry tribes
To set them down and feast,
And build and plan
High tow'rs for man,
And humble folds for beast.
His hungry tribes
To set them down and feast,
And build and plan
High tow'rs for man,
And humble folds for beast.
There by his grant
They vineyards plant,
And sow their fields with corn,
And trees, whose fruit
And climbing shoot
The shaded land adorn.
They vineyards plant,
And sow their fields with corn,
And trees, whose fruit
And climbing shoot
The shaded land adorn.
His peace he sends
Which blessing tends
To multiply them all;
Nor lets their flock,
Or horned stock,
By rot or murrain fall.
Which blessing tends
To multiply them all;
Nor lets their flock,
Or horned stock,
By rot or murrain fall.
If, on reverse,
The Lord amerse,
And all their wealth reduce;
The tyrant's rod,
Or plague from God,
Upon them be let loose;
The Lord amerse,
And all their wealth reduce;
The tyrant's rod,
Or plague from God,
Upon them be let loose;
Though for a while
He cease to smile,
Nor usual grace perform,
And lets them roam,
Remote from home,
In desarts, wind, and storm;
He cease to smile,
Nor usual grace perform,
And lets them roam,
Remote from home,
In desarts, wind, and storm;
110
Yet is he seen
To stand between
The poor and utmost grief;
From caves and dens
His fold he pens
Their shepherd and their chief.
To stand between
The poor and utmost grief;
From caves and dens
His fold he pens
Their shepherd and their chief.
On things like these
Upon their knees
The righteous shall reflect,
And clam'rous foes,
That truth oppose,
Shall finally be checkt.
Upon their knees
The righteous shall reflect,
And clam'rous foes,
That truth oppose,
Shall finally be checkt.
A man whose ways
True wisdom sways
Such wonders will observe,
And thence shall find
How good and kind
Is God to whom we serve.
True wisdom sways
Such wonders will observe,
And thence shall find
How good and kind
Is God to whom we serve.
| A translation of the psalms of David | |