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This Psalm, a jewel of biblical
poetry, was sung by the Jews of the captivity to express their intense
longing for their homeland and the temple. Since the fall, earth has
become a land of exile for us, and we look and long for our heavenly home.
The sinner also suffers this nostalgia for true joy, his home and union with
God. |
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Quemádmodum desíderat cervus ad
fontes aquárum: * ita desíderat ánima mea ad te, Deus.
2 Sitívit ánima mea ad Deum fortem vivum: * quando véniam, et
apparébo ante fáciem Dei?
3 Fuérunt mihi lácrimæ meæ panes die ac nocte: * dum dícitur mihi
quotídie: Ubi est Deus tuus?
4 Hæc recordátus sum, et effúdi in me ánimam meam: * quóniam
transíbo in locum tabernáculi admirábilis, usque ad domum Dei.
5 In voce exsultatiónis, et confessiónis: * sonus epulántis.
6 Quare tristis es, ánima mea? * et quare contúrbas me?
7 Spera in Deo, quóniam adhuc confitébor illi: * salutáre vultus
mei, et Deus meus. |
Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, * so longeth my
soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the strong, living God: * when
shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night, * while they daily say
unto me, Where is now thy God?
4 These things I remembered, and poured out my soul within me; * for I
shall go over into the place of the wondrous tabernacle, even unto the house
of God.
5 In the voice of praise and thanksgiving, * the sound of
one keeping
holy-day.
6 Why art thou sad, O my soul? * and why dost thou
trouble me?
7 O put thy trust in God, for I will yet praise him, * the
salvation of my countenance, and my God. |
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8 Ad meípsum ánima mea conturbáta est : * proptérea memor
ero tui de terra Jordánis, et Hermóniim a monte módico.
9 Abyssus abyssum ínvocat, * in voce cataractárum tuárum.
10 Omnia excélsa tua, et fluctus tui * super me transiérunt.
11 In die mandávit Dóminus misericórdiam suam : * et nocte
cánticum ejus.
12 Apud me orátio Deo vitæ meæ, * dicam Deo : Suscéptor meus
es.
13 Quare oblítus es mei? * et quare contristátus incédo, dum
afflígit me inimícus?
14 Dum confringúntur ossa mea, * exprobravérunt mihi qui
tríbulant me inimíci mei.
15 Dum dicunt mihi per síngulos dies : Ubi est Deus tuus? *
quare tristis es, ánima mea? et quare contúrbas me?
16 Spera in Deo, quóniam adhuc confitébor illi : * salutáre
vultus mei, et Deus meus. |
8 My soul is vexed within me; * therefore will I
remember thee from the land of Jordan, from Hermon and the little hill.
9 The deep calleth on the deep, * at the noise of thy
water-floods.
10 All thy waves and storms * are gone over me.
11 The Lord hath commanded his mercy in the daytime; * and
a canticle to him in
the night season.
12 The prayer to the God of my life is with me, * I will say unto God
: Thou dost uphold me.
13 Why hast thou forgotten me? * and why go I mourning, whilst the enemy oppresseth me?
14 Whilst my bones are smitten asunder, * mine
enemies that trouble me have reproached me.
15 While they say daily unto me: Where is now thy God? * why art thou sad, O my soul? and why
dost thou trouble me?
16 O put thy trust in God, for I will yet praise him, * the
salvation of my countenance, and my God. |