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| 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. |
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).
Reminder: I began posting an annotated and illustrated version of St Bonaventure's Life of St Francis on the 4th October (his feast day) this year, the 800th anniversary of his death in 1226. To read these posts, please click on our sister blog:
Psalm 97
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| “Be mindful, O Lady, of the poor and the wretched.” Joy of all who Sorrow, artist n/k (late 17c.). [7] Andrei Rublev Museum, Moscow. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. |
1. Sing to Our Lady a new song: for she hath done wonderful things[1].
2. In the sight of nations she hath revealed her mercy: her name is heard even to the ends of the earth[2].
3. Be mindful, O Lady, of the poor and the wretched: and support them by the help of thy holy refreshment[3].
4. For thou, O Lady, art sweet and true: exceedingly patient and full of compassion[4].
5. Tread upon the enemies of our souls[5]: and crush with thy holy arm their contumacy[6].
Glory be to the Father etc.
1. Cantate Dominæ nostræ canticum novum: quia mirabilia fecit.
2. In conspectu gentium revelavit misericordiam suam: in extremis terræ auditum est nomen ejus.
3. Recordare, Domina, pauperum et miserorum: et sustenta eos ope refrigerii sancti tui.
4. Tu autem, Domina, suavis et verax: patiens nimis et miseratione plena.
5. Conculca hostes animarum nostrarum: et contumaciam illorum elide brachio sancto tuo.
Gloria Patri, etc.
Footnotes
[1] Cf. Davidic Ps. XCVII, 1.
[2] Cf. “The Lord hath made known his salvation: he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles.” Davidic Ps. XCVII, 2.
[3] Cf. “Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor”: Ps. XL, 2.
[4] Cf. “The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient and plenteous in mercy. The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” Ps. CXLIV, 8-9.
[5] Cf. “Tread thou, my soul, upon the strong ones”: Judges v, 21.
[6] Cf. “His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy.” Davidic, Ps. XCVII, 1.
[7] “Joy of all who Sorrow” (or “Comforter of the afflicted”):Standing on a cloud within a radiant mandorla beneath the Most Holy Trinity, the Theotokos is depicted as Queen of Heaven. She holds the Christ Child on her left arm while gesturing toward Him with her right hand. On either side are crowds of the sick, the hungry, the naked and the oppressed. The scrolls and the cartouche contain words from liturgical hymns in Church Slavonic.
Davidic Psalm XCVII
1 A psalm for David himself.
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: because he hath done wonderful things. His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy. 2 The Lord hath made known his salvation: he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles. 3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Sing joyfully to God, all the earth; make melody, rejoice and sing. 5 Sing praise to the Lord on the harp, on the harp, and with the voice of a psalm: 6 With long trumpets, and sound of cornet. Make a joyful noise before the Lord our king:
7 Let the sea be moved and the fulness thereof: the world and they that dwell therein. 8 The rivers shall clap their hands, the mountains shall rejoice together 9 At the presence of the Lord: because he cometh to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with justice, and the people with equity.
Notes
Praise to God, who has worked miracles in favour of his people.
This is another beautiful theocratic Psalm. It bears considerable resemblance to Psalm XCV, from which it takes almost literally the opening and the conclusion. It also reproduces various passages from other, more ancient psalms. It therefore features less originality than the preceding poem but it is not lacking in beauty thereby and is far from being wanting in lyrical impulse. It invites the whole world to acknowledge and to celebrate the God of Israel by reason of the miracles worked through His omnipotence in favour of His people. It is accordingly Messianic in the same sense as all the canticles in the same series, for it predicts the future conversion of the pagans to God.
The psalm may be divided into three equal strophes: Verses 1b -3, 4-6 and 7-9.
1b-3: God has miraculously saved Israel before the face of the entire world.
4-6: Let all the inhabitants of the earth praise this divine liberator to the sound of musical instruments.
7-9: Let inanimate nature also praise the God of Israel, by reason of His perfect equity.
8: “The rivers shall clap their hands”: A bold metaphor. This gesture is reported as used throughout long ages to applaud, cf. “And he brought forth the king's son, and put the diadem upon him, and the testimony: and they made him king, and anointed him: and clapping their hands they said, God save the king.” IV Kings xi, 12.
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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.
The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.
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.
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