The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 7

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virignis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 7

“May the brightness of thy countenance shine upon us:”
The Assumption, by El Greco (1577-9).
Art Institute of Chicago. Public domain.

1. O my Lady, in thee have I hoped: from my enemies deliver me[1].

2. Shut thou the mouth of the lion and his teeth[2]: restrain the lips of those that persecute me[3].

3. For thy name’s sake delay not to accomplish thy mercy in us[4].

4. May the brightness of thy countenance shine upon us: so that our conscience may remain clear before the Most High.

5. If the enemy should persecute my soul, O Lady, may I be strengthened by thy help: lest his sword should strike me[5].

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Domina mea in te speravi : de inimicis meis libera me Domina.

2. Conclude ora leonis et dentes eius : et labia persequentium constringe.

3. Non moreris propter nomen tuum : facere nobis misericordiam tuam.

4. Splendor vultus tui fulgeat super nos : ut servetur conscientia[6] nostra apud Altissimum.

5. Si persequatur inimicus animam meam, Domia adiutorio tuo confortet : ne vibret gladium suum contra me.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: Psalm. VII. 2.

[2] Cf. Lest at any time he seize upon my soul like a lion: Psalm. VII. 3.

[3] Cf. save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. Psalm. VII. 2.

[4] Cf. O Lord, hear: O Lord, be appeased: hearken and do: delay not for thy own sake, O my God: because thy name is invocated upon thy city, and upon thy people: Damiel ix. 19.

[5] Cf. Go not out into the fields, nor walk in the highway: for the sword of the enemy, and fear is on every side: Jerem. vi. 25.

[6] The 1679 text has “conscientiam” but the letter “m” seems to have been added in error by the copyist.

Davidic Psalm VII 

“Save me from all them that persecute me.” Saul attacking David, by Guercino
 (1646). Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica. Public domain.

1 The psalm of David which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini. [2 Kings 16]  2 O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.  3 Lest at any time he seize upon my soul like a lion, while there is no one to redeem me, nor to save.  4 O Lord my God, if I have done this thing, if there be iniquity in my hands:  5 If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies.  6 Let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it, and tread down my life on the earth, and bring down my glory to the dust.  7 Rise up, O Lord, in thy anger: and be thou exalted in the borders of my enemies. And arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which thou hast commanded:  8 And a congregation of people shall surround thee. And for their sakes return thou on high.  9 The Lord judgeth the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my justice, and according to my innocence in me.  10 The wickedness of sinners shall be brought to nought: and thou shalt direct the just: the searcher of hearts and reins is God.  11 Just is my help from the Lord: who saveth the upright of heart.  12 God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day?  13 Except you will be converted, he will brandish his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready.  14 And in it he hath prepared the instruments of death, he hath made ready his arrows for them that burn.  15 Behold he hath been in labour with injustice; he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth iniquity.  16 He hath opened a pit and dug it; and he is fallen into the hole he made.  17 His sorrow shall be turned on his own head: and his iniquity shall come down upon his crown.  18 I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice: and will sing to the name of the Lord the most high.

Notes

1: which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini: The historical background. Chusi, or rather Kus, is not mentioned anywhere else. Some have identified this personnage with Semei (cf. II Reg. xvi. 5 et seq.), Kus being the Hebrew name for the Ethiopians. Others, notably St Jerome in his Hebrew Psalter view this word as denoting race and translate the phrase as “concerning the words of the Ethiopian.” These two explanations are unlikely. It is commonly accepted that Chusi was one of the courtiers of Saul who, sharing his hatred of David, uttered terrible calumnies against the young prince in the presence of their Lord. “the words” refer here to bitter words and perfidious insinuations. They portray him as a conspirator and make the jealous king desire to rid himself of a dangerous rival. Cf. I Reg. xxii. 8; xxiv 9; xxvi 19 etc.  Psalm VII dates therefore from the time when Saul was persecuting David and all its details are in perfect harmony with what the first book of Kings tells us of this time which was so difficult for David.

2: all them that persecute me: Saul and all his followers who share his jealous enmity towards David.

3: Lest at any time he seize upon my soul like a lion: Cf. His eyes are upon the poor man: He lieth in wait in secret like a lion in his den: Ps. IX (2nd part) 9; They have taken me, as a lion prepared for the prey; and as a young lion dwelling in secret places: Ps. XVI. 12; Save me from the lion's mouth: Ps. XXI. 22;

12: God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day? Even if seemingly patient on the outside, God feels perpetual indignation against sin because His holiness and His justice cannot abide in peace when faced with moral evil.  

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.