The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 59

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. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 59

“Intercede for us, O saving Mother of God.” The Battle 
of Lepanto with the Madonna and Child, by Furlanello
(1651-97). Church of St. Mary of the Assumption  in 

Cavalese, Italy. Public domain. Syrio: CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. O God, thou hast cast us off because of our sins: thou hast had mercy on us by the Virgin Mary.[1]

2. Intercede for us, O saving Mother of God[2]: who hast brought forth salvation for men and angels.

3. For thou infusest joy into the sad: and joy and sweetness into the mourners.[3]

4. Rejoice us by the sweet sounds of thy speech: and pour thy balm of roses forth into our hearts.[4]

5. Thunder, ye heavens, from above, and give praise to her: glorify her, ye earth, with all the dwellers therein.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Deus, reppulisti nos propter peccata nostra: et misertus es nobis per Virginem Mariam.

2. Intercede pro nobis, salutifera Mater Dei: quæ angelorum et hominum salutem peperisti.

3. Tu enim mœstis exultationem infundis: et mærentibus lætitiam et dulcorem.

4. Lætifica nos dulcifluo sono oris tui: et liquore tuo roseo perfunde corda nostra.

5. Tonate, cœli , desuper, et date illi laudem: glorifica illam, terra cum omnibus habitatoribus tuis.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “O God, thou hast cast us off . . . and hast had mercy on us”: Davidic Ps. LIX.

[2] Cf. Of Mary’s Son, Christ Jesus: “who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Rom. viii, 34. “always living to make intercession for us”: Hebr. vii, 25.

[3] Cf. “Causa nostræ laetitiæ” / “Cause of our joy”: Litany of Loreto (Paris, 1150-1200).

[4] Cf. “as the flower of roses in the days of the spring, and as the lilies that are on the brink of the water, and as the sweet smelling frankincense in the time of summer”:  Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) l, 8.

Davidic Psalm LIX

1 Unto the end, for them that shall be changed, for the inscription of a title, to David himself, for doctrine,  2 When he set fire to Mesopotamia of Syria and Sobal and Joab returned and slew of Edom, in the vale of the saltpits, twelve thousand men.

3 O God, thou hast cast us off, and hast destroyed us; thou hast been angry, and hast had mercy on us.  4 Thou hast moved the earth, and hast troubled it: heal thou the breaches thereof, for it has been moved.  5 Thou hast shewn thy people hard things; thou hast made us drink wine of sorrow. 6 Thou hast given a warning to them that fear thee: that they may flee from before the bow: That thy beloved may be delivered.  7 Save me with thy right hand, and hear me.

8 God hath spoken in his holy place: I will rejoice, and I will divide Sichem; and will mete out the vale of tabernacles.  9 Galaad is mine, and Manasses is mine: and Ephraim is the strength of my head. Juda is my king:  10 Moab is the pot of my hope. Into Edom will I stretch out my shoe: to me the foreigners are made subject.

11 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?  12 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go out with our armies?  13 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the salvation of man.  14 Through God we shall do mightily: and he shall bring to nothing them that afflict us.

Notes

A national prayer at a time of most grave peril. 

The title is unusually long and is divided into two parts, one of which is technical (verse 1) and the other historical (verse 2).

1: “for them that shall be changed”: Hebr. “to the melody of Lilies of witness,” referring in all probability to the way the poem was to be sung. Cf. Ps. XLIV.

“for doctrine”: Hebr. “to instruct, for instruction.” Most commentators interpret this as referring to instructions that the choir master would give to the cantors on how to sing this psalm. Others believe it means for the instruction of posterity. Most probably, as is confirmed by the passage in II Kings i, 18, it assigns a special role for Psalm LIX, namely for the accompaniment of military exercises. 

Historical background:

2: “When he set fire”: The history referred to here in the title is important to draw together the ideas set forth in the Psalm which give the impression at first sight of being disparate. Here is a translation of the Hebrew text : When he (David) battled against Aram of the two rivers and against Aram of Soba, and when Joab returned and battled Edom in the valley of Sel, killing twelve thousand men.

The events referred to may be found throughout the accounts in II Kings viii, x, xi and in I Par. xviii. We are transported back to the time of the longest and most glorious war undertaken by David during which he had to struggle against the Ammonites and the Syrians who had formed an alliance. The lands of the latter are referred to under two different names: Syria of the two rivers, meaning Mesopotamia which is bounded by the Euphrates and the Tigris; and Aram of Soba, a powerful kingdom which seems to have been situated to the north of Damascus. Whilst David was engaged in fighting against these terrible adversaries, the Idumeans invaded from the south since the Israelite territory there had been stripped of its soldiers and they mercilessly laid waste the country. Accordingly, David made haste to finish his Syrian expedition and he sent a strong army commanded by Joab and Abisai against these bold aggressors  (cf. Par. xviii, 12). It was at this critical moment that he composed the Psalm “ O God, thou hast cast us off” to call for God’s blessing on this new campaign he was launching. His prayer was granted for his generals gained a spectacular victory in the Valley of Sel, (today Gore), to the south of the Dead Sea. 12,000 (or some say 18,000) Idumeans were slain on the battlefield.

Structure:

‣ The canticle opens with a sorrowful lament, verses 3-7. David, forgetting his brilliant victories in the north-east, can think only of the humiliations and sufferings that God’s people were enduring at the hands of the Idumeans and he provides a lugubrious description.

‣ Next he cites in verse 8 et seq. a prophecy in which the Lord had promised Israel would possess not only Palestine but also the lands of the neighbouring peoples.

‣ Finally, on the basis of this prophecy, he places all his trust in the Lord to grant him a swift and decisive victory over the Idumeans.

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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.