The whole Psalter translated into English Metre :: :: University of Virginia Library

This Psalme setth out: for prouidence,
Almighty Gods: magnificence:
His wisdome, power: his goodnes eke,
Of night, of day: of yere, of weeke,
His excellence: all thyng doth kepe.

Benedic anima mea.

1

O prayse my soule: the Lord of name,
O Lord my God: of worthy fame:
Thou doost excell in dignitie,
Wyth honour clothd and maiestie.
O hym proclame,
Prayse his degree,

2

For he is clad: most cleare wyth light,
As he were deckt: wyth vesture bryght:
He spreadth the heauens: as vayle most fyne,
Where lyeth hys grace: and power deuyne.
O seeke hys sight,
To hym incline.

3

The vpper heauens: be so arayde,
Wyth waters lyke: as beames be layde:
The cloudes he makth: hys charet swift,
On wynde the wynges: hys walke he listh,
O hym esteeme,
Expend hys gyft.

5

And he doth make: hys aungels sprites
In wyndes and blastes: to worke theyr mightes:
The flamyng fier: is minister,
Whose worde to do: they waite full nere.
O loue his lightes
Trust hym intiere.

6

He setteth the earth: on bases sound
The seas they be: O wondrous ground:
The world to ende: it shall not reale,
It can no change: ne ruine feele.
O hym rebound
Hys myght reueale.

7

Wyth waters depe: this earth was shet,
As it wyth coate: all darke beset
For once the seas: as mountaynes stoode,
Most hye aboue: as raging floud.
O prayse hym yet:
Repute hym good.

294

7

Though thus theyr waues: the waters spred
At thy rebuke: they swiftly fled:
At thy rough voyce: in thunder hard,
They fast gaue vp: their hold and warde.
O hym a drede:
His strength regard.

8

The hils then hye: in sight dyd mount
The fieldes fell low: as now they wont:
As them thou stowdst: in most due place,
They stand euen so: they moue no space.
O hym recount:
Extoll hys grace.

9

To all thynges made: thou gauest hys roume
Theyr proper place: not out to come:
Thou doost the seas: in boundes repose,
Not backe to turne: the earth to close.
O hym renome:
His hand disclose.

10

He springes sendth out: to floudes to grow
And they in sea: discharge we know:
Betwene the hyls: they kepe their flote,
To fresh the earth: with new greene coate.
O hym betrow
Hys larges note.

11

All beastes of field: there drynke theyr fill:
They seeke their needes: though fed on hill:
The asses wilde: they slake their thirst
Most dry which be: so made at first.
O marke hys wyll:
His care betrist.

12

Theare fetherd foules: seeke harborow
As nye their drinke: they sit on bough:
Where byrdes do chirme: the trees among,
To God theyr Lord: in cherefull song.
O hym auow:
And praise hym long.

13

He wetith the hyls: and makth them soft,
From heauenly cels: by dewes aloft:
By frutefull cloudes: which wrought his hand
The showers fall down: to moyst the land.
O laud him oft:
Him vnderstand.

295

14

He makth for beast: the grasse to spring,
And herbage els: for man to bryng:
To serue hys neede: his bread to get,
In earth such vse: in beast he set.
O serue this king:
His actes intreat.

15

Whence wyne is geuen: mans hart to cheare,
And oyle his face: so bryght to cleare:
And bread fro thence: he doth addres,
Mans hart to strength: in stablenes.
O count him deare:
Hys laudes expresse.

16

The Lordes own trees: by man vntyld,
Wyth Sap by showers: be fully fild:
As Ceders hye: of Libanus,
Which he hath plant: right plentuous.
O praise him milde:
His care discusse.

17

In these hye trees: the birdes do nest,
God geueth them wit: to seeke theyr rest:
The Storkes there build: and houses haue,
In trees of fyrre: themselfe to saue.
O loue him best:
His loue ingraue.

18

The mountayns hye: a refuge bee,
For buckes and beastes: of Uenerie:
And so the rockes: all inaccesse,
To Conies bee: theyr sikernesse.
O praisd be hee:
Hys workes confesse.

19

The moone he made: for ceasons due,
The nyght to cleare: wyth chaunges new:
The sunne so hye: a creature,
Hys down fall knowth: and keepth it sure.
O good ensue:
Hym worship pure

10

And after day: thou bringst in darke,
So nyght comth on: and blyndnes starke:
The Sauage beasts: yet gayne therby,
So creepe they forth: to feede full slye.
O note hys warke:
Hys reed espy.

296

21

The Lyons whelpes: most fierce they rore,
In rangyng long: of pray the store:
They seeke by darke: their sustenance,
Prepard by Gods: good ordinance.
O hym adore:
Hys worke enhance.

22

When sunne returnth: and shewth hys rise,
Expellyng darke: hys light surpristh:
These beastes by heapes: then soone remoue
They kepe theyr dens: for lyght aboue.
O thys aduise:
Hys prudence loue.

23

Thus man goth forth: hys worke to do,
More bold that they: be thus ago:
To tillage true: he maketh hys gate,
And spendth hys day: till it be late.
O stand hym to:
Recount thy state.

24

O mighty Lord: my fort and holde,
How be thy workes: tride manifold:
Thou madest them all: in wisdome hye,
Of thy great goods: full therth do lygh.
O hym behold:
Hym magnify.

25

The sea so houge: the Ocean,
So large in armes: and space for man:
Theare liuing things: saunce number creepe
Great beasts and small: therin do keepe.
O search it than:
This meruel seke

26

Theare ships by sayles: the bilowes passe
Where men transport: theyr wardly trasse:
There playth his vages: Leuiathan,
Whom thou dydst forme: to sport theran.
O marke this case:
Reuolue it man.

27

All creatures: of thee expect,
Their foode most apt: for euery sect:
That thou shouldst geue: theyr nourishment,
In tyme of neede: most competent.
O hym respect:
To hym assent.

297

28

When deale thou doost: they gather strayt,
In hungers stresse: themselues to bayt:
If thou splayst hand: wyth blessyng meete,
With good, full good: they be replete.
O hym awayte:
Esteme hym sweete.

29

When face thou hidest: and nought doost send,
O then they wayle: to death they bend:
If breath thou stopst: decay they must,
They must returne: into theyr dust.
O then amend:
Regard hym iust.

30

When thou returnst: thy sprite agayne,
New thynges by thee: new breath optayne:
Then yerely thus: thou deckst a fresh,
The face of earth: wyth new increase.
O holde him fayne:
Hys loue possesse.

31

Gods maiestie: be it for aye,
In glory blest: in all hys way:
The Lord shall hye: reioyce in thought,
In all hys workes: so godly wrought.
O soule thus pray:
As thou art taught.

32

This God when he: mans sinnes to fynde,
But lookth on earth: it quakth and twynd:
When he the hyls: wyth hand but touch,
They smoke for feare: and low they couche.
O soule hym mynde:
Thy Lord auouch.

33

For I will sing: to thys my Lord,
Whyle I am here: and hym record:
In Psaltries sweete: I wyll my song,
To my Lord God: in lyfe prolong.
O soule accord:
Performe it strong.

34

My talke of hym: most pleasant is,
No day I will: be found remisse,
To ioy in God: I will not cease,
He is my health, my rest, myne ease.
O soule him blisse:
Hym seeke to please

298

35

Where sinfull men: from earth shall fayle,
All wycked freakes: God let them quayle:
But thou my soule: thy Lord aduaunce,
Prayse all the Lord: hys heritaunce.
For thyne aduayle:
Syng still all hayle.