(To the choir-master. Of David. A psalm. A song.)

In finem. Psalmus cantici ipsi David.

Unto the end, a psalm of a canticle for David himself.

Let God bestir himself, needs must his foes be scattered, their malice take flight before his coming.

Exsurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici ejus; et fugiant qui oderunt eum a facie ejus.

Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face.

Vanish the wicked at God’s presence as the smoke vanishes, as wax melts at the fire,

Sicut deficit fumus, deficiant; sicut fluit cera a facie ignis, sic pereant peccatores a facie Dei.

As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

while the just keep holiday and rejoice at the sight of him, glad and content.

Et justi epulentur, et exsultent in conspectu Dei, et delectentur in lætitia.

And let the just feast, and rejoice before God: and be delighted with gladness.

Sing, then, in God’s honour, praise his name with a psalm; a royal progress through the wilderness for the God whose name tells of omnipotence! Triumph in his presence;

Cantate Deo; psalmum dicite nomini ejus: iter facite ei qui ascendit super occasum. Dominus nomen illi; exsultate in conspectu ejus. Turbabuntur a facie ejus,

Sing ye to God, sing a psalm to his name, make a way for him who ascendeth upon the west: the Lord is his name. Rejoice ye before him: but the wicked shall be troubled at his presence,

he is a father to the orphan, and gives the widow redress, this God who dwells apart in holiness.

patris orphanorum, et judicis viduarum; Deus in loco sancto suo.

who is the father of orphans, and the judge of widows. God in his holy place:

This is the God who makes a home for the outcast, restores the captives to a land of plenty, leaves none but the rebels to find their abode in the wilderness.

Deus qui inhabitare facit unius moris in domo; qui educit vinctos in fortitudine, similiter eos qui exasperant, qui habitant in sepulchris.

God who maketh men of one manner to dwell in a house: Who bringeth out them that were bound in strength; in like manner them that provoke, that dwell in sepulchres.

O God, when thou didst go forth at the head of thy people, on that royal progress of thine through the desert,

Deus, cum egredereris in conspectu populi tui, cum pertransires in deserto,

O God, when thou didst go forth in the sight of thy people, when thou didst pass through the desert:

how the earth trembled, how the sky broke at God’s coming, how even Sinai shook, when the God of Israel came!

terra mota est, etenim cæli distillaverunt, a facie Dei Sinai, a facie Dei Israël.

The earth was moved, and the heavens dropped at the presence of the God of Sina, at the presence of the God of Israel.

And on this thy own land, O God, thou sendest rain abundantly; all parched it lies, and thou dost bring it relief.

Pluviam voluntariam segregabis, Deus, hæreditati tuæ; et infirmata est, tu vero perfecisti eam.

Thou shalt set aside for thy inheritance a free rain, O God: and it was weakened, but thou hast made it perfect.

Pasture-land of thy own flock; and shouldst thou not make bounteous provision here, O God, for thy pensioners?

Animalia tua habitabunt in ea; parasti in dulcedine tua pauperi, Deus.

In it shall thy animals dwell; in thy sweetness, O God, thou hast provided for the poor.

Word has come from the Lord, good news borne on a multitude of lips:

Dominus dabit verbum evangelizantibus, virtute multa.

The Lord shall give the word to them that preach good tidings with great power.

Routed their kings, routed the armies; they have left their spoils for housewives to carry away;

Rex virtutum dilecti, dilecti; et speciei domus dividere spolia.

The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved; and the beauty of the house shall divide spoils.

never shone silver so bright on a dove’s feathers, never gold so fair on a dove’s wings; and you, all the while, resting quiet among the sheep-folds!

Si dormiatis inter medios cleros, pennæ columbæ deargentatæ, et posteriora dorsi ejus in pallore auri.

If you sleep among the midst of lots, you shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold.

White fell the snows on Salmon, when the Almighty put kings to rout.

Dum discernit cælestis reges super eam, nive dealbabuntur in Selmon.

When he that is in heaven appointeth kings over her, they shall be whited with snow in Selmon.

Basan’s hills are high, Basan’s hills are rugged;

Mons Dei, mons pinguis: mons coagulatus, mons pinguis.

The mountain of God is a fat mountain. A curdled mountain, a fat mountain.

must you turn your eyes, rugged hills, towards God’s mountain, and envy what you see? The mountain where God loves and will ever love to dwell.

Ut quid suspicamini, montes coagulatos? mons in quo beneplacitum est Deo habitare in eo; etenim Dominus habitabit in finem.

Why suspect, ye curdled mountains? A mountain in which God is well pleased to dwell: for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end.

See where God comes, with chariots innumerable for his escort; thousands upon thousands; comes from Sinai to this his sanctuary.

Currus Dei decem millibus multiplex, millia lætantium; Dominus in eis in Sina, in sancto.

The chariot of God is attended by ten thousands; thousands of them that rejoice: the Lord is among them in Sina, in the holy place.

Thou dost mount up on high, thou dost capture thy spoil, and men must be thy tribute, will they or no, yonder heathen must have the Lord God for their neighbour.

Ascendisti in altum, cepisti captivitatem, accepisti dona in hominibus; etenim non credentes inhabitare Dominum Deum.

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts in men. Yea for those also that do not believe, the dwelling of the Lord God.

Blessed be the Lord now and ever, the God who bears our burdens, and wins us the victory.

Benedictus Dominus die quotidie: prosperum iter faciet nobis Deus salutarium nostrorum.

Blessed be the Lord day by day: the God of our salvation will make our journey prosperous to us.

Our God is a God of deliverance; the Lord is our Master, that saves men from peril of death.

Deus noster, Deus salvos faciendi; et Domini, Domini exitus mortis.

Our God is the God of salvation: and of the Lord, of the Lord are the issues from death.

God will smite the heads of his enemies, smite the proud locks of the men who live at ease in their wickedness.

Verumtamen Deus confringet capita inimicorum suorum, verticem capilli perambulantium in delictis suis.

But God shall break the heads of his enemies: the hairy crown of them that walk on in their sins.

I will restore my people, the Lord says; I will restore them to their land, from Basan, from the shore of the high seas.

Dixit Dominus: Ex Basan convertam, convertam in profundum maris:

The Lord said: I will turn them from Basan, I will turn them into the depth of the sea:

Soon the blood of thy enemies will stain thy feet, never a jackal that follows thee but shall lick its prey.

ut intingatur pes tuus in sanguine; lingua canum tuorum ex inimicis, ab ipso.

That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thy enemies; the tongue of thy dogs be red with the same.

Thou comest, O God, a mark for all eyes; he comes, my God and my king, to visit his sanctuary.

Viderunt ingressus tuos, Deus, ingressus Dei mei, regis mei, qui est in sancto.

They have seen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God: of my king who is in his sanctuary.

Before him go the singers, and the minstrels follow, while the maids play on their tambours between:

Prævenerunt principes conjuncti psallentibus, in medio juvencularum tympanistriarum.

Princes went before joined with singers, in the midst of young damsels playing on timbrels.

Give praise to the Lord God in this solemn assembly, sons of Israel!

In ecclesiis benedicite Deo Domino de fontibus Israël.

In the churches bless ye God the Lord, from the fountains of Israel.

Here is Benjamin, youngest of the tribes, that marches in the van; here are the chieftains of Juda with their companies, chieftains, too, from Zabulon, chieftains from Nephtali.

Ibi Benjamin adolescentulus, in mentis excessu; principes Juda, duces eorum; principes Zabulon, principes Nephthali.

There is Benjamin a youth, in ecstasy of mind. The princes of Juda are their leaders: the princes of Zabulon, the princes of Nephthali.

Shew thy power, O God, shew thy Divine power, perfect thy own achievement for us;

Manda, Deus, virtuti tuæ; confirma hoc, Deus, quod operatus es in nobis.

Command thy strength, O God: confirm, O God, what thou hast wrought in us.

to honour thy temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring gifts before thee.

A templo tuo in Jerusalem, tibi offerent reges munera.

From thy temple in Jerusalem, kings shall offer presents to thee.

Tame the wild beasts of the marshes, fierce bulls that lord it over the peaceful herd of nations; down fall they, bringing silver pieces for their ransom. Scatter the nations that delight in war,

Increpa feras arundinis; congregatio taurorum in vaccis populorum: ut excludant eos qui probati sunt argento. Dissipa gentes quæ bella volunt.

Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, the congregation of bulls with the kine of the people; who seek to exclude them who are tried with silver. Scatter thou the nations that delight in wars:

till Egypt sends hither her princes, till Ethiopia makes her peace with God.

Venient legati ex Ægypto; Æthiopia præveniet manus ejus Deo.

ambassadors shall come out of Egypt: Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God.

Kingdoms of the earth, raise your voices in God’s honour, sing a psalm to the Lord; a psalm to God,

Regna terræ, cantate Deo; psallite Domino; psallite Deo.

Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth: sing ye to the Lord: Sing ye to God,

who mounts on the heavens, the immemorial heavens, and utters his word in a voice of thunder.

Qui ascendit super cælum cæli, ad orientem: ecce dabit voci suæ vocem virtutis.

who mounteth above the heaven of heavens, to the east. Behold he will give to his voice the voice of power:

Pay honour to God, the God whose splendour rests over Israel, who holds dominion high among the clouds.

Date gloriam Deo super Israël; magnificentia ejus et virtus ejus in nubibus.

give ye glory to God for Israel, his magnificence, and his power is in the clouds.

Awe dwells about him in his holy place! The God of Israel gives his people strength and courage; blessed be God!

Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis; Deus Israël ipse dabit virtutem et fortitudinem plebi suæ. Benedictus Deus!

God is wonderful in his saints: the God of Israel is he who will give power and strength to his people. Blessed be God.